Tired of working as salaried employees, Josep Novellas and Emma Cunill decided to set up a business on their own in the world of industrial engineering, where they both had extensive experience, he as an agricultural technical engineer and she as an expert in environmental sciences.
They decided to take the risk in 2008, despite the crisis that the economy was going through at that time. "The first years were complicated, access to credit was very restricted, but in the long run that has made us more resilient," says Novellas. The couple founded the company in Vic with the purpose of working for the meat and food industry, which is very present in this town.
Cunovesa started projects through word of mouth among local industries and, little by little, made a name for itself in the Catalan engineering sector. Since its inception, its activity has been concentrated in Catalonia (80%) and the rest of Spain (15%), although the company has also made small inroads abroad. "In 2018, a local client commissioned us for projects in Morocco and Angola," they recall.
Novellas says that the company took a leap forward when in 2017 it decided to create an independent company to carry out the construction of the factories it designed. "In this way, we can offer comprehensive projects, turnkey, and significantly increase the revenue figure," says the owner, who has carried out projects for Balfegó, Casa Mas or General Càrnia.
In 2021, the company invoiced 14 million euros, 12 million of which came from the construction company and 2 million from the company in charge of the design. The business, says Novellas, has always been profitable, and last year it obtained an EBITDA margin (gross profit) of between 3% and 4%.
With a hundred people on staff, Cunovesa expects to double its size or even more. "We expect to reach a turnover of 34 million because we have achieved several projects of significant size," celebrates the owner, who points out that next year the company does not expect to experience such strong growth, rather consolidate the figure obtained this year.
Looking to the future, Cunovesa hopes to play a key role in the restructuring of the meat industry, where it has extensive experience in the construction of plants for the slaughter of animals, production and transformation of meat. "We see an opportunity in plant substitute plants and also in other sectors such as pharmaceuticals." Regarding its activity abroad, the company plans to expand in Africa and European countries.
