A trade of tradition and family identity

Dulfary remembers him well. His brother was a rebellious boy, who did not fix himself on the walls of his house or on the streets of Tuluá, his small village. It was not much of a surprise when one day he decided to take a trip to see what he found.

During his absence, the years passed with the usual tranquility; perhaps even more calmly. The chores, the work, the boys' school, the daily occupations. No one imagined that his return would change the whole history and identity of his family.

One day he arrived home, tired of walking, bringing with him a new knowledge: the making of cheese. Quickly everyone learned the art. Doña Nora, the mother, prepared curd to offer to the neighbors, and so, little by little, with an artisan assembly erected in the patio, the business grew. Parents, sisters, uncles and cousins were now cheesemakers.

The number of clients had increased, and the family was consecrated to the trade. Bottles of milk and then jars, the blocks of cheese came out almost daily. Over the years, the family business was passed on to other hands. The parents moved to enjoy their old age on a farm in Havana, near Buga, and with no attachment left in the native Tuluá, one of their daughters took the idea to Roldanillo. The first cheese factory that was built in this north kept all the first tradition.

Years later, Dulfary was already married with one daughter. After having been in charge of two of her sisters, the cheese factory in Roldanillo was finished. Without hesitation he bought the assembly and took over the reins, and with time was lifting it. Without papers or evidence, he went to the bank; he wanted a loan to adapt the place, and he got it. He bought the lots where the plant is today, although by then the process was not industrialized.

Today, her daughter runs the business. About 12 years ago the production stopped being artisan; with this step the varieties of cheeses increased, and new products such as yogurt and arequipe were included. Prolácteos has positioned itself as one of the leading companies in milk processing in the region and the country, and the entire family retains the trade: in Roldanillo, in other corners of the Valley, and even in Santander, this cheese tradition came to stay.