Gamesa
Corp.
Tecnológica

Renewable energy is the Gamesa Corp. Tecnológica's business focus. The company is one of the biggest manufacturers and suppliers of technologically advanced products, services and installations in the renewable energies market. A winner in the same category last year, it achieved a compound annual growth rate of 24% between 2001 and 2005, with total shareholder return of 30% between 2000 and 2005. Gamesa is the market leader in aero generators in Spain and China, with a strong presence in the USA, France, Germany and Portugal.

COSENTINO

The SME winner in this category was ornamental stone producer, COSENTINO. The company demonstrated a strong growth rate of 39% between 2001 and 2005 and was praised for its strong focus on international distribution (70% of revenues) and investments in R%D.

Gruppo
Ferrovial

Gruppo Ferrovial nudged out the competition from Inditex and Santander in this category. The construction company shows a strong presence in six European countries, where it makes 35% of its turnover and has 28% of its employees. The 2006 acquisition of BAA made Ferrovial the global leader in airport infrastructure management, cementing its internationalization.

Ficosa
International

In the SME section of this award, Ficosa International went home the winner. The automotive components manufacturer has 27 production plants in 18 countries, with a strong European presence. More than 40% of its turnover is generated in the nine European countries where it has dependencies. It provides parts to automotive manufacturers including the Volkswagen Group, Fort, Renault/Nisssan, FIAT Group and GM. The jury applauded Ficosa's international expansion, which has been a core development strategy since 1988.

Telefónica

Telephone giant, Telefónica, last year's winner of the European BEB award in the telecommunications category walked away with the large enterprise award in the Cross-border M&A category. The jury highlighted its successful acquisitions of O2 and Cesky Telecom as key reasons for choosing Telefónica. These buy-ups represented a "clear move toward increasing its European presence," according to jury members. Previously, the company had focused largely on the Latin American market.

Fertiberia

Fertiberia, the fertilizer manufacturer, was honored in the SME segment of this category. Jury members highlighted its acquisition of 66% of fertilizer companies Fertial and Alzofert. These had allowed the Spanish market leader to position itself as a key European player.

Grupo
Villar Mir.

The Grand Prix of the competition was awarded to Grupo Villar Mir. Established in 1987, Grupo Villar Mir (GVM) is the largest Spanish family-owned industrial group with international activities. Its worldwide presence covers Latin America, North America, Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia in its various activities. GVM is involved in construction, property, fertilizers, ferro-alloys, energy production, engineering and IT systems. The jury awarded this special prize to the company, citing its means of creating growth throughout Europe, through its operations with OHL, Fertiberia and Ferroatlátlantica. The company ranked number one in the country in terms of acquisitions with relevant operations of these subsidiaries. Grupo Villar Mir had become the EU leader in the fertilizer sector and number three in Spain in the construction business. The jury praised its knowledge and expertise in turning around non-profitable companies in mature, competitive sectors.