The Cajamar Cooperative Group Story and Its Current Position

Cajamar Cooperative Group has a rich history that dates back to 1919 when it was founded by a group of farmers in Andalusia, Spain.

Cajamar was initially focused on providing financial services to its members, who were mostly farmers and rural workers.

Over time, the cooperative expanded its services to include banking, insurance, and other financial products.

Today, Cajamar is one of the largest cooperative groups in Spain, with over 8 million members and a presence in various countries around the world.

Cajamar Cooperative Group has a rich history that spans over five decades. The group was formed by the aggregation of agricultural cooperative banks, with its original core being the Caja Rural de Almería established in 1966.

The group has undergone significant transformations over the years, with key mergers taking place in 2000, 2002, and 2019. Today, the group is composed of 18 entities, including Cajamar Caja Rural, which accounts for 86.5 percent of their combined business as of 2020.

Cajamar Cooperative Group has a strong presence in Spain, with over 3.7 million clients and 1.6 million cooperative members as of December 2022. The group's commitment to rural areas and the agri-food sector has made it a leading financial group in cooperative banking in Spain.

Cajamar Caja Rural was formed by the aggregation of agricultural cooperative banks, with its original core being the Caja Rural de Almería, established in 1966.

Its growth accelerated in 2000 with the merger of its peer in Málaga, adopting the name Cajamar in the process.

In 2002, it left the Grupo Caja Rural cooperative group to form its own independent grouping.

Cajamar gathered other local banks, several of which it subsequently merged with, to form the Cajamar Cooperative Group.

As of 2019, the group had been combined into a single Cajamar Cooperative Group composed of 18 entities.

These entities together with BCC had 1.6 million cooperative members and served 3.7 million clients in total as of December 2022.

The largest of the member banks is Cajamar Caja Rural, accounting for 86.5 percent of their combined business as of 2020.

Cajamar Caja Rural results from the merger of agricultural cooperative banks from Murcia (Campo de Cartagena, 1989), Andalusia (Almería and Málaga, 2000), Madrid (Grumeco, 2000), Castile and León (Caja Rural del Duero, 2007), the Balearic Islands (Caixa Rural de Balears, 2010), the Valencian Community (CajaCampo, 2011; Caja Rural Castellón, Ruralcaja "Caixes Rurals del Mediterrani", 2012; Crèdit València and Caja Rural Casinos, 2013; Caixa Albalat, 2018), and the Canary Islands (Caja Rural de Canarias, 2013).

The Cajamar Cooperative Group was constituted in December 2009, when it was authorised and classified as an Institutional Protection System (SIP) by the Bank of Spain.

This marked a significant milestone in the group's history, as it consolidated credit entities and laid the foundation for its future growth.

By 2013, Cajamar Caja Rural had merged with several other entities, including Ruralcaja, CR Castellón, and Crèdit València, resulting in a stronger and more diverse group.

Today, the group consists of 19 credit entities, including Cajamar Caja Rural, Caixa Rural Torrent, and Caixa Rural de Vila-real, among others.

This consolidation has enabled Cajamar to provide financial solutions to a wider range of customers, including rural areas and the agri-food sector.

Cajamar Cooperative Group has a long history of leadership, with notable figures at the helm. Jesús Durbán Remón was the President from 1966 to 1973.

The group has had several presidents since then, each playing a crucial role in shaping the organization's direction. Jesús Espinosa Godoy, for instance, served as President from 1973 to 1987.

Here is a list of the past presidents of Cajamar Cooperative Group:

Cajamar Cooperative Group's position within the sector is also noteworthy. As of now, the group ranks 10th in the country in terms of volume of assets.

At the heart of Grupo Cooperativo Cajamar's leadership are the governing bodies that oversee its various components. The General Assembly is the highest governing body, responsible for expressing the social will of the entity.

The Steering Committee is the main governing body, tasked with senior management, supervising executives, and representing the entity as required by law. This committee plays a crucial role in the entity's decision-making process.

In the case of Cajamar Caja Rural, the Executive Committee is chosen from among its members and includes a president, vice president, secretary, and four ordinary members. This committee is responsible for implementing the entity's strategic plans.

The General Assembly, Steering Committee, and Executive Committee work together to ensure the entity's overall governance and decision-making processes are effective and efficient.

Leadership and Position are crucial elements in any organization. Jesús Durbán Remón served as President from 1966 to 1973.

Each president played a significant role in shaping the organization's direction. Jesús Espinosa Godoy took over as President in 1973 and led the organization for 14 years.

A look at the leadership timeline reveals some interesting patterns. Miguel Quesada Belmonte was President from 1987 to 1992.

Here is a list of the organization's presidents:

Juan del Águila Molina held the position of President for 14 years, from 1992 to 2006.

Grupo Cooperativo Cajamar is a major player in the Spanish financial sector. It's ranked 10th in the country in terms of volume of assets.

The group has a strong presence in Spain, with a network of over 1,050 offices and agencies throughout the country. This extensive reach allows Grupo Cooperativo Cajamar to attend to and advise the financing, savings, and investment needs of its 3.5 million clients.

Its commitment to the social economy and sustainability has made Grupo Cajamar an innovative and efficient financial group. This commitment is reflected in its focus on creating shared value and a fairer distribution of wealth.

Here are some key facts about Grupo Cooperativo Cajamar's position in the sector:

Cajamar Cooperative Group has a clear focus on local development, which is a key aspect of its financial activity.

As a banking entity, Cajamar is committed to supporting the different sectors of production, particularly the agri-food sector.

Cajamar's financial activity is aimed at domestic economies, self-employed professionals, and small and medium-sized enterprises.

By prioritizing these groups, Cajamar is able to make a positive impact on the local community and promote economic growth.

Cajamar's commitment to the agri-food sector is particularly noteworthy, as it shows the organization's dedication to supporting a key industry in the region.

Cajamar Cooperative Group has a significant presence in the financial sector, with a network of over 700 branches across Spain and Portugal.

The group's financial performance is impressive, with assets totaling over €50 billion and a loan portfolio of over €40 billion.

Cajamar's commitment to social responsibility is reflected in its financial performance, with a significant portion of its profits going towards community development projects.

The group has a strong track record of stability, with a capital adequacy ratio of over 12% and a non-performing loan ratio of less than 3%.

Cajamar's financial performance has been recognized by various industry awards, including the "Best Bank in Spain" award.

The group's focus on innovation has led to the development of digital banking services, making financial transactions more accessible to its customers.

Cajamar Cooperative Group is part of the employer's Social Economy, having 31 partners who have joined the Spanish Business Confederation of Social Economy.

This membership allows Cajamar Caja Rural to serve the financial needs of its members and third parties, with a focus on social economy enterprises, particularly in the food industry.

The Group consists of 20 entities, including Cajamar Caja Rural, which devotes special attention to business initiatives in the food sector and rural world, granting 37% of SMEs loans to cooperatives.

As an entity of social economy, Cajamar Caja Rural promotes and participates in various business initiatives to improve quality of life and services for its cooperators and prospects.

The Employer's Social Economy is a vital aspect of the Cajamar Cooperative Group's operations. They have 31 partners who are part of the Spanish Business Confederation of Social Economy.

Cajamar Caja Rural serves the financial needs of its members and third parties through various banking activities, with a special focus on social economy enterprises, particularly in the food industry. This is evident in their territorial scope.

The Group consists of 20 entities, including Cajamar Caja Rural, which are dedicated to providing preferential attention to the financing of social economy companies in their territory. This is in line with their reason for being.

Lending to the cooperative sector has increased by 11% in the last year, with 31% aimed at agribusiness cooperatives and 37% SMEs granted to cooperatives. This demonstrates their commitment to supporting social economy businesses.

As José Luis Heredia Celdran, General Director of Commercial Banking Cajamar, notes, the greatest strength of credit unions is their partnership structure. This allows them to dedicate preferential attention to the financing of social economy companies.

Juan Antonio Pedreño has expressed satisfaction with the incorporation of Cajamar Cooperative Group into the Employer's Social Economy, stating that it represents a significant milestone.

Expansion began in the late 1980s, with Caja Rural de Almería expanding its activity to the Region of Murcia in 1989 and Caja Rural de Málaga opening branches in the province of Cádiz in 1990.

Caja Campo extended its geographical scope to the province of Albacete in 1979, and then to Cuenca in 1982.

Ruralcaja expanded its activity to Tarragona in 1995, and to Barcelona in 1996.

Caja Rural de Almería continued to expand, opening branches in Barcelona in 1990 and Madrid in 1992.

From the year 2000 onwards, Cajamar Caja Rural embarked on its process of national expansion, starting with Valencia and Castilla-Leon in 2003.

Grupo Cooperativo is a benchmark financial group in Spain, ranking 10th in the Spanish financial system by volume of assets. It's a cooperative banking entity that serves 3.5 million clients.

The group is made up of eighteen rural savings banks and the Banco de Crédito Social Cooperativo, which is the head of the group. It has a network of over 1,050 offices and agencies throughout Spain.

These offices and agencies are attended by more than 5,500 professionals who provide financial solutions to the local productive sectors, such as the agri-food sector, small and medium-sized companies, the self-employed, and the family economy.

Cajamar's commitment to the social economy and sustainability has made it an innovative, efficient, and entrepreneurial financial group. Its multi-channel management model combines advanced technologies with personal and direct attention.

The group's proximity banking model is focused on people and sustainable development of the territory from a social, economic, and environmental point of view. Commitment, proximity, and direct knowledge of the environment are its differentiating elements.

Here are the main parts of the Grupo Cooperativo Cajamar website: