HISTORY OF THE
FAGOR GROUP
The Fagor Group was established in 1964 under the name Ularco by four cooperatives from the Debagoiena region: Ulgor, Arrasate, Copreci and Ederlan. The group’s initial name was based on those of three of these cooperatives (Ulgor, Arrasate and Copreci), although the first seeds of the cooperative group had already begun to germinate several years earlier with the creation of Ulgor. The Mondragón Experience (1957) also had an impact on the group. During that period, a certain group of people decided to opt for a different kind of company. The Fagor brand was born in that context, in the year 1959.
FAGOR GROUP
A historical overview
Right from the very beginning, the Fagor Group has always sought to advance cooperativism, adapting to the context at each moment of our history.
(1957) The idea of cooperativism takes root in Debagoiena. In 1956, prompted by Jose Maria Arizmendiarrieta, five workers from the company Unión Cerrajera de Arrasate created Tallares Ulgor as a first step towards developing a democratic business model.
(1959) Ulgor creates the Fagor brand. The name was originally going to be Tagor, but since another company was already registered under that name, they decided to add a line to the T to turn it into an F, thereby creating the name Fagor.
(1964) Ulgor, Arrasate, Copreci and Ederlan (all from Debagoiena) join forces to create the Ularco cooperative group. They continued to work to promote cooperativism, strengthening their activities in constant collaboration with one another. Later on, they helped create new cooperatives.
(1986) The members agree to restructure the group. Among other decisions, they opted to rename the group Fagor and divided it into three sections (consumer goods, complementary industries and capital goods), each with its own director. One of these directors was a woman, something which was not at all common at that time.
(2013) Fagor Electrodomésticos closes down and the process of relocating its workers begins. In 2019, an agreement was signed with the company Amica, granting it licence to use the Fagor brand in the white goods electrical appliances industry.
(2021) The 2021 General Assembly approves the Fagor 2030 sustainability strategy, which defines the framework for the group’s future actions. The strategy covers a diverse range of issues, including competitiveness, the democratic governance model, caring for people, commitment to the planet and community development.
