From Mallorca to the world: the internatonal journey of Distribucions Túnel

09 DEC 2024

Distribucions Túnel, a family business founded in 1986 in Marratxí by Mr. Gabriel Morey, has grown and evolved to become a benchmark in the distribution of spirits, an impressive national and international product portfolio with more than 800 brands and over 4,500 products. It is amazing what began as a specialized distribution of wines and spirits to the restaurant sector, today ranges from spirits and native wines from Mallorca to exclusive products that not only dominate the Balearic Islands, but are also exported all over the world.

Its activity is sorted out in three main areas: the national distribution of a wide variety of products; such as wines, gin and cava; its own production of spirits under the Antonio Nadal brand, including the emblematic Hierbas Túnel and Palo Túnel, of which reflect local tradition and flavor highlighting the production of Mallorcain wines at the Bodega Tiana Negre which stands out for its use of native unique grapes from the island.

The company counts with a team of approximately over 200 professionals and stands out not only for its logistics and distribution capacity, but also for its constant innovation and commitment to quality. One of the key milestones in this process was the collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce of Mallorca, which allowed the company to rethink its vision and adopt a more open philosophy towards internationalization.

Distribucions Túnel has achieved a remarkable expansion and is currently present in approximately over 50 countries. The export documents of most of these countries are managed through the Foreign Trade Chamber of Commerce, such as certificates of origin, certificates of free sale, advice on market research, tariffs, and in addition some procedures or requirements are verified and solved through EEN partners from their pertaining country.

Germany has become the country where they export the most, followed by Switzerland and Ukraine, although they are always looking for new collaborations. The company is very satisfied with the progress achieved in its international expansion, exceeding initial expectations and consolidating its position in global markets.

Furthermore, working with Stefania Della Vedova, export manager, we are closely following the trajectory and the challenges faced by Distribucions Túnel in its way towards internationalization in order to keep on expanding internationally mainly counting on the services provided by the EEN.

What does it mean to be part of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN)?

One of Túnel's main objectives is to be able to distribute more efficiently in the UK, but so far we have not been able to find a strong partner there. Thanks to the EEN we have been able to hold meetings with potential partners in the UK; the contact we established with Andreas Johansen, EEN partner of UK - Senior Innovation and Growth Specialist, has been very useful. The UK is one of the key markets for us, given that tourism in Mallorca is mainly British and German, two very different consumer profiles. Therefore, we are looking for a partner in the UK who feels comfortable working with our most relevant references for that market, which is highly saturated and faces a decreasing demand. The challenge is to find an attractive proposition within such a competitive offer and to foster sales participating in B2B virtual events has been very productive to find contacts worldwide.

The EEN platform has been a valuable tool to search and get to know the different profiles of international distributors. In addition, I have had the opportunity to learn about the different events in each country and the contacts that have been established have been very useful “the know how” in order to enter the market in a specific country. Distribucions Túnel is open to explore the various services offered by the EEN to continue growing internationally, as we understand that diversification and adaptability are key to progress in markets worldwide.

What has been your latest international success?

One of our latest international successes has been a distribution collaboration agreement with Bulgaria, a market that, although complicated to enter has given us a very positive experience. Bulgaria is an alcoholic beverage producing country, so we cannot offer products like our vodka, for example, as local competition is strong. However, we have managed to identify other opportunities within your market; The key has been to study very well how to present our products. In this case, we found a very interesting distributor, La Española, located in Sofia.

Specialized in selective products such as sausages, oils and wines, it has a premium store focused on Spanish products, and also shows interest in other agricultural products from the Balearic Islands. What has made this collaboration even more special is that La Española has a family business philosophy, very similar to ours, based on proximity and commitment to quality. We have had the opportunity to participate in events together, which has allowed us to make ourselves known to the Bulgarian public, while at the same time positioning ourselves as a brand related to the Mediterranean flavor. It has been a very enriching experience and an important step to consolidate our presence in the Bulgarian market.

What do you value most about working with the Mallorca Chamber of Commerce?

What I value most about working with the Mallorca Chamber of Commerce is, without a doubt, the constant support and professionalism I have received from the very beginning, especially from the Foreign Trade Department, which has been involved in the process almost from day one, offering close follow-up on our progress. Thanks to their help, as I mentioned earlier, we have been able to establish contact with the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) delegates in the UK and Bulgaria, leading to distribution collaborations, in addition to continuing to explore opportunities in other countries, which has been key to our international expansion.

The International Department of the Chamber of Commerce, represented by Adele Bunbury and Alicia Bueno, area director, visited our facilities this summer. The visit allowed them to better understand our procedures and needs, so we could make the most of the services offered by the EEN and the Chamber of Commerce. The relationship has always been very personal; without their continuous support and advice, this project would not have been as successful.