More than 1,400 people from the Catalan business, economic, political, and social spheres gathered at the Palau Sant Jordi, in an event that deviates from the venue's usual programming but is already recurrent: the Pimec Awards, which in their 38th edition have once again recognized the best Catalan business initiatives.
The employers' association for SMEs and self-employed workers in Catalonia did so at an event marked by current affairs, with the recently announced expansion of El Prat Airport and BBVA's takeover bid for Banco Sabadell creeping into speeches and between dinner plates.
"Sabadell gives us something vital, which is financing," proclaimed the president of Pimec, Antoni Cañete. "Without financing, SMEs have no oxygen, and we die," emphasized the host of the gala before key figures from the political and economic landscape, including the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa. Sitting next to him, precisely, was the president of Banco Sabadell, Josep Oliu. A gesture with intention, as Pimec believes that the operation "not only affects competition and access to credit, but also has a social impact," according to Cañete, who asked the central government to take all variables into account.
And from criticism to applause: Cañete celebrated the announcement of the expansion of Josep Tarradellas Airport, though not without a warning: "An infrastructure of this magnitude will only be a success if it has shared, transparent, and efficient governance." Thus, the president of Pimec called for "solutions" regarding the future governance of the airport, which aims to become an intercontinental hub with this expansion. To carry it out, 3.2 billion euros will be invested until 2033, when the extension of the runway closest to the sea by 500 meters, the remodeling of T1 and T2, and the construction of a satellite terminal are expected to be ready.
The president of the Generalitat also defended his proposal to expand El Prat before the business community: "Everyone has talked a lot about it, but someone had to kick the ball," he claimed. And, according to him, the Generalitat "will work tirelessly to continue generating shared prosperity and to say that we will not stand still; when it is necessary to kick the ball, we will do it, and we will try to score a goal."
Praise for the airport project has also come from the Catalan capital. The mayor, Jaume Collboni, thanked the Govern for its impetus, in a speech in which he praised the work of Pimec, and the fact that it has joined the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC): "Congratulations for allowing SMEs to be at the helm."
Cañete took advantage of his intervention to express the reservations of SMEs regarding the proposed reduction of the working day. In this regard, he demanded that, within the framework of the parliamentary process in Congress, conditions be incorporated to guarantee the viability of companies and their competitiveness in the face of regulatory changes. "Surely, the debate is not about working hours, but about salary," he stressed before the more than one thousand attendees. Among them were the ministers Alícia Romero and Miquel Sàmper and former presidents of the Generalitat Jordi Pujol, José Montilla, Artur Mas and Pere Aragonès, in addition to Illa and Collboni.
The gala, however, went beyond reactions to current events: the protagonists were the winners of the Pimec Awards. The employers' association recognized the president of the Hotusa hotel group, Amancio López, with the Pimes Plus award, while Cooperativa Cadí won the Catalunya Internacional recognition for the projection of its dairy products beyond borders.
In addition, Pimec recognized ACSA with the Award for Business Activism, while Skin Tech Pharma Group was awarded as the most competitive SME in the medium-sized company category. For its part, CA Sports Marketing was recognized as a small company, and Pymelegal, in the micro-company category. In addition, Funbrain won the award for business linguistic quality, and the company Escuder stood out with the Values for Sustainable Development award. With the Business Second Chance award, Pimec praised the work of Bibiana Muré in the transfer of the multi-brand store Marigel, a small but historic store in Guinardó, as an example of the impulse of Catalan SMEs.