2• November / December 2026• abasto.com Special PLMA insert FOUR DECADES WITH A TASTE OF HOME BY HERNANDO RAMÍREZ-SANTOS F our decades ago, La Moderna arrived in the United States as a brand carried in a suitca- se of nostalgia. Today, the company produces pas- ta on Texas soil, supplies major chains, and holds a Guinness World Record. For Esteban Abascal, CEO of Interamerican Foods-La Moderna USA, the anniver- sary holds special significan- ce. “Forty years sounds so easy (...), but there’s a tre- mendous amount of work behind those four decades,” he said in an interview with Abasto. TWO KEY DECISIONS Abascal highlights two de- cisive moments. The first came in 2015, when cons- truction began on its first pasta factory in the United States, in Cleburne, Texas. With that move, the brand shed its image as “a soup importer” and became “a pasta producer in the Uni- ted States,” he explained. A few years later, the Board of Directors and sha- reholders decided to manu- facture pasta for major U.S. retailers. According to Abas- cal, quality was the decisive factor in winning those bids. A RECORD WITH A CAUSE To celebrate the anniver- sary, the marketing and sales team proposed an ambitious idea: to break a Guinness World Record. In June, in the midst of the 2026 World Cup, the com- pany created a giant num- ber 40 out of La Moderna pasta, with the brand’s logo inside it. The setting was La Mo- derna Field, the home sta- dium of the Railroaders, the local baseball team. The company also donated all the pasta used in the re- cord attempt to a commu- nity organization. “It was very symbolic,” Abascal recalled, noting that most shareholders at- tended. Although increasing sa- les wasn’t the goal, the executive believes that greater brand recognition is “a natural consequence” of community outreach. NOSTALGIA AND NEW MARKETS Abascal acknowledges that the brand grew thanks to Hispanic consumers, including second- and third-generation Ameri- cans who grew up with its products. “We sell nostal- gia,” he summarized. However, its mainstream strategy propelled the com- pany to the next level. To- day, the business caters to both audiences without lo- sing sight of its roots. A BET ON TEXAS Three years ago, the com- pany decided to expand the La Moderna USA Celebrates 40 Years with an Eye Toward the Future Cleburne plant. According to Abascal, the company made that decision before the new trade policies took effect, allowing it to offer a more competitive product. For consumers watching every dollar, pasta remains affordable. With just two ingredients, wheat and wa- ter, the category has room to reinvent itself. That’s why La Moderna is inves- ting in research and deve- lopment to provide greater nutritional value. THE CONSUMER IS THE BOSS Looking ahead, the com- pany is preparing point-of- sale promotions and see- king to gain ground among Anglo consumers. For Abascal, the anniversary represents a moment “of turning point and reflec- tion.” His guiding principle is clear: “The ultimate boss at Interamerican is the consu- mer, who decides to spend their hard-earned money on our products.” That consumer, who 40 years ago was looking for a piece of home on the shel- ves, remains at the center of the story. A story, Abas- cal emphasized, with many co-authors: suppliers, cus- tomers, and partners. “A company isn’t built in isolation,” he concluded.