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About to celebrate three decades of history, the Extremadura Businessman of the Year Awards not only enjoy enviable health, but are already part of the DNA of the economic fabric of Extremadura. This was evident yesterday at the Castillo de la Arguijuela (Cáceres), where EL PERIÓDICO EXTREMADURA, the Grupo Prensa Ibérica’s flagship, once again showed its entrepreneurial muscle and further consolidated the awards that are expected every year as a true thermometer of the regional economy. Sponsored by Telefónica and Banco Sabadell and with the collaboration of Philip Morris, FRV, Nanomate by Phi4Tech and Naturgy, the Extremadura Businessman of the Year Awards, in their 29th edition, were an example of rhythm and entertainment throughout their more than two hours of spectacle in which emotion was at its peak. The businessmen, the creators of wealth in any community, received the applause and recognition of society that crystallizes in awards that are approaching their thirtieth anniversary with more vigor than ever.
As a guarantee of success in the presentation, the masters of ceremonies were the journalists María Ángeles Duran and Juan Pedro Sánchez Romero. They did not disappoint.
The young talent of the six partners of Grupo Incalexa, a true gazelle company due to its rapid growth since its launch in 2017, paraded across the stage, which was once again created by Mofexsa. The company has invented a construction shed, called Qazrix I, which is energy self-sufficient.
Eugenia Benaín, the Director of the Year, is the general manager of Copreca, one of the leading companies in the world of sheep and cattle in Cáceres. Its 350 members have 80,000 sheep and 12,000 cows, and enjoy their own supply of diesel and petrol at the facilities in Trujillo. Eugenia has been the general manager of Copreca since 2012, a position she reached from the financial department through internal promotion. Copreca’s turnover is around 17 million euros per year. Copreca is part of EA Group (75 million in turnover and with Eugenia on its management committee) and Bovies (39 million in turnover, where she is a secretary director). The Director of the Year is also a director of Extraval, the Extremeña Reciprocal Guarantee Society of Guarantees, as well as of the Higher Council of Cooperatives of Extremadura.
There were also moments to be excited about with a family business, Agrocongelados La Cuerva, which from Jaraíz has spread the good work of Hannemann throughout the country. In 1995 it began in the national market producing, selecting, freezing, packaging and distributing, initially, red fruits such as raspberries, strawberries or cultivated blackberries. Over time its range reaches more than 120 references of fruits of all kinds, mixtures of fruits, vegetables and frozen mushrooms.
The Young Promise was unable to attend, but her mother, Guadalupe Ordiales, did, and was overcome with emotion when she received the statuette. Paula Campón sent a warm greeting via video.
Miguel Córdoba is a true entrepreneur who has been able to offer technological solutions to agricultural problems that are understandable to professionals in the field. He received the award as CEO of Greenfield Technologies.
The biggest ovation of the evening went to Anastasio Marcos ‘Tío Picho’, who has dedicated his entire life to spreading Hurdan honey around the world, becoming the ambassador of the region.
A classic like José Luis Díaz Sánchez received the applause of his colleagues for the career of Hierros Díaz, with 75 years of success behind him in a business group that came from Salamanca to expand throughout Extremadura.
There was also emotion on the face of Joaquín Manuel Floriano Gómez, steward of the Royal Brotherhood of Our Lady of the Mountain, who received the Special Award of the night.
The evening was set to the rhythm of Swing Ton Ni Song and its singer that night, Irene Rodríguez García. Their repertoire was based on classics and pop songs filtered through the unmistakable swing style such as – Creep (Radiohead), All About that Bass (Meghan Trainor), and Stand by Me (Ben E. King).
The Cuervo y Sobrinos watch, courtesy of Nevacam, which was raffled among attendees went to number 269, whose owner was the gala attendee Olga.
Aid for digitalisation
Guillermo Santamaría, Minister of Economy and Employment, announced in his speech the publication on the transparency portal of a decree on aid for the digitalisation of the productive system with a budget of €3,000,000. Companies will be able to receive aid of up to 80% of the investment and a maximum of €100,000 per company is planned. Aid is intended for SMEs in the industrial sector.
They will be able to invest in strategic plans for Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing), Collaborative or Industrial Robotics, Digital Twin, Blockchain and 5G.
Finally, he concluded that “the media are an example of adaptation to digital transformation as dictated by the new times and, more importantly, they are essential for the development of democracy due to their fundamental role in the functioning of the rule of law.”
Industrial land for Cáceres
The mayor of Cáceres complained that it was not easy to find a space in his agenda, but that this was an excellent sign: “the city does not stop. There are many people with ideas that they want to implement, who seek the administrations for support or who simply need to be heard and share their achievements. And that is where you will always find me,” said Mateos.
He added that the council “is working on small businesses on the street, but we are also working on organising and conditioning industrial estates such as Charca Musia and Capellanías. And we are about to be able to announce the availability of industrial land. I hope to be able to do so shortly,” concluded the mayor of Cáceres.
Love for Extremadura
«Generational diversity, tradition and technology come together tonight in the varied spectrum that makes up our winners. They all have in common, however, virtues that are necessary in this difficult business world: the ability to get up when things go wrong, to learn from difficulties, because they know that these are the slabs that form the paving stones of the road to success. But, above all, our winners are united by their love for their land», said the director of El Periódico Extremadura, Marisol López del Estal. She recalled that the dean of the region’s press continues to grow compared to the rest of the paper media, as evidenced by the data from the recent General Media Survey, which places El Periódico Extremadura as the leader in digital audience, according to data from GFK, the official measurement agency in Spain.
A Businesswoman of the Year
Blanca Martín, president of the Assembly of Extremadura, said that the winners represent “not only the talent of our land, but the reflection of what we are.” She reviewed the careers of the winners, one by one. “The date of 1983 when the Statute of Autonomy was approved is symbolic. Progress has been made in many areas, especially in equality.” Finally, she recalled the careers of many women who have paved the way in this field and hoped that in the future there would be a Businesswoman of the Year.