CMI-Corporación Multi Inversiones, through its business unit CMI Alimentos and Molinos Modernos, has marked the graduation of the 2025 class of Cocreo, a technical and business training program for bakery and pastry clients. This year, 70 participants—36 from Guatemala and 34 from Quetzaltenango—completed an 11-week course that covered baking, pastry-making, and business administration.
The program included both in-person and virtual sessions to reach participants from different regions. The curriculum focused on artisanal bread techniques, functional and gourmet products, classic pastries, fine baked goods, decorative skills with pastillage, as well as essential business topics such as costing, inventory management, sales strategies, product display, and tools for more efficient business operations.
Graduates reported improvements in three main areas: expanding their product portfolios to include items like whole grain breads and sourdough; improving the quality of their current offerings through new methods; and strengthening their ability to manage their businesses with a more strategic focus.
Among the success stories is Panadería Crocante. Owners Ana Monroy and Víctor Campos began the program uncertain but now produce new items learned during Cocreo and are planning further growth. Ruth Mariela López of La Empanadería GT started with traditional empanadas but now applies sourdough techniques and is developing a new line of pastries.
Graduates also have access to personalized advice, regular business workshops, technical support, and opportunities to interact with other entrepreneurs. Cocreo aims to promote professionalization in the sector while encouraging innovation among bakery businesses in Guatemala.
Looking ahead, many graduates plan to diversify their offerings further or expand into new markets. CMI Alimentos reaffirmed its commitment to supporting clients’ growth by providing resources needed for them to strengthen their businesses.
“At CMI Alimentos we reaffirm our commitment to accompany our clients on their path of growth by providing them with the tools, knowledge and advice necessary to strengthen their capabilities and enhance their business opportunities. Through Cocreo at CMI we promote innovation, professionalization and shared value creation by promoting the development of entrepreneurs who today raise the quality of baking and pastry making in Guatemala.”
“This class of 2025 is proof of the impact we can generate when we work with excellence, responsibility and a deep sense of collaboration by building solutions together that transform lives and contribute to the economic and social development of the communities where we operate.”
CMI is currently led by third-generation family members Juan José Gutiérrez Mayorga as Chairman President of CMI Alimentos and Felipe Bosch Gutiérrez as Chairman President of CMI Capital. Both leaders emphasize continued investment in sustainable development initiatives that foster entrepreneurship within local communities.
