COFIDES' Second "Promotion of Internationalization" Awards

 

Yesterday afternoon was filled with glamour at the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid on the occasion of the celebration of the second edition of the "Boosting Internationalization" awards Organized by COFIDES. The event was attended by the President and CEO of COFIDES, Salvador Marín Hernández and the Secretary of State for Trade, Jaime García-Legaz who closed the event and presented the awards.

 

 

 

The categories were: «IInstitution Promoting Internationalization» who collected the prize on Leading Brands of Spain Forum and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB); «Collaborating institution for support and dissemination of international activity» recognizing the Department of Economy of the Valencian Community as well as the Club of Exporters and Investors; Atarfil was recognized as the "SME Foreign Project" and [other company name missing] as the "Large Company Foreign Project". Fuertes and Helios Group.  

 

 

 

COFIDES  It is a state-owned commercial company created in 1988 whose purpose is  Provide medium and long-term financing for viable private investment projects abroad  in which exists  Spanish interest . It exclusively manages the FIEX and FONPYME funds on behalf of the State Secretariat for Trade, attached to the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. Its shareholders also include Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), Banco Santander, Banco Popular and Banco Sabadell and CAF-Development Bank of Latin America.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Retail:

 

LARGE COMPANY FOREIGN PROJECT

 

In the category of “Large company foreign project”, COFIDES has awarded a prize to Grupo Helios and Grupo Fuertes.

 

In this way, COFIDES has distinguished the broad international presence, commitment to innovation and environmental respect of Helios Group, whose director and president of Iberfruta-Muerza, Ángel Pérez González, has received the award presented by COFIDES. Helios focuses its activity on the manufacture and sale of jams, canned vegetables, fried tomatoes and sauces, candied fruit, pickles and a long list of quality-based products.

 

Likewise, COFIDES has recognized Strong Group for its excellent level of activity, its drive for innovation and its extensive international track record combining environmental respect in the development of these projects. The president of Grupo Fuertes, Tomás Fuertes, received this award.

 

Grupo Fuertes manages more than 20 companies and has a workforce of more than 5.500 people, distributed among companies that operate in different sectors, the most important of which for the holding company is its core business, the agri-food sector, and to which they belong, among others, Agrifusa (dedicated to agriculture), Cefusa (livestock), ElPozo Alimentación, a flagship company that employs more than 3.500 people and is currently the leader in the health segment in terms of meat, Procavi, the leader in Spain in the production of turkey meat, Sediasa (food fractionation and preparation centres), Fripozo (ultra-frozen foods), Aquadeus (bottler and marketer of natural mineral water), Bodegas Luzón, with Jumilla Designation of Origin, and Palancares Alimentación, dedicated to the production of cheeses and dairy products.

 

 

SME FOREIGN PROJECT

 

In the category “Foreign SME Project” COFIDES has awarded a prize to the company Atarfil, which was collected by its general manager, Emilio Carreras. COFIDES has valued the variety in the use of COFIDES financial products, the innovative nature of Atarfil's projects, its commitment to R&D and respect for the environment.

 

Atarfil is a company firmly committed to innovation and the development of products and services, maintaining the highest level of quality in the industry. Its corporate purpose is the development, manufacture and marketing of thermoplastic geomembranes and other complementary products, for use in environmental protection, integrated water management, public works in general and construction.

 

INSTITUTIONS PROMOTING INTERNATIONALIZATION

 

In recognition of his special contribution to the dissemination of COFIDES' financial instruments and for his collaboration in the creation of the new product "FINMARCA", COFIDES has awarded an award to Brand Forum Renowned Spanish, which has been collected by its president, José Luis Bonet.

 

The president of the Brands Forum has stated that “we receive this award with enormous pride and satisfaction, especially when it comes to a highly prestigious prize awarded by an institution such as COFIDES, with which we have a history of fruitful collaboration and with whom we have worked to develop alternative financing tools that favour the internationalisation of Spanish companies. The main mission and objective of the Brands Forum is precisely to favour, encourage and support Spanish brands on their path towards internationalisation. This award, therefore, represents a new recognition of the work we have been carrying out for 15 years at the Forum”.

 

The Forum of Renowned Spanish Brands (FMRE) is a public-private alliance created to defend the importance of brands and internationalisation for companies and the Spanish economy. 

 

On the other hand, for its constant support for development and its collaboration with COFIDES in promoting financing for internationalization, it has awarded an award to Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is the largest regional development bank in the world and is mandated to finance projects that contribute to poverty reduction and sustainable economic and social development in Latin America and the Caribbean. Since its creation in 1959, the IDB has become the largest source of multilateral development financing for the region.

 

COLLABORATING INSTITUTION FOR SUPPORT AND DISSEMINATION FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITY

 

In this category, the Minister of Economy, Industry, Tourism and Employment of the Generalitat Valenciana, Máximo Buch, has collected the award granted by COFIDES to this Ministry, through the Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness (IVACE) for its collaboration with COFIDES after the signing of a collaboration agreement, the volume of operations and effective contacts and events carried out in 2014. IVACE is a public law entity of the Generalitat Valenciana attached to the Ministry of Economy, Industry, Tourism and Employment. It manages the industrial policy of the Generalitat and supports companies in matters of innovation, entrepreneurship, internationalisation and investment attraction, as well as the promotion of technological enclaves, industrial safety of products and industrial facilities.

 

Likewise, COFIDES has awarded an award to Exporters and Investors Club, The award was received by its president, Balbino Prieto, who said that “this prize extends to all the member companies of the Club, who are responsible for the success of our organization through their contributions to the working groups and the many initiatives launched to seek new ideas and solutions in favor of the internationalization of Spanish companies.” COFIDES awarded this prize for the close coordination of the Exporters Club with COFIDES for the dissemination of internationalization, its constant support to companies for their international growth and its work to disseminate its financial instruments.

 

The Spanish Exporters and Investors Club is a multi-sector association founded in 1997 whose objective is to represent and defend Spanish companies with international activity. It has a consolidated position as an interlocutor for the foreign sector with the Spanish public administration. The turnover of the Club's members is equivalent to 25% of the national GDP, with 40% corresponding to its international activity. They have around 800.000 employees and their investments abroad represent 50% of the national total.