He Los Andes newspaper, an institution in the media landscape of Mendoza, has been acquired by a group led by young Mendoza businessmen, marking a generational change in the ownership and direction of the medium. The sale of the newspaper, founded in 1883 by Adolfo Calle and since the 90s it was under the orbit of CIMECO, made up of Clarín, La Nación and the Vocento group from Spain, represents a significant milestone in the history of the medium.
The purchasing group is made up of Broda Group, lead by Santiago and Joaquín Berbera, and the businessman Mauricio BadalonYo. The Berberas, the fourth generation at the head of the family business, are recognized in the gastronomic field with La Marchigiana and other restaurants in the City of Mendoza, in addition to venturing into real estate development and the financial sector. For his part, Badaloni, a leading businessman of the Andesmar family business and with an outstanding career in the industrial and political sphere in the region, brings his experience and business vision to the project.
The transaction includes the newspaper, part of its assets and commitments to the staff, as well as the printing plant, although it excludes the historic newsroom building at 1049 San Martín. In addition, the purchasing group takes charge of debts estimated at around 800 million pesos.
According to a statement sent this Tuesday to the Argentine markets, the Clarín group said that its board of directors “unanimously” accepted the purchase offer sent by Juan Franco Badaloni, a businessman from Mendoza, for the shareholding in newspaper Los Andes. Badaloni will pay Grupo Clarín and Cimeco a total of $500,000.
The change in ownership has generated concern among the newspaper’s workers, especially after a series of layoffs that preceded the sale. However, it is assured that the printed version of the newspaper will continue, although with printing carried out in an external plant, following the global trend of the press towards the optimization of resources and production synergies.
With this acquisition, Los Andes is expected to enter a new era under the leadership of these young entrepreneurs, who will seek to maintain the relevance and quality of the medium in a constantly evolving media context.
Trajectory of the new owners
Andesmar Group, pioneer in the territory, its beginnings date back to 1940. It is a leading and constantly growing company with assets in the passenger and cargo transport and tourism sectors, and is also responsible for the transformation of the bus terminal in Mendoza, making it one of the most modern in the country.
Broda is a group that has operated in Mendoza for 70 years, with a presence in the gastronomic, hotel, commercial, pharmaceutical, financial and real estate sectors, among others. It is run by the fourth generation of the Barbera family.
Kristicha firm with more than 20 years linked to real estate developments.
LTN Group, of the Bernardi family, is a company with 50 years in the market, which leads the national production of sustainable panels for construction and industrial cold chambers.
Da Fre is a family company with more than 25 years of experience in the construction industry.
Giuffré Maderas It is also a family business with a history of 50 years.
Halpern is an irrigation and water management company.
With information from Infobae, El Cronista, Swissinfo and Sitio Andino.
