This week, we've had the pleasure of having a conversation with Enrique Tomás, Founder and CEO of Enrique Tomás.

Tell us about the history, mission, and values of Enrique Tomás.

Enrique Tomás started as a small stall in the Salud market in Badalona, where I had direct dealings with my customers. 40 years later, we are the most important company in terms of Iberian ham commercialization, as we handle more than 15% of all that is produced, in addition to other types of ham and gastronomic products. Today we are in 11 countries and aim to reach about 30 by 2030. But we are still working towards our goals. Our company's objective is to name the ham in the world, which means that our name should be enough to know that it signifies the best possible ham. But we also have another goal which we see as a responsibility: to put ham in its place. It should be on that podium of select products. For me, it is the best gastronomic product there is, for many nuances. But also for the work that is behind - and in front - of each ham.

Tell us about your professional trajectory and your current role at Enrique Tomás.

I founded the company when I opened my third store, but I have been behind a counter since I was 8 years old helping in my parents' store. Thank God I am still involved in the day-to-day of the company. I have a team of more than 1200 people with me, and my son Albert takes the general direction by my side. This allows me mainly to take care of extraordinary aspects besides knowing everything that happens to be able to be present more and more places and in more and more countries.

What is the element that differentiates you or that you are most proud of in your organization?

No one does what we do. That is our differential value. We are not ham producers, we are selectors. But we don't select brands or producers, we select piece by piece, ham by ham, with a quality process that we have perfected for over 40 years. This grants us two very important aspects: flexibility and guarantee. Flexibility because we are not obliged to sell something we have produced or developed, we sell only what we want and what we are sure meets absolutely unique criteria of excellence. Therefore, it is a guarantee. If a ham is Enrique Tomás, it is because it has passed through a chain of very demanding criteria to become so. Just like in sports. In national sections, only the best players and professionals from each country are present, and also those who are in the best shape. The same goes for us, only Enrique Tomás will be the best ham and this in the end is a guarantee for the customer. Because people when they buy ham are not looking to save, they are looking for pleasure. Good ham is the one that gives pleasure… and with us, that is a starting point.

Why are Spain and the United States important for your company?

The United States is a strategic market for us. Culturally, our gastronomy and culture are of high interest to Americans. This is demonstrated by the impressive number of tourists from the U.S. each year (we are always one of the two countries with the most tourism in the world, and the U.S. is one of the main sources of our visitors). But it is also because in the U.S. the culture of Spanish and Hispanic origin is of great tradition and Spanish products are very well regarded. Spanish wine or ham are two major "flags" that people in the U.S. appreciate. That's why we have stores in the country and among our objectives is to increase this presence. Why did you choose to partner with AmChamSpain? Because it is extremely important to know the audience you relate to, and the society in which you are involved. I am very aware of the relevance of networking, I have worked on it all my life. And the AmCham carries out very positive work to build ties and relationships between companies and interest groups that see the U.S. as a priority market, both in origin and in our country, with the number of activities and actions they carry out.