In a feature published on October 15, 2025, Mexico News Daily covered Mexico City-based Grupo Bimbo, the world’s largest breadmaker. From a humble neighborhood bakery to a US$21.8B global company, the story behind the smiling Osito bear is a lesson in how local ingenuity can go worldwide.
A Mexico City brand with global reach
Founded by the Servitje family, Bimbo began as El Molino, a Mexico City bakery that opened in 1928. The company officially launched in 1945 with a simple but revolutionary idea: offer fresher sliced bread sealed in transparent cellophane, allowing shoppers to see the quality for themselves. Branding came soon after, and the Osito Bimbo grew into a symbol of cleanliness and trust for generations of customers.
Key turning points that shaped the company
Logistical innovations helped the brand expand from the capital to the rest of the country, famously using “truck 38” to blast announcements in 1949. The opening of a state-of-the-art bakery in Azcapotzalco in 1972, later complemented by a Marinela plant, cemented the city’s role in industrial baking. In 2010, the purchase of Sara Lee Bakery in the United States added 41 bakeries and 4,800 delivery routes, solidifying Bimbo’s international presence. Today, the group operates in 76 countries, has a workforce of over 152,000 people, and manages a brand portfolio that includes Tía Rosa, Marinela, Barcel (Takis), Oroweat, Entenmann’s, Pullman, Sara Lee, and Thomas.
Why this success matters locally
Bimbo’s reach in Mexican households now competes with – and according to recent surveys, exceeds – Coca-Cola. For Mexico City, where the company started and still runs major facilities, this translates to consistent demand for distributors, retail partners, and food-service providers connected to the local economy. The brand’s strong nostalgia factor, like pan dulce in the morning or a Gansito in a lunchbox, also captures the rhythm of daily life in the city’s neighborhoods.
By the numbers
- 2024 revenue: US$21.8 billion; 4.3% share of the global bakery market
- Operations: 76 countries; workforce over 152,000
- Iconic products: Gansito (since 1957), Bimbollos, Medias Noches, Takis by Barcel
Sustainability goals reshape operations
Bimbo is aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050 and already gets over 92% of its electricity from renewable sources. The company reports that 94% of its packaging is set to be recyclable, biodegradable, or compostable by 2025. Its fleet has 4,200 electric delivery trucks – the largest in Latin America – and farmers in its supply chains are moving 170,000 hectares of wheat and corn toward regenerative farming practices in four countries.
What comes next?
Expansion carried on in 2025 with the purchase of Don Don in Southeast Europe. Bimbo also intends to eliminate all artificial coloring by 2026 while growing its healthier product lines to meet Mexico’s NOM-051 labeling standards. As a company with deep roots in Mexico City but operating on a global scale, Bimbo’s next moves will influence the daily eating habits of millions of households, from its home base to new markets.
Source: https://mexiconewsdaily.com/business/made-in-mexico-bimbo-bread/
