Cecot strengthens its relationship with Barcelona

Cecot strengthens its presence in Barcelona. After last year's hiatus in Sant Cugat, the Vallès employers' association has returned to the Catalan capital for the celebration of its Nit de l'Empresa, a city where it has organized it more times than anywhere else, along with Terrassa. More than a thousand guests filled L'Auditori this Monday. Among the authorities, the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, the Minister of Economy, Alícia Romero, the Deputy Mayor for Economy of Barcelona, Jordi Valls, and former presidents of the Generalitat, Jordi Pujol, José Montilla, Artur Mas, and Pere Aragonès, attended.

But the nod to the Catalan capital did not stop there. For 18 years, Cecot has had an office in Barcelona, located in 22@, and now it has just moved it to Diagonal with Nàpols, shortly after Passeig de Sant Joan. "It is a more central office and closer to our users," said its president, Xavier Panés, in his speech during the ceremony.

For Cecot, with its headquarters in Terrassa, Barcelona is also home to many of its guilds, business associations, and users, which is why its big annual party to recognize entrepreneurs is often organized here, without forgetting the demands made to governments, a part of the speeches that never fails. For Panés, many of the requests made in previous years remain unanswered, and this year he is particularly concerned about the impoverishment of citizens, despite a very positive economic context for Catalonia and the rest of Spain.

"We are growing more, we have relatively lower inflation than our neighbors, we have withstood the energy crisis well. I think it would be a mistake not to acknowledge this situation, it would also be a mistake to fall into complacency. But I demand confidence, not long ago, we were living through a pandemic, we had doubts and we overcame it," defended the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, with a speech that focused on public health, with mentions not usually heard in forums like this, such as the new CAP de la Florida in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. "In times of difficulty, the public administration has risen to the occasion, as it did during the pandemic. It is easy to resign oneself, to fall into indifference, but I call for hope and optimism, with our feet on the ground," Illa requested.

"We must react and we must do so by embracing a new era of industrialization. A sustainable, inclusive, and innovative industrialization. Industry is the solution," defended the president of Cecot. "If we want to defend a European social model, its freedoms, social and political rights, we need to strengthen the economic and productive aspect. We are in a Europe that has rediscovered industry, not out of whim, but out of necessity. We have to boost industry again, which will then generate quality services and local commerce," added Hereu, who pointed to digital transformation, energy efficiency, and sustainability as challenges for the sector.

Illa: "It's easy to resign oneself, to fall into indifference, but I call for hope and optimism, with our feet on the ground"

Panés has also urged politicians to learn from the collaboration achieved through social dialogue as a way to reduce "the crisis of confidence in institutions." "Parties should learn from this way of doing things by employers and workers in disputes and apply it in the Parliament, Congress, budgets... And do it with education, without stridency and with discretion," he maintained, asking to "set aside personalisms" and taking the opportunity to criticize proposals from the Ministry of Labor such as the reduction of the working day.

Joan Planes (Fluidra), Cecot Personality 2024

In this 29th edition of the awards, the founder and honorary president of Fluidra, Joan Planes Vila, has been awarded the Cecot Recognition for Personality 2024 for his professional career. From Astral S.A. de Construcciones Metálicas, the germ of Fluidra, the executive, an industrial engineer by training, led the company's growth and internationalization, now reaching more than 45 countries with its pool products and with a workforce of more than 7,000 employees. "His business commitment is the example that Catalonia needs," Illa valued.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Comexi, Mat Product & Technology, Torrons Vicens, Centres Mercè Torguet, Escola Ginebró, Azbil Telstar, Institut Industrial de Terrassa - Gremi Tèxtil and Gremi de la Fusta accompany the list of award winners this year. The night was completed with the recognition of the trajectory of three centenary companies such as Editorial Clie, Casas and the Companyia General Càrnia.