The Asociación de Empresarios del Henares (AEDHE), a solid and experienced cross-sectoral employers' association that contributes to promoting the development of companies in the Corredor del Henares, has entrusted PROA with the management of the communication of the 'AEDHE Awards for Business Excellence 2022', which they have presented on the occasion of their 45th anniversary celebrations. The awards were held on Tuesday 27 September and recognised Haleon (GSK) as the Company of the Year in the Corredor del Henares and were welcomed by the President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso.
Díaz Ayuso pleaded in favour of an administration that allows companies to make their decisions freely and praised the knowledge, talent, effort, as well as the spirit of struggle and self-improvement of the award winners, "representatives of the best of Madrid society", in a community that she defined as "the economic engine of Spain, open to business and a leader in the creation of companies". "Today we are rewarding the value of the freedom of those who do not want to be given anything for free, but who want to take their projects forward by themselves", he added. He also highlighted the success of the strategic, industrial and business axis of the Corredor del Henares and, specifically, the "knowledge and experience of AEDHE", whose "work, dedication and sacrifices improve life and contribute to building a better Spain".
The aim of this fourth edition of these awards, held at the Fincas El Olivar Complex in Alcalá de Henares, is to highlight the best business practices and results in the Corredor del Henares. In this way, AEDHE seeks to contribute to the recognition and promotion of business excellence in this area of the country.
"These awards are a recognition to the entrepreneurs and companies that, throughout these 45 years, have worked and continue to do so, to have an association that guarantees the defence of their interests and at the same time is a space to generate business opportunities", said Laly Escudero Ossorio, president of AEDHE.
During her speech, Laly Escudero reviewed the different milestones that the Association she leads has reached during its 45 years of existence, highlighting its increasingly stronger presence in institutions, as well as its participation in projects that provide innovative solutions for companies. He also reiterated AEDHE's commitment to continue working for the economic development of the Corredor del Henares and each of the companies that make it up.
Business Excellence Awards 2022
This IV edition, which has been enlivened by the violinist and orchestra conductor with an extensive national and international career Bruno Axel, has recognised the work of 11 entities in areas such as sustainability, training or CSR, among others. These are current challenges for both organisations and society, which have become basic pillars for the growth and viability of companies in the coming years. The Corredor del Henares is clearly committed to being at the forefront of innovation, digitalisation and circular economy in order to continue to be a national benchmark.
The AEDHE Business Excellence Awards 2022 have been made possible thanks to the collaboration of Caixa Bank, Renault España, El Olivar, Quirón Salud, Visegur, Tipsa, Solunion, Max Estrem, Temps ETT, Prologis, and Nexian.
The first prize, 'Company of the Year', was awarded to Haleon, a leading independent self-care company. The awards for 'Innovative Company' were also presented to PUIG, 'Commercial Company' to Fersan, 'Family Company' to Orto Alresa, 'Industrial Company' to Pemsa and 'Commitment to sustainability' to C.T.C. Servicios Ambientales S.L.
In addition, the 'Impulso de la Industria 4.0' award went to Saargummi Ibérica S.A., 'Mayor esfuerzo en la formación' to Fersay, 'Expansión Internacional' to Tipsa, 'RSC' to Mcneil Ibérica, S.L.U. Johnsons and the 'Trayectoria empresarial' award to Hotel Bedel.
In addition, due to the high standard of the entries, four runners-up prizes were awarded to Ecovidal, Traducciones Domínguez, Mazuelas and Sisteven.
The energy consequences for companies
A day that did not forget the current situation we are experiencing, especially at a business level due to energy uncertainty, rising costs, inflation, etc. For this reason, a round table was held under the title 'Energy and Business' where experts debated the effects that geopolitical instability is having on the business sector, the influence on the price of energy and non-energy raw materials, the challenges in electrification, as well as the legal security in the Spanish remuneration system for renewable energies. In addition, an analysis of the effectiveness of the application of Next Generation funds in the field of decarbonisation of the economy was also presented.
"The rapid and significant increase in the price of energy has had a significant impact on the profitability of our organisations, forcing us to take defensive measures and adapt to the market that have been unusual until now," said Juan Ángel García Fernández, vice-president of Mondragon Corporation.
Faced with such a situation, experts have highlighted some of the lines that companies can follow. "The current situation is forcing companies to look for energy sourcing alternatives, taking advantage of the exponential development of many technologies, such as photovoltaic self-consumption, which was already a reality with "normal" price scenarios. Other innovative solutions are accelerating their go-to-market, either in a predominantly pilot phase, or deploying large-scale projects. The potential of green hydrogen, given the competitive renewable resource available in Spain, the recovery of waste, and the development of storage technologies, should allow the business sector to reduce its energy consumption and progressively decarbonise its operations," said Carlos Fernández Landa, partner in charge of the energy sector at Price Waterhouse.
Another alternative will come from the promotion of electric alternatives in transport. "At Renault Group, it is clear to us that the vehicle of the future will be electric, connected and autonomous. But other technologies will be needed to ensure an orderly ecological transition until the electric vehicle is consolidated. This involves hybrids, plug-in hybrids and eco-fuels," said Jesús Presa Casado, Director of Institutional Relations, Social Impact and Communication at Renault Iberia.
They were joined by Luıs Pinheiro de Matos, economist at Caixabank Research, and Laly Escudero, president of AEDHE. The round table was moderated by the director of El Confidencial, Nacho Cardero.
Finally, the president of AEDHE, Laly Escudero Ossorio, invited all companies in the Corredor del Henares to participate in the next edition of the 'AEDHE Awards for Business Excellence', "where we will have the opportunity to enjoy and exchange experiences at a time when we are witnessing a great global transformation, and where business associations are more relevant than ever, to face the day-to-day business, and strengthen the business fabric".