On February 21, Hispacold brought the celebrations for its 40th anniversary to a close with an institutional event attended by important figures from the world of politics, business and the passenger transport sector. Attendees of this commemorative event included First Deputy Mayor of Seville Carmen Castreño, IDEA Agency General Manager Julio Coca, and Hispacold President Juan Carlos Cantalapiedra.

This open day was organized to show visitors the more than 10,000 m² of the company’s factory that uses Lean methodology for demand-based supply and production, optimizing the added value of its products with competitive quality and high levels of flexibility. The facilities were recently expanded with a new logistics center attached to the factory and the acquisition of adjacent land.

Hispacold General Manager Roberto Recuerda welcomed the attendees and emphasized that “the key to this company’s continued existence forty years later – as cliché as it may sound – lies in each and every one of the people who have been and continue to be part of this project,” after which a guided tour of the facilities was given and several interviews were conducted for the “Andalucía Capital” TV program broadcast by Onda Cero, directed and presented by the journalist Diego García Cabello. Lastly, an institutional lunch was held at Casa Guardiola.

Since it was founded, Hispacold has been committed to innovation and developing its own technology in partnership with universities and technology centers, which has placed it among the leading companies in its sector worldwide with pioneering products like the efficient EcoIce compressor and HVAC systems, brushless motors, its complete range of control panels, and the eCo3 air purifier. With a staff of nearly 200 employees, the company closed 2017 with €37.8 million in sales revenue and expects to reach €42 million in 2018, with exports accounting for more than 50%.

Hispacold, which meets the highest standards of quality, environmental management and occupational safety and health, distributes its systems in Spain and in more than one hundred countries on five continents, where it also provides after-sales and maintenance services. Hispacold is the market leader in the bus and coach HVAC systems sector in Spain and is the top choice among the country’s major public and private operators.

Hispacold’s commitment to cleaner and greener transport through its HVAC solutions has remained constant throughout its history, developing its own technology used in the components of its HVAC systems. At present, it provides electromobility solutions, thanks to the development of reversible heat pumps and electric vehicle battery solutions, both for vehicles with opportunity charging and overnight charging capabilities.

As part of its innovation strategy, Hispacold is a member of the Technological Corporation of Andalusia (CTA). The financing and advice provided by it has enabled Hispacold to develop four R&D+i projects that have yielded results such as an air purification system to improve comfort and healthiness in public transport or an electric HVAC system for hybrid vehicles.

In recent years, it has also participated in several electromobility projects with the support of the Center for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI). It has also had the opportunity to expand its knowledge and its range of products with the help of the IDEA Agency and several universities, including the University of Seville.

The company, which recently received the Aster Award for Business Trajectory from the ESIC Business and Marketing School, is also currently working on the development of more efficient and lighter systems, more powerful, silent and energy-efficient motors, and eco-friendly alternative refrigerants.

This Seville-based firm with subsidiaries in France and Mexico is undergoing a process of industrial transformation, in which it aims to successfully become a "factory of the future" by means of greater digitalization of its products and processes, aside from striving for industrial excellence.