Inurban looks to innovation and internationalisation to cope with rising costs

Yesterday we were present at the conference ‘The family business shares’ organised by Amefmur, an initiative promoted by the 18 regional associations in Spain and sponsored by Credit Suisse.

We shared the stage with José María Martínez, CEO of Grupo Caliche and Pablo Carrasco, head of private banking at Credit Suisse in Spain, exchanging opinions, experiences and growth expectations in the current economic context.

José María Tortosa, president of Amefmur, was in charge of opening the event, where he highlighted the work of all family entrepreneurs, creators of wealth and well-being in our country.

Saray Muñoz, co-owner of Grupo Tenepa, whose main companies are Inurban and Lymsa, commented that in the construction sector ‘price fluctuations have been so great and rapid that on many occasions it has been impossible to close contracted works with purchase prices, not only in days but also in hours, causing cost overruns for clients who in some cases have decided to stop investing and in others have remained uncertain until the final negotiation’.

Other problems,’ added Muñoz, ’are those caused by the need to buy all the building materials at an early stage and store them both on site and in the workshop, which means higher transport costs, the construction of new storage areas, increased labour costs and indebtedness for the company.

For his part, José María Martínez, remarked that family businesses are very faithful to the values that Grupo Caliche represents. He also wanted to reflect on the new milestone of his company in its expansion process where they have opened a new delegation in the United States to reinforce the service they provide to their exporting clients in the American continent.

Finally, Saray Muñoz indicated that ‘corporate culture, flexibility, personal treatment, the ability to adapt and anticipate, strong leadership, commitment to sustainability, greater stability or higher performance as the company is concentrated in few hands’ are the main virtues that characterise this type of company and that allow them to respond better in any circumstance.

The event was moderated by Azucena Marín, Director of the Media Department of Grupo Zambudio, and was attended by around 50 guests at the Real Casino de Murcia and broadcast live on Televisión Murciana.