To celebrate our 35th anniversary, we offer you this interview with the management team of Alber, Paqui, Antonio, Julián, and Enrique, to review the history, milestones, and future vision of Alber. This year, our participation in Iberflora will be especially significant: in addition to reuniting with clients, friends, and collaborators, we will celebrate with them more than three decades of sowing trust, innovation, and commitment to the green sector. We’ll see you in Hall 3, at stand C28!
Can you tell us about the beginnings of Alber and how the structure of the company and infrastructure has evolved to date?
Alber was born in Granada with a humble workshop and a plastic injection machine in the basement of a family home in the 70s. Over time, the second generation joined the ranks of ALBER and it was then that the journey began in the horticulture and nursery sector. In 1990 the second generation took over and constituted the current company. At that time we had facilities of 2,500 m2. In 2012 Alber suffers a fire that completely destroys it and in 2013 we inaugurated a new factory of 10,000 m2 in the Industrial, Technological and Innovation Area (CITAI) in Granada. In 2016 the third generation joined, accelerating the digitization and adoption of new technologies. In 2020 the facilities were doubled, adding 10,000 m2 more, which meant a great advance in manufacturing and supply capacity.
What started with a couple of machines and a lot of enthusiasm has become a leading company in Spain, with a production plant equipped with state-of-the-art technology, its own mold workshop, a warehouse for 5,500 pallets and a 700 kw photovoltaic installation that reflects our commitment to sustainability. Today our infrastructure allows us to cover one of the widest ranges on the market, with the ability to design, manufacture and adapt customized solutions for our customers.
As a consolidated family business, what elements do you consider key to generational continuity and adaptation to the changing business environment?
The key has always been a combination of family values and business vision. The first generation laid the foundations based on effort, closeness and reliability. The second generation, which took over in the 90s, maintained those inherited values and incorporated innovation, digitization and internationalization. This mixture of roots and a look to the future has allowed us to adapt to the changes in the sector, anticipate customer needs and maintain an agile structure that evolves without losing our essence as a family business and our commitment to customers.
What milestones would you highlight since the company passed to the second generation, especially its expansion into the horticultural and nursery sector in the 90s?
The entry into the horticultural and nursery sector was decisive. In the 90s we made a turn towards this market, developing specific ranges of pots, containers and trays. Later, we marked milestones such as the
How has the company’s internationalization process been? What is the percentage of sales abroad currently?
Internationalization has been a constant path. We started with nearby markets, such as Portugal, France and Morocco, and little by little we have reached more than 20 countries in Europe, Africa and Latin America. Our logistics management and experience as a consolidated exporting company guarantee us. Today, approximately 25% of our sales come from abroad, and we continue to grow in strategic markets such as red fruits, where we have taken our specialized pots to countries as diverse as Serbia, South Africa and Chile.
How do you think the sector has evolved in the decades of Alber’s history?
The sector has changed radically in three aspects. In the field of technology and professionalization, nurseries have gone from traditional processes to highly technified cultivation systems. For this reason, we have developed pots and trays optimized for use with modern automated sowing and transport systems. Regarding sustainability, today it is not an option, it is a requirement. We wanted to be pioneers with our range of products manufactured with recycled and recyclable material. We must also talk about globalization. Before, a nursery worked locally; now it produces for national and international markets. This evolution has meant that the demands are greater, but also that the opportunities multiply for those who know how to adapt. At Alber we offer articles adapted to international standards of quality, sustainability, design and functionality.
What are the biggest challenges you currently face and what are the short and medium-term challenges?
Our challenges are clear. The first is
In the short term, our challenge is to continue strengthening our innovation capacity, expand the sustainable range and consolidate foreign markets. In the medium term, we want to take a further step in digitization, incorporating artificial intelligence tools that allow us to improve our processes and services.
Alber will be present again at Iberflora, how are you going to celebrate this event? This year Iberflora has a special value, as it coincides with our 35th anniversary. We want our stand to be a meeting point for clients, friends and collaborators with whom we have traveled this path and of course take the opportunity to thank them personally for being an indispensable part of our history. Under the slogan
