did not benefit the public but a private company that produced a non-essential product. Pascual does not see itself as a private, for-profit company; they claim that being worker-owned, they perform a social function and as such expropriation in their favor is for public benefit. Since their founding, they have received vocal and political support from the PRD, intellectuals, writers such as Elena Poniatowska, college students and those opposed to globalization . Despite its problems, the cooperative has grown, opening major processing plants in San Juan del Río, Querétaro in 1992, one in Tizayuca, Hidalgo in 2003 and another in Culiacán, Sinaloa in 2006. In the 2000s, it has also been working on markets in the United States and elsewhere, eyeing northern areas nearer the border such as Ciudad Acuña to facilitate export and in 2011 a freezing and bottling plant was begun in Anáhuac, Nuevo León . Despite its growth, the cooperative has had to rebut assertions that it is going broke. For example, in 2007, the company had to deny a chain email stating that it was on the verge of bankruptcy, and to buy the product to save the company. Today, Pascual Boing is the only remaining wholly Mexican owned major soft drink bottler. The company employs over 5,000 people and generates over 22,000 jobs indirectly, benefitting more than 50,000 families. Part of the enterprise's mission is to show that employee ownership as a cooperative can work. The organization of the cooperative consists of a General Assembly of founders and other partners, followed several boards including Corporate/Investment, Administration, Oversight and the Cultural Foundation. Under these are four commissions called Education, Social Outlook, Arbitration and Technical Control. It is also dedicated to a sense of social responsibility. It has been recognized by the Secretaría del Trabajo as a "clean industry" . In 2003, the company partnered with the federal government to circulate information about the prevention or kidnapping of children which included announcements on Pascual Boing trucks and materials for schools. Products and production The company sells fruit juice, nectars, concentrates, carbonated beverages, bottled water and milk. It is best known for its fruit flavored drinks such as guava, mango, tamarind, strawberry, apple, pineapple, soursop, grape, lime, grapefruit and peach under the Boing! Lulú and Pascual brands. Other brands include PulpaMex, Woopy, Leche Pascual, Nectasis and Pascuatin. All of the processing of their products is done by Pascual.