Vidrala S.A. - Introduction

Introduction

Barrio Munegazo 22
Llodio
E-01400
Spain
Telephone: +34 94 671 97 10
Fax: +34 94 671 97 17
Web site: http://www.vidrala.com

Public Company
Incorporated: 1965 as Vidrieras de Alava S.A.
Employees: 642
Sales: EUR 147.17 million ($157.5 million) (2003)
Stock Exchanges: Bolsa de Madrid
Ticker Symbol: VID.MC
NAIC: 327213 Glass Container Manufacturing; 423840 Industrial Supplies Merchant Wholesalers

Vidrala S.A. is the second largest producer of hollow glass containers in Spain and Portugal, and is the largest independent producer in those markets. Based in Spain's Basque regions—where the company is close to the main wine-making regions of Spain and France—Vidrala produces some 600 different products spanning the wine and fruit juice sectors, as well as the soft drink, beer, other alcoholic beverages, preserves, vinegar, and related market segments. The company is also Spain's leading manufacturer of bottles for olive oil. Part of Vidrala's success has been a longstanding commitment to investment. In an industry where market share and sales growth are directly related to capacity, Vidrala has made steady increases in its production capacity since the mid-1980s. The company now operates a total of five furnaces in Spain, including three at the main Vidrala headquarters site in Llodio, the state of Alava, and two at subsidiary Crisnova's plant Caudete, in Albacete. Together, these plants give Vidrala production levels of more than 450,000 tons per year in Spain alone. Since 2003, Vidrala also has extended its operations to Portugal, where it acquired glassmaker Ricardo Gallo, in Marinha Grande. That acquisition boosted Vidrala's total production past 600,000 tons per year. The addition of Gallo also raised Vidrala's profile in the Iberian market, giving it a 20 percent share of the hollow glass market. Vidrala is listed on the Bolsa de Madrid and is controlled by the Delclaux family. In 2003, the company posted sales of EUR 147 million ($157 million).