In Extremadura there are currently 63 companies per 1,000 inhabitants, a figure below the national average of 71.75 and only above Andalusia and Castilla-La Mancha. This low number of companies is not encouraging data. If we add to this that business activity in Extremadura advances fundamentally thanks to individual and autonomous impulses in the form of small and micro-enterprises, the scenario is not very satisfactory.
We are all aware of this reality in which we find ourselves. Improving the situation is everyone’s responsibility. A historic transformation project in which Extremadurans must move forward together and in the same direction.
For a long time, the Extremaduran economy was dominated by the agricultural sector. However, with the passage of time and the advance of globalization, Extremadura has understood the need to diversify its economy and focus on more innovative and sustainable sectors.
But recognizing this need has not always fit with the general vision that entrepreneurs have, resulting from circumstances that were not chosen and on which they have not been able to act individually. In Extremadura, more than 95% of the business fabric, regardless of the sector, are companies without employees or with less than 10 employees. The average size of companies in Extremadura according to data published by the Extremadura Institute of Statistics is 7.8 employees in August 2023. For operational, billing and size reasons, it is very difficult, if not impossible, for this segment of companies to consider innovating, growing or even expanding beyond their locality; and those companies or entrepreneurs who can consider it, have difficulties when it comes to facing the challenges that this implies (new investments, R&D&I activities, internationalization, economies of scale…), all of which affects the competitiveness of the Extremaduran business fabric.
Many of the Extremaduran companies have eminently traditional business and management models in competitive sectors, they are not very productive and are developed in an unstimulating context that turns them into subsistence activities and not true engines of social and economic transformation of our towns and cities. cities.
The services sector does not escape this description. However, it has emerged in recent years as an area with high potential. The result of this is that since 2008 it has not stopped concentrating companies, accounting for 60.9% (data as of August 2023) of all those existing in the region and representing 67.4% of the total workers in Extremadura.
Historically, the services sector has been characterized by its not excessive ambition for growth and its focus on local markets. The emblematic companies of our region prosper in the agri-food and industrial fields. We must aspire to the emergence of leading companies also in the sector, since, although there are high-quality service companies, the focus on ambition and expansion is usually limited and highly conditioned. Finding a town in Extremadura where the first private company in the town is from this sector is not easy.
The vision of overcoming local, regional and national borders and turning family businesses into companies that not only positively impact their communities, but also contribute to national economic and social development, is truly necessary.
In the economic fabric of Extremadura, we all play an essential role in the delicate balance of economic life. This sector, in particular, acts as a crucial gear for the well-being, satisfaction and quality of both companies and citizens. It is in this context that our activity develops.
Indlab is an agri-food laboratory located in Jerez de los Caballeros, a leader in the control of the quality and purity of oils and fats, both of plant and animal origin. Our work is not only about carrying out physical and chemical analysis, but also about facilitating relationships between companies or providing certainty to the decisions that our clients must make about their products; it goes much further. We are invisible agents for consumers, but we ensure that the brands they trust continue to meet the standards that have earned them that trust.
Every analysis we carry out, every report we generate contributes to strengthening consumer confidence in the quality of the products that reach their homes. This is a business achievement that also represents a significant contribution to the well-being of society as a whole. We serve other companies, but the fact that our economic activity has an undeniable social impact makes us feel very proud and gives our work meaning.
The analysis of oils is a control task that transcends the borders of our laboratory. We are all consumers and we all appreciate the quality and safety of the products we consume in our daily lives. When our people understand that their work helps ensure that vegetable oils and other products are safe and of high quality, it creates a sense of purpose that goes beyond daily tasks.
From our current position, where we have achieved a comfortable position with a strong international reputation; Thanks to our commitment to analytical excellence and the assumption of client needs as our own, the question arises of what to do from now on.
Many service companies reach this point and at that stage of business maturity, the decisions made can make the difference between continuing to grow or becoming obsolete and disappearing. Comfort and lack of ambition can lead to being overtaken by the competition or even facing difficulties in finding a generational replacement and, ultimately, closing or selling the business.
In our case, to remain a relevant and competitive player in a constantly evolving market, it has been essential to adopt a long-term vision.
This translates into acting differently from our competition. To offer services that no one else offers and to continually rethink our way and ways of working, adapting to the very dynamic needs that our clients present to us. All this accompanied by a national expansion plan that brings us closer to the client and the constant reinvestment in cutting-edge technologies, the development of new analysis methods and the constant training of staff.
At Indlab we want to build our own future and ensure that the purpose of the laboratory transcends the professionals who currently promote and sustain its activity.
We are currently a reference agri-food laboratory both in Spain and in many different countries around the world (Indlab has clients in more than 30 countries).
After the acquisition of an Andalusian competitor and with the adoption of significant changes in our business strategy, we aspire to sustainably lead both the national and international markets. Without a doubt, this process is full of challenges and changes, but with the help of our entire team we are confident of overcoming them. Our objective is clear and the mission is difficult, we know it, but we are committed to achieving it and conquering a future that seems exciting.