What Corporación Hijos de Rivera is
Corporación Hijos de Rivera is a family-owned drinks group based in A Coruña. Its parent entity is Corporación Hijos de Rivera, S.L., tax identifier B70313507, registered at Calle José María Rivera Corral 6. Estrella Galicia is one of its brands, while Hijos de Rivera, S.A.U. is a separate operating company. This profile describes the business group presented in its 2025 report; it does not equate the brewery’s sales with group revenue or add them as independent businesses. Corporación Hijos de Rivera: legal notice; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 7; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 119.
From ice and beer production to diversification
José María Rivera Corral founded La Estrella de Galicia in 1906 after returning from the Americas. The original business made ice and beer. Mechanisation progressed under Ramón Rivera Illade and the second generation, and the A Grela brewery opened in 1972. Alcohol-free beer followed in 1988, while the 1994 investment in Cabreiroá began diversification into mineral water. The acquisition of Sidrería Galega in 2001 expanded the other-drinks business. MEGA, the Mundo Estrella Galicia museum, opened in 2019. These dates describe the business’s history rather than the incorporation of today’s parent entity. Hijos de Rivera: history, checked 8 November 2026; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 9; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 10.
Family ownership and corporate governance
The company describes itself as an independent group with wholly Spanish capital, associated with the Rivera family. The 2025 report identifies Ignacio Rivera Quintana as executive chairman of both the Corporation and Hijos de Rivera, S.A.U. The parent and brewery have separate boards. The group reports a Code of Values, an Ethics Committee and an internal reporting system; in 2025 it approved a comprehensive compliance model and a Compliance Committee responsible for that system. These mechanisms describe its organisation and do not, by themselves, establish compliance with every obligation. Corporación Hijos de Rivera: company overview; Hijos de Rivera: governance, values and ethics; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 119; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 120; Hijos de Rivera: history, checked 8 November 2026.
Brands, channels and activities
The group produces, markets and distributes drinks. Its range includes Estrella Galicia and 1906, Cabreiroá, Fontarel and Agua de Cuevas waters, Maeloc cider, wines such as Ponte da Boga, Soul K kombucha and AUARA drinks. The 2025 report records the addition of Vánagandr and an alliance with Basqueland. It also distributes third-party brands, which does not imply ownership. Its commercial network is complemented by its own hospitality venues, the MEGA museum and digital commerce. The report describes 50 companies working within this model, a corporate total rather than an individual schedule of shareholdings. Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 13; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 14; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 20; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 21; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 22.
Production, logistics and markets
In 2025 the Corporation reported distribution to 82 countries and a structure of 11 international subsidiaries. The report locates these subsidiaries in Brazil, the United States, Ireland, Portugal, China, the Philippines, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Italy; some countries host more than one. It also reports 16 production sites, 23 logistics centres in Spain and Portugal and 34 commercial areas. Selling in a market does not mean operating a factory there. These figures relate to 2025 and are not a daily inventory of all assets or entities. Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 13; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 16.
Morás and the new A Coruña headquarters
The second brewery, at Morás in Arteixo, opened on 19 June 2025. For that year the report gives production of 76.4 million litres and capacity of 110 million; the president’s letter refers to potential capacity of up to 900 million, not achieved production. A Grela recorded production of 487.2 million litres. The current corporate history dates the opening of the new global headquarters in A Coruña to 19 June 2026. This specific date is used here, although the report’s abbreviated timeline groups the headquarters within its 2025 milestone. Hijos de Rivera: history, checked 8 November 2026; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 5; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 10; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 17.
Business scale in 2025
The 2025 Positive Impact Report publishes Corporation revenue of €945.4 million, compared with €886.3 million in 2024. This is the size measure used for this editorial selection, expressed in euros at group level; it is not the individual turnover of Hijos de Rivera, S.A.U. The same table reports consolidated profit before corporate income tax of €145.1 million and sales of 836 million litres across its drinks business. These are published corporate figures: this profile does not attribute an audit opinion to complete accounts that could not be examined. Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 12; Hijos de Rivera: report index, checked 8 November 2026.
Workforce and reporting boundaries
The report states that the Corporation ended 2025 with 2,168 people, 124 more than the previous year. This is a year-end headcount, not a full-time-equivalent figure. The subsequent breakdown covers 2,085 people, or 96.17% of the total: 477 women and 1,608 men. These counts therefore do not represent the entire workforce. The statement on collective agreement coverage includes employees in Spain, Brazil and Portugal, according to its methodological note. The report records 38,114 hours of employee training without identifying all of them as safety training. Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 65; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 68.
How the prevention culture has developed
The 2024 report documents the Trabajar de forma segura programme, launched in 2022 with a diagnosis and improvement plan. It began at A Grela and expanded to Cabreiroá, Aguas El Pilar, Agua de Cuevas, Customdrinks and logistics areas. Prevention Culture Teams examine accidents, incidents, reported risks and inspections and contribute to procedures and objectives. SmartOHS was introduced in 2024 to track controls, investigate accidents and report risks. This dated background helps explain the 2025 practices; the presence of tools and teams does not by itself demonstrate fewer accidents. Hijos de Rivera: 2024 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 48; Hijos de Rivera: 2024 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 49.
Operational safety: measures reported for 2025
The 2025 report describes operational training led by line managers, planned task observations and short weekly safety conversations. It also reports a pilot in the packaging department to identify and correct possible imbalances between production and safety. This is particularly relevant because it examines how production demands may affect safe working. That section does not publish the sample size, findings or a quantified reduction in risk. The pilot is therefore presented as a reported activity, not as a demonstrated preventive outcome. Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 78; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 79.
ISO 45001: entities and the outstanding site objective
The 2025 report states that ISO 45001 certification continued for the management systems of Hijos de Rivera, S.A.U., Aguas de Cabreiroá, S.A.U. and Agua de Cuevas, S.A.U. It describes implementation work at Aguas El Pilar, Customdrinks and Cervinter. Certification of Morás is presented as a 2026 objective. No subsequent certificate has been verified that would establish completion or automatically extend coverage to every group site. The corporate statement is retained with its year and entities; ISO 14001, food safety, B Corp and employment awards are not OHS certification. Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 78; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 118.
Mental health and work organisation
The 2025 wellbeing programme covers emotional, physical, social, financial and professional dimensions. The report describes psychological and social support available around the clock, WellWo content and emotional wellbeing diagnoses conducted at Cabreiroá, Cuevas, El Pilar and Customdrinks. Its professional wellbeing priorities also include digital disconnection, shifts, work organisation and participation. The diagnosis is not described here as a statutory psychosocial risk assessment: the sources examined do not publish its method, findings or resulting controls. Wellbeing activities also do not replace control of working conditions. Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 80; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 81; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 84.
Physical prevention and return to work
The 2025 report describes individual preventive and return-to-work training for health complaints or following sick leave at A Grela, Morás and commercial-branch warehouses. This is a measure linked to named workplaces, separate from general sporting or nutritional activities. It also mentions health examinations at A Grela and Morás within its physical wellbeing initiatives, but that section does not provide examination counts or complete health-surveillance coverage. This profile does not attribute diagnoses to employees or clinical outcomes to the programme. Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 82.
OHS in supplier selection and assessment
The purchasing process includes occupational and environmental safety specifications before negotiation and award. In 2025 the group assessed 218 suppliers representing 73% of its purchases through an ESG programme using questionnaires, meetings, visits and action plans. Social criteria include OHS management systems and incident-response policies. The report itself identifies safety and health policies and plans as a supply-chain improvement priority. Follow-up planned for 2026 is not presented as completed. This ESG assessment is not blanket certification and does not provide a contractor accident rate. Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 101; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 104; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 105; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 106.
Collective bargaining and the 2026 agreement
On 30 January 2026 CIG alleged stalled collective bargaining, increased workloads and work–life balance difficulties. Europa Press reported the company’s response the following day: Hijos de Rivera denied leaving the negotiating table and maintained its willingness to reach an agreement. On 29 May CIG announced that the agreement had been signed the previous day, improving pay and incorporating arrangements on annual schedules, advance notice, holidays and work–life balance. These are attributed statements and a documented bargaining sequence, not a ruling establishing safety breaches or evidence that all organisational risks disappeared. CIG: collective bargaining, 30 January 2026; Europa Press: union and company positions, 31 January 2026; CIG: announcement of collective agreement, 29 May 2026.
Energy, water and the boundaries of environmental targets
The 2025 report states that renewable electricity with guarantees of origin is purchased for the breweries and Cabreiroá, Fontarel and Cuevas water sites. Biogas and biomass supplied 63% of thermal energy at A Grela and Morás. For the two breweries and three water sites, it sets a 2030 emissions-intensity reduction target against 2018; an intensity target does not imply the same proportional reduction in absolute emissions. A Grela also reports membrane filtration and recovery of spent grain and yeast. These environmental measures have their own boundaries and do not establish OHS outcomes. Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 51; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 53; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 58; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 60.
Strategy, digitalisation and growth
The 2025–2027 plan groups the strategy into global growth, differentiation, an effective organisation and positive impact. It includes international expansion, partnerships, portfolio development and digital and artificial-intelligence tools for business tasks. The report also describes a new supplier platform: 850 suppliers were registered at the end of 2025 and 345 had started approval, without claiming they had all completed it. Commercial and administrative tools are distinguished from the preventive use of SmartOHS documented in 2024. AI is not attributed OHS functions or safety improvements unsupported by the sources. Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 14; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 15; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 103; Hijos de Rivera: 2024 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 49.
What the OHS evidence establishes
The sources identify operational practices, entities with reported certification, return-to-work programmes, wellbeing diagnoses and supplier assessments. The 2025 report refers readers to a separate non-financial statement for further detail, but its link returned an access error on 8 November 2026. Consolidated accident, occupational disease, exposure-hour, frequency and severity figures could not be verified there. This profile does not treat that access gap as an absence of harm or calculate rates without denominators. Nor is the public-facing report presented as a complete independent assurance report. Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 78; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 79; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 81; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 82; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 106; Hijos de Rivera: report index, checked 8 November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Are Hijos de Rivera and Estrella Galicia the same?
Estrella Galicia is a brand. Corporación Hijos de Rivera, S.L. is the group parent, while Hijos de Rivera, S.A.U. is a separate operating entity. The Corporation encompasses more activities and drinks than that brand. Corporación Hijos de Rivera: legal notice; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 13; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 119. [1] · [2]
How much revenue did the group report in 2025?
The corporate report gives revenue of €945.4 million for 2025. This is the Corporation’s figure, not the brewery’s individual accounts or a 2026 revenue figure. Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 12. [1]
What do the 2,168 and 2,085 workforce figures mean?
The first is the reported year-end 2025 headcount. The second is the population covered by the subsequent breakdown, 96.17% of the total. The figures of 477 women and 1,608 men relate to that smaller population. Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 65. [1]
Is the whole Corporation ISO 45001 certified?
The sources reviewed do not establish that. The 2025 report identifies three entities with certified systems, three others undergoing implementation and Morás as a 2026 objective. No subsequent certificate extending that scope has been verified. Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 78. [1]
Which specific OHS measures are documented?
The 2025 report describes task observations, weekly conversations, operational training, a production–safety balance pilot in packaging, emotional wellbeing diagnoses in four units and return-to-work training at named workplaces. These are reported activities with distinct scopes, not guarantees that risks are absent. Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 79; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 81; Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 82. [1]
Can the evidence establish that there were no accidents?
No. The accessible sources document measures, but did not allow verification of a consolidated 2025 accident series with exposure hours and full definitions. The lack of a verified figure in this profile does not mean there were zero accidents. Hijos de Rivera: 2025 Positive Impact Report, PDF p. 78; Hijos de Rivera: report index, checked 8 November 2026. [1] · [2]
