AFEPASA, finalist for the Spanish Chamber of Commerce Internationalisation Award

• This is the third recognition AFEPASA has received for its internationalisation efforts in just a few months.
• The awards ceremony took place on Friday, 18 March, in Madrid, under the presidency of His Majesty the King.
• AFEPASA’s exports now account for 60% of its turnover, representing a 33% increase this year.

AFEPASA has added another distinction to its list of achievements, this time recognising its internationalisation strategy, which is undoubtedly a key factor in the company’s success. With more than 125 years of experience, the company is currently pursuing an ambitious internationalisation plan that has delivered excellent results in recent years. In this context, AFEPASA was selected as a finalist for the National SME of the Year Award in the Internationalisation category, organised by Banco Santander and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce. The awards ceremony, presided over by His Majesty the King and attended by the Minister of the Presidency, Relations with the Cortes and Democratic Memory, Félix Bolaños, took place on 18 March in Madrid.

AFEPASA’s internationalisation efforts had recently been recognised with two other important awards: the 2021 SME of the Year Award in Tarragona in the Internationalisation category and the International Career Award from the Tarragona Chamber of Commerce, received in July and November of the previous year, respectively.

These awards, which feature six categories and have now reached their fifth edition, enjoy considerable prestige and recognition. They aim to acknowledge the achievements of Spanish companies in areas such as innovation, digitalisation, training and job creation, corporate social responsibility and internationalisation.

Representing AFEPASA at the ceremony were Ignacio Pallarés, member of the company’s Board of Directors, and Manel Montaño, Managing Director. Regarding the recognition, Montaño stated: “Being selected as finalists for this important award is in itself a great source of pride for everyone at AFEPASA. It is an important milestone for us and adds to the awards we received in July and November last year. These distinctions recognise our organisation and the entire AFEPASA team, which through internationalisation aims to continue generating employment and prosperity.” Montaño added: “I fully endorse His Majesty the King’s words, highlighting that SMEs are a source of pride for our country because of their ability to adapt, persevere and make every effort to maintain and create employment and well-being.”

AFEPASA would like to thank the jury for selecting the company as a finalist in this category and congratulated the eventual winner, Basque company Yurrita e Hijos. Five other companies also received awards in this fifth edition of the National SME of the Year Awards: Pigchamp Pro Europa (Innovation and Digitalisation), Kimitec (Training and Employment), TEIGA TMI (Responsible Company), the Valencia Institute of Genomic Medicine (Special Mention “COVID Re-Invention”), and Seabery Augmented Technology, which received the National SME of the Year Award.

A focus on internationalisation

This latest recognition is undoubtedly an acknowledgement of the ambitious internationalisation plan currently being implemented by AFEPASA, which has been largely responsible for the company’s growth in recent years. In fact, 60% of the company’s turnover in 2020 came from export markets. These figures are particularly significant considering that, since 2019, exports—which had previously focused mainly on commodities—have shifted towards high value-added products, reflecting AFEPASA’s strong commitment to R&D&I.

Over recent years, the company has made a major effort to obtain registrations for plant protection products and fertilisers, which are essential for commercialising products in different markets and require significant investment and resources. This effort has paid off: since 2020, AFEPASA has obtained no fewer than 40 registrations in almost 20 countries, in addition to the more than 100 registrations it already held. As a result, AFEPASA is now present in more than 100 countries worldwide.