María Llorca, CEO of Chocolates Marcos Tonda: “With the impetus of CDTI Innovation and FEDER funds we have managed to launch CHOK UP, industrialize tradition and generate sustainable innovation”

Chocolates Marcos Tonda is one of those exceptional cases in which two centuries of artisanal tradition dialogue with a vision of the future oriented to innovation. Founded in 1793 by the master chocolatier Juan Tonda Lloret, the company has managed to maintain the artisanal essence that distinguishes it, while incorporating modern processes and a professional structure that allows it to grow in an orderly manner. “We maintain the essence, but with a renewed ambition, with structured growth and a strong commitment to innovation,” explains María Llorca, CEO of the company.

With a team of 25 professionals, the company located in Villajoyosa (Alicante) is based on a diverse shareholding and its activity is organized in two strategic lines: Retail, oriented to the final consumer through supermarkets, gourmet shops and specialized points, and Horeca, focused on hotels, restaurants and professional distributors. Among the most outstanding products of the Retail channel are high-impact collaborations such as Chocolates Marcos Tonda x Agatha Ruiz de la Prada and La Virgen 1793, which reinforce the identity and recognition of the brand.

The domestic market remains the central axis of the company, accounting for approximately 98.37% of total sales in 2024, while exports show sustained growth, with presence in Finland, the Netherlands, the United States, Morocco and Andorra. Llorca stresses that “the internationalization process is consolidating year after year and allows us to open new opportunities in strategic markets, even if the volume is still small”.

Innovation that renews the tradition

In recent years, Chocolates Marcos Tonda has carried out a comprehensive modernization process that has transformed its way of operating. The digitalization of processes, the implementation of ERP systems and internal management platforms have allowed precise control of production, traceability, inventory and administration, optimizing resources and reducing errors. The automation of different production and logistics phases has improved efficiency, shortened response times and ensured the consistency of the final product. In addition, the update of the online store and the development of new digital tools have expanded business opportunities and improved the customer experience.

This technological boost has been possible, in part, thanks to the support of CDTI innovation programmes and European ERDF funds. María Llorca points out that “this support has had a decisive impact on the development of the project and on the global transformation of the company. This aid has not only accelerated the execution of strategic investments, but has also been the driving force behind genuine technological and productive modernization.” In particular, Llorca stresses that “the support received has been fundamental to give viability and solidity to the project to create the new factory, a key infrastructure to increase productive capacity, optimize processes and respond to the expected growth in the coming years”.

In addition, the aid has generated a broader effect on the Spanish innovative ecosystem, strengthening industrial competitiveness, promoting applied innovation, creating qualified employment and boosting non-metropolitan regions. In the words of Llorca, “together, the support of the CDTI and the FEDER funds has not only allowed to promote a strategic project for the company, but has contributed to a broader impact: industrializing tradition, generating sustainable innovation and strengthening the economic and social ecosystem of the country.”

Products of Chocolates Marcos Tonda

Creativity and productive capacity

In this context, the company has launched the CHOK UP project, a new multifunctional line for the production of creative artisan chocolates, which symbolizes the integration of tradition and technology. The line emerges as a response to a market in transformation, where consumers are looking for differentiated, premium, customizable products with an added value that does not compromise artisanal quality. “The consumer is looking for new experiences, without losing the essence of artisanal chocolate, and CHOK UP manages to offer just that,” explains Llorca.

The new line makes it possible to make chocolates with new formats, textures and finishes, maintaining the consistency and precision required by a high-quality process. One of the biggest challenges was to adapt the artisan essence to modern machinery without compromising the attributes that define the product: flavor, texture and personality. The company overcame this challenge through meticulous calibration work and product testing that balances tradition and innovation.

CHOK UP offers significant competitive advantages, as it allows you to differentiate products through unique designs, adapt quickly to market trends and develop seasonal or personalized products, while optimizing operational efficiency and increasing productive capacity without sacrificing artisanal character. According to Llorca, this combination of tradition and innovation raises the perceived value of the product and strengthens the internationalization strategy, facilitating entry into new gourmet markets and consolidating the brand in premium segments.

Socioeconomic ecosystem and projection of the future

The impact of CHOK UP transcends the business sphere. The new line generates direct and indirect employment and dynamizes the local economic fabric, especially in a traditional sector of the region, contributing to the stability and growth of the company in the territory. In addition, the modernization of processes and the incorporation of more efficient machinery reduces losses, optimizes the use of raw materials and opens the door to more sustainable developments, such as ECO chocolates and packaging with less environmental impact.

In the medium term, the company conceives CHOK UP as a pillar of its new industrial stage. It will expand the catalog with more innovative products, strengthen the presence in the national market, increase the participation in exports and consolidate Chocolates Marcos Tonda as a reference of contemporary artisan chocolate. “This project puts us in a privileged place to combine creativity, tradition and technology, and project our history towards a sustainable and internationalized future,” concludes Llorca.

Together, the history of Chocolates Marcos Tonda demonstrates how the harmony between tradition and modernity can transform a century-old company into an innovative, competitive and sustainable reference, capable of generating economic, social and technological impact while keeping its artisanal and cultural identity alive.

CDTI Innovation

The Center for Technological Development and Innovation, CDTI E.P.E. It is the innovation agency of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, whose objective is the promotion of technological innovation in the business environment. The mission of the CDTI is to ensure that the Spanish business fabric generates and transforms scientific and technical knowledge into globally competitive, sustainable and inclusive growth. In 2024, within the framework of a new strategic plan, the CDTI provided more than 2.3 billion euros of support to Spanish companies and startups.

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