MADRID, Spain.- On July 21, 1888, Havana witnessed a significant event with the creation of the “Nueva Fábrica de Hielo” public limited company. This company was founded with the purpose of producing and distributing ice, a product in great demand due to the hot weather of the country and the need to preserve food; and which until then was imported.
The first factory was established at 34 Universidad Street, in the heart of Havana. This pioneering project marked the beginning of the Industrial production of ice on the Island, being essential for the preservation of food in homes and fundamental for various commercial and industrial activities.
With businessman Ramón Herrera Gutiérrez as president, the initial success of the ice factory led its founders to expand their activities. In 1900, they acquired additional land in Puentes Grandes, which facilitated the founding of the Great La Tropical Brewerythen managed by Cosme Blanco Herrera. This expansion turned the company into a brewing conglomerate that not only produced ice, but also beer, thus consolidating its position in the Cuban market.
Later, next to the gardens of the Cervecería La Tropical, which included the beer factory and the Ice Factory, Blanco Herrera inaugurated the Gran Estadio Cervecería Tropical, currently known as the Pedro Marrero Stadium.
The gardens became an emblematic place of meeting and recreation that enriched the cultural life of the city.
The influence of the Nueva Fábrica de Hielo and La Tropical continued for decades, until the Cuban Revolution of 1959 led to the nationalization of the company.
