It was in 1965 that Fructuoso López, President of JOMA, founded the international company that today has become the number one Spanish sports brand and one of the world’s most influential and recognised worldwide. On Friday 25th November 2016 more than 600 people from 70 different countries joined him and his family, as well as athletes past and present, sports managers and representatives of the main institutions of Castilla-La Mancha, in a Gala Dinner at the company’s headquarters in Portillo de Toledo to celebrate JOMA’s 50th Anniversary.
Footballers and ex-footballers such as Alfonso Pérez, Martín Vázquez, Kiko Narváez; tennis players like Nicolás Almagro and Pablo Carreño; the president of the Spanish Olympic Committee, Alejandro Blanco, the president of the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation, José María Odriozola; athletes like Fermín Cacho, Juan Carlos de la Ossa and Ricardo Ortega; presidents of the most important football clubs sponsored by JOMA in Spain, such as Villarreal CF, RCD Espanyol or Granada CF; together with political and institutional representatives of Castilla-La Mancha attended the prestigious event.
The event, presented by Marco Rocha, a respected journalist and brand ambassador, began at 8pm with a visit to the new Logistics Centre building, where a new and advanced intelligent logistics system has been implemented which optimizes the movement of all merchandise due to be despatched to JOMA stores. During the visit, guests were also able to discover the history of Fructuoso López through exhibits which showed how JOMA grew from humble beginnings in 1965 to the global sports brand it is today. Attendees were also shown simulated shoemakers workshops which would have been used in each of the five decades and which highlighted the great technological advances in new machinery with which the company now operates.
During the Gala Dinner, several tributes were paid to Fructuoso López and vice president, Dª. Marina Arellano by company workers and customers. JOMA presented ten medals, made in damasquinado (Toledo Gold), one of the most famous and traditional crafts of the local area, to a number of people who have left their mark on the company. A commemorative book, Fructuoso López. 50 years training my freedom, was also presented to everyone who attended the event.
During the dinner, a video documentary featuring the history of JOMA was played. Fifty years of evolution have led the brand to be at the forefront of sport and to position itself as one of the leading brands worldwide. JOMA now has eight subsidiaries located in strategic markets, such as the United States, Italy, Mexico, Germany, England, Latin America and China and operates in more than 100 countries.