Annual Report 2018

I believe Tequila, Jalisco is going to be a unique model that will make all of us who live here feel proud about it. Additionally, is rapidly becoming a very important cultural and touristic center. Its appellation comes from the number one drink in Mexico, and its agave landscapes have become a visual heritage for mankind.

Around the world, is considered as a magic town. We still have so much to achieve, but I believe together we will, over time.

Once again, thank you so much to all of whom have made possible for us to be here today. Thank you so much to Don Plácido Domingo and his dear wife, Doña Martha, for being the godparents of this cultural center named after my father, who was the eight generation, and that us and our family have the duty to continue with this legacy and commitment for Tequila.

Beckmann family

We keep going with the same love that for more than ten generations we have been committed to this land, with Tequila, Jalisco.

The Foundation was born in 1988 and now in 2018, beside celebrating the 20th anniversary, we will take as flagship the name Beckmann Foundation as a homage to the family, specially to Don Juan Beckmann Gallardo. This is a very important year since we are opening up the cultural center that bears his name, in order to extent his great philanthropic legacy, to return to Tequila what Tequila has given to this great company.

During these 20 years we have seen a very important growth, Tequila has won many distinctive appointments such as the declaration of the agave landscape as a Humanity Cultural Heritage, to be a Magic Town! And the heart of the Ruta del Tequila (Tequila Route). We are also a Smart City and we are working for the community, education, culture, social topics and entrepreneurship.

“All of this is worth gold! Because of that we have to take much care of this wealth and take actions to preserve it and prevent it from being affected. We have opted for tourism, sports and music, and we can proudly see how a new generation of young people have grown thanks to the work that all of you have done for Tequila.”

Today we thank to the community, to the volunteers and institutions, for being part of this great history; we thank you for the trust and the unconditional help, and we ask you to stay together in this mission for a sustainable community development for Tequila, to preserve its magic, its charm, and being a place that people would like to visit and come back.

Juan Beckmann Gallardo was born in 1908, son of the German consul Juan Beckmann Wilkens and Virginia Gallardo González Rubio. In 1946 he takes care of the company exports management, and with his family he settles in Tijuana in order to promote the Tequila exports. It was there where he started to generate the value chains and the expansion for what we know today as the largest tequila company in the world.

In 1964 Don Juan Beckmann Gallardo takes charge of the Jose Cuervo company and from then until the end of his life he always sought to take care of the workers and farmers linked to his company. Since his arrival and all along his trajectory as head of the tequila distillery, he showed gratitude towards the land and people of Tequila. That is where his iconic phrase comes from: From the agave I shall get the strength so to give it back to my land. It is in 1975 that he decides to go for a generational change and, as a last command, his request to his first born —never leave Tequila and its people unprotected, you must return to Tequila everything Tequila has given to us—.

Since those days, the Beckmann family begins to adopt a compromise of love for its country and specially for the Tequila region. Since then, Don Juan Beckmann Vidal also dreams about transforming the city in a spearhead of sustainable development through tourism, his goal is to improve the quality of life of the population of this beautiful Mexican region, by means of employment creation and attracting economic spill.

Since 1998, the Wilson Center has recognized exemplary individuals with the Woodrow Wilson Awards. At ceremonies held in cities across the United States and abroad, the Wilson Center honors leaders who through discussion, generous philanthropy, and selfless service have made the world a better place for all.

Juan Francisco Beckmann is an established entrepreneurial icon and one of Mexico’s most recognized businessmen. His strategic vision has boosted the global tequila industry, besides being the main promoter of Tequila as Smart Magic Town and one of the driving forces behind the designation of origin category for tequila.

In addition to his business efforts, Beckmann Vidal established a Foundation in 1988, as part of his commitment to the town of Tequila, Jalisco with the mission of preserving the region’s customs and traditions, providing support to community programs, and creating leadership programs amongst the region’s youth.

It has promoted and achieved several milestones, including the recognition of the Agave Landscape as an UNESCO’s World Heritage site in 2006; he was the main supporter of the project Mundo del Tequila in 2009; the creation of Jose Cuervo Express as a tourist attraction in 2012 and among others, his contributions to Mundo Cuervo’s Knowledge Management System certifications.

His drive for turning the tequila industry into a national competitiveness factor has made him a recipient of important honors, such as the Medal of Industrial Merit, awarded by the Council of Industrial Chambers of Jalisco (CCJI), Businessman of the Year, by the Employers Confederation of the Mexican Republic (COPARMEX) in 2006, the 2014 Touristic Merit Award by the Governor of the state of Jalisco, and the EXATEC Merit Award in 2015. In 2017, he was ranked 29th in the Ranking of the 100 Most Important Businessmen in Mexico by Expansión.

Source: www.wilsoncenter.org

Today Jose Cuervo Foundation honors the Beckmann family, the men and women who have contributed to improve and work for this community. So that, through the Foundation that now bears their name, in 2019 we will work under a Social Integral Model.

Upon reaching these 20 years we want to find the best strategic plan that allows the Beckmann Foundation to continue with this legacy, with this story; that enables it in the future to be sustainable, empower the community and achieve to stand as one of the best Smart Magic Towns in the country, rescuing both tangible and intangible heritage and so they may be valued subject to all visitors.

We will work in culture, health issues, education programs and our model will now include the strategic line of Social Innovation, which is the capacity and the action to generate new paths to achieve objectives, and different ways of thinking to do things; where the community is integrated and participates in social projects that can bring them well-being.

We want to empower citizens and integrate all of those who want to make a difference in their environment: to young people, to seniors, to micro-entrepreneurs; providing them tools, training, education, and getting them to keep themselves through time along with their families. So that they can self-employ or generate jobs and bring welfare to the community, that they can continue ahead with this new touristic vocation that Tequila has.