Foods For Tomorrow S.L.U., a company dedicated to the development of plant-based food products as an alternative to meat and fish, and Bellapart S.A.U., an engineering, design, manufacturing and construction firm of innovative and complex architectural solutions, have been awarded the Barcelona SME of the Year Award 2023 and the Girona SME of the Year Award, respectively.
The awards, which are awarded annually by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and Banco Santander in collaboration with La Vanguardia, celebrate their seventh edition this year. Foods For Tomorrow S.L.U., whose products are marketed under the Heura brand, has been recognized by the jury for its contribution to job creation, with a team of more than 160 people, its international growth of 260% last year, its collaboration with NGOs and its innovative sustainable, nutritious and healthy foods.
For Marc Coloma, CEO of the company, "the award represents recognition of the innovation that the company is making to lead the transition in the food industry, one of the most relevant economic drivers in the country, in an industry with a positive impact, integrating nature and health and being at the same time an economic engine”. In this sense, he highlights that "Heura is achieving for the food industry what renewables have meant for the energy sector". The key to the firm's success, according to Coloma, has been to develop successors to meat products: "We are managing to attract millions of consumers from all over the continent who see Heura as the perfect ally to continue enjoying our gastronomic traditions and, at time, take into account our health and the environment”.
In addition to the provincial prize, four other prizes have been awarded. The Internationalization Prize went to the company Pinearq S.L., specialized in the development of equipment for health sciences, while the Innovation and Digitization Prize went to Satelio IOT Service S.L., the first satellite operator to offer Internet connectivity. internet of things (IoT) over 5G NB-IoT standard. Gurbtec Iguana Telecom S.L., a telecommunications company that markets its services under the Vera brand, has won the Second Prize for Training and Employment, and, finally, the Second Prize for Sustainable SMEs in Barcelona goes to Groots Hydroponics S.L., dedicated to cultivation and marketing of organic food.
As for Girona, the jury has especially valued Bellapart S.A.U. Its contribution to job creation, its large presence in foreign markets, its export figures, which reached 93% of its turnover in 2023, and its more than 80 years of experience in the sector. Sara Arbós i Torrent, general director of the company, highlights that the award is "a recognition of the effort of the entire team that motivates us to continue our objectives of full professionalization, internationalization, digitalization and the achievement of full sustainability". During this year, among many other projects, the Apple flagship store in Los Angeles, a Dolce
Among the keys to success, Arbós points out the multiculturalism and diversity of the team, "the fundamental engine of our creativity, open-mindedness to find new solutions to complex challenges and stay at the forefront of innovation on a global scale." The Internationalization Prize was also awarded to Toni Pons S.A., a family-owned artisan footwear business founded in 1646, and the Innovation and Digitalization Prize to Tecnic Process Equipment Manufacturing S.L., which designs and produces equipment for the biotechnological and pharmaceutical sectors.
The Second Prize for Training and Employment has been awarded to Prada Nargesa S.L., a company specializing in the manufacture of industrial machinery, for having a staff with a full indefinite contract. And finally, the Girona Sustainable SME Second Prize goes to Voltaic Energía Solar, dedicated to the manufacture and sale of self-consumption photovoltaic installations for companies and individuals. The two award-winning companies – and the rest in their respective categories – will compete for the 2023 National SME of the Year Award, which will be awarded in Madrid at the beginning of 2024.
