The Grané family has been linked to the production of lime in the Penedès for a century. The territory is rich in limestone, like much of the country, and the family has specialized for decades in extracting lime to sell it to companies in the industrial sector, such as paper mills, steel mills, steel mills or mining companies. The company, called Cales de Pachs, dates back to 1967, although the business was born decades earlier with other factories that suffered the ups and downs of the war and the entry and exit of other partners.
Based in the municipality of Pacs del Penedès, the company is currently in full expansion. According to the brothers Valentí and Xavier Grané, the third generation in charge of the business, turnover grew by 50% in 2022, reaching 29.2 million euros, and the ebitda (gross profit) was seven million euros. . “This year we expect to grow another 10%. The rise in prices due to inflation largely explains the growth, but so is our high presence abroad”. Cales de Pachs exports 50% of its products to European countries such as Andorra and France, but above all to African markets such as Ghana, Nigeria, the Ivory Coast or Senegal.
In addition, a third of the income comes from the sale of high value-added products, lime derivatives that are used for technical applications such as concrete additives, animal feed or treatments to remove moisture from plastic, among others.
The company operates through its plant in the municipality of Pacs and two factories located in the south of Portugal. “We acquired them 12 years ago from a local producer and we would like to expand their capacity in the future if we manage to close contracts with paper mills and mining companies in the territory. We plan to invest 13 million euros in its expansion if the projects go ahead”, comment the managers, who add that the factories operate through the independent company Microlime.
With 65 people on staff, the company does not anticipate changes in ownership. 25% of the shares are controlled by the multinational Calcinor, whom the family has repeatedly tried to buy out.
