companies

The Catalan highway, transport and telecommunication management company Abertis has accepted Tagus’ takeover of its shares in Brisa, which represent 15.02% of the Portuguese highway company. Abertis now wants to focus on projects that represent added value for its global strategic action. In addition, two days ago, Abertis’ board ratified last April’s agreement to acquire 9 highway concessions from OHL in Brazil. With this operation, the Catalan company becomes the largest group in the world managing highways, with more than 7,000 kilometres worldwide.

The Catalan airline Vueling, based in Barcelona, increased by 16.2% the number of flights compared to a year ago. The airline has defied the Spanish market trend with an increase in its global volume of passengers by nearly 19%. Vueling attributes this increase to a growth in the company’s activity and a rise in its flight occupation rate, which reached 75.5%.

The Catalan pharmaceutical company Grifols, the third world leader in the production of blood plasma based technologies, has seen its turnover increase by 15% in the first half of 2012 to €1.32 billion. Its net profit for the first half of 2012 was €133.5 million, seven times that of the previous year. The company’s success is attributed to its wide geographical consumer base and the recent purchase of US based Talecris Plasma Resources.

The Mayor of Barcelona, Xavier Trias has finished a seven-day visit to China. The aim of the trip was to promote Barcelona’s economy and attract new foreign investment in the Catalan capital. The Mayor spoke of the trip in a very positive light, pointing out the economic potential of Barcelona and highlighting the Chinese companies’ appreciation for the opportunity to invest in Barcelona.

Catalan companies sold more goods and services abroad than they did to the rest of Spain in 2011. 52.9% of all Catalonia’s external sales were made abroad, while 47.1% were made to the rest of Spain. In addition, it is the first time that Catalonia has registered a positive balance of trade.

Sales of industrial goods to non-EU markets increased by 28% between January and March. Catalan industry reached a record in 2011 by exporting €55.19 billion in goods. However, the sector continues to lose jobs, which makes it more competitive in return. Also, industrial investment increased by 2.4% in 2011.

The President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas, travelled to Massachusetts and New York to promote Catalan businesses and present Catalonia as one of the main biotechnological clusters and tourist destinations in Europe. In addition, Ernst & Young presented their report on life sciences companies and research centres in Catalonia, which indicates that almost 30% of this sector’s turnover in Spain comes from Catalan businesses.

The leading company in Spain for online entertainment sales, born in 2000, has not stopped expanding over the past twelve years. What began as an idea among four friends to get the theaters filled, today is a leading Internet company with more than 350 employees, a presence in six countries and a turnover of €210 million a year.

On its 75th anniversary, the company has demonstrated the keys to its success: innovation and the study of the healthy properties of food. The President of the Catalan Government has said that Gallina Blanca is an example of solid-working practices which fight speculation and help to improve the economic situation.

Sixty Catalan companies work out of the country and more than 2,400 export to the Argentinean Republic. “The lack of legal certainty in Argentina is not new, […] so the firms that do business […] have learnt to coexist with constant changes in the legislation”, stated AIS Sales Director.

The Catalan company counterbalanced its fall in the Spanish market with benefits from international sales. Foreign market activity contributed 42% of the profit from the first quarter to Gas Natural Fenosa, in contrast to 36.6% in 2011.

The Catalan pharmaceutical company Grífols, third worldwide company in plasma derivatives, has signed a cooperation agreement with the Shanghai Blood Bank. The agreement, which strengthens the presence of the Catalan company in China, promotes blood genotyping research. The Chinese institution will use the Grifols’ genetic test BLOODchip in transfusion compatibility studies. Shanghai Blood Bank serves over 20 million people and receives more than 300.000 donations per year. In 2011, Grifols sales in China grew by 30%.

The Catalan company Mesoestetic has built a new factory that multiplies by ten its previous facilities. Furthermore, the company will increase its staff by 30%. The Catalan Minister for Business and Employment has praised the company as a model for innovation and internationalisation. He has spoke of the long tradition of the pharmaceutical industry in Catalonia as well as the Catalan economy’s export capacity.

The Barcelona-based group had a turnover of €1.343 billion; 80% of it was generated in global markets. The Puig Group produces perfumes and beauty products for brands such as Carolina Herrera, Paco Rabanne, Prada, and Valentino. Over the last four years, Puig passed from a 5.1% global market share in 2007 to 7.6% in 2011.

The BBVA bank rewards La Fageda with the 4th Integra Prize for offering quality employment for people with intellectual disabilities and mental disorders. Moreover, La Fageda carries out some care activities, like an occupational therapy service, assisted apartments for the workers, and different leisure activities. Nowadays, of the 287 people who work in La Fageda, 157 have some disability. The Catalan brand is famous for its quality dairy products.