Andalucía TRADE has organised a trade mission for seven firms from Almeria specialised in the natural stone sector, which have developed the presentation of their offer to four buyers and opinion leaders from France and Switzerland. The event has taken place in the different facilities of the Andalusian brands in Macael (Almeria) since April 10 and ended today.
The Andalusian public agency aims, with this action, to strengthen and promote the international positioning of an increasingly strategic sector for Andalusia as is the natural stone, to consolidate sales to prescribers of great prestige and establish possible business agreements.
In addition, on this occasion the commercial meeting was attended by the territorial delegate of Economy, Finance and European Funds in Almeria, Guillermo Casquet Fernández, who had the opportunity to accompany the participants on the first three scheduled visits.
Likewise, the Almerian firms have developed an agenda where they have been able to present their activity and unique projects to foreign prescribers. These firms stand out, especially at an international level, due to their trajectory and relevance.
It is a commercial action that has been carried out in coordination with the office of the Andalusia TRADE International Network in France, as well as the magazine Pierre Actual, the main media exclusively dedicated to this sector in France, and a participant in the meeting.
The commercial agenda began on the 10th, with a visit to the facilities of the company Gutiérrez Mena, specialised in white Macael marble with more than 60 years of experience in the sector. This was followed by a visit to the renowned firm Cuellar Stone, specialists in the manufacture and installation of marble for luxury buildings, with a wide variety of materials, backed by 40 years of experience. Finally, the international specifiers had the opportunity to see the working method of Orion Group, specialised in luxury bathrooms.
During the afternoon, there was an extensive tour of the facilities of the renowned brand Consentino, a family business present in more than a hundred international markets, offering innovative and sustainable architectural solutions since 1945 and with a turnover of more than 1,500 million euros in 2023.
Seven leading natural stone firms
The programme promoted by Andalucía TRADE – Business Agency for Economic Transformation and Development of the Andalusian Regional Government, continued first thing this morning at the company Mármoles Naturales Macael to visit the method of a firm that works what is probably one of the most resistant materials for building and structures, the white Macael marble, which it manufactures in multiple applications.
After that, it was the turn of the company Luis Sánchez, where the participants in the mission checked in situ the method of a company with five decades of history dedicated to the material, and which has a product that has been more than internationalised in the five continents since the seventies. Finally, the day culminated with a tour of the Juan Tijeras brand, which specialises in the processing and extraction of stone, and has its own quarries of white Macael marble, grey marble and yellow marble.
A total of seven companies from Almeria have been visited (Gutiérrez Mena, Cuellar Stone, Orion Group, Consentino, Mármoles Naturales Macael, Luis Sánchez and Juan Tijeras). The organisation of this action by Andalucía TRADE will be co-financed with funds from the European Union through the Andalusian ERDF Programme 2021-2027, with a Community contribution of 80%, or any other European Programme likely to co-finance this action.
Renowned French and Swiss prescribers
It is worth highlighting the importance of the international guests who have travelled to Almeria to participate in the mission. Specifically, the French architecture firm Gayet Roger Architectes, specialised in housing rehabilitation projects for private individuals.
Also from France, Société B.S.R.V Groupe has travelled with the firm objective of working directly with the Andalusian companies on their façade and floor covering projects, which have a turnover of almost 10 million euros. On the other hand, the magazine Pierre Actual (www.editionslemausolee.fr), the only professional publication of the natural stone sector, which is distributed in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, has collaborated in the organisation of the trade mission.
Finally, from Switzerland, the company Mardeco took part in the mission. A distributor of marble and other stones, specialised in large real estate projects, with prestigious international clients such as Nestlé and Credit Suisse.
A strategic sector for Andalusia
This action, which forms part of the Junta de Andalucía’s internationalisation strategy, aims to focus work in a sector that is becoming increasingly important for the Andalusian business complex. According to reports from the Andalusian Marble Business Association, the natural stone and innovative surfaces sector has once again grown in turnover and number of workers. Specifically, in Almeria the sector has its central axis in the ‘marble region’ (Macael, Olula del Rio, Fines, Cantoria, Líjar and Purchena), with the most emblematic product being the Blanco Macael.