2021 is just around the corner and we want to summarise what this year has meant for Acebron Group. 

We would like to begin our annual balance by highlighting two important milestones: Our commitment to dual vocational training and our work-life balance plan.

From Acebron Group we are committed to dual professional training to train the future talent of our team, and for this reason we signed an agreement with the IES Plurilingual Castro da Uz de As Pontes for the medium cycle of Welding and Boilermaking for the 2020-2021 academic year. The agreement has been signed jointly by the companies Acebrón Calderería, SL, Prometal Tecnología e Innovación, SL and Fitter Montajes Structural, SL. Acebron Calderería, SL through this agreement, welcomed 5 students to train in the company and become one of ours. The demand far exceeded our expectations and we are proud to be able to train the professionals of tomorrow.

We consider that Carrying out a labour reconciliation programme is a key measure to promote equality between workers and improve their performance. Providing facilities for employees to combine personal life with work, allows workers with young children, who have to take care of a family member or who are training while workingin to get more out of their day and make the most of their time. Some of the measures we took are:

• Rotating and adapted shifts.
• Consensus of vacation dates, giving priority to employees with children.
• Reduction of hours for employees who apply for it for the care of minor children and family members.
• Continuous day in the months of July and August for office employees.
• Work from home.
• Flexible hours at the entrances and exits.

In march due to complicated situation as a result of the COVID-19 crisis we adapted our decisions daily according to its evolution, always with the aim of minimizing the economic impact that we can all suffer and maintaining our service, as well as ensuring the health of our employees and people with whom we come into contact. To ensure the understanding of all this measures by our entire team, specific training has been given, explaining to each person the importance of complying with them. In addition, to raise awareness, posters have been displayed with information about the measures and also, the most relevant actions have been projected on our production screens and filers.

The health crisis has evolved and changed and with them also our way of doing things. We have learned to adapt and be flexible to always guarantee the greatest security. Some of the measures implemented are:

• We eliminate face-to-face meetings as much as possible.
• We set work shifts for all office and production staff.
• We have facilitated conciliation to those workers with children who have been affected by the suspension of schools, with the means agreed between the company and the worker, being able to make schedules more flexible and teleworking whenever possible.
• Telecommuting.
• We strengthened the hygiene and cleanliness in all facilities, especially in contact areas.
• The dining rooms, showers have been closed and the use of changing rooms and common areas has been restricted.
• We have opened communication channels by instant messaging with our entire team to carry out all relevant communications regarding Covid-19 and organisational matters.
• We have made available to our people, and urged their constant use, all the means of safety and hygiene at work necessary for prevention: masks, gloves, sanitising gel, goggles and protective overalls.
• It has been established special protocol for loading and unloading operations that are mandatory.

In May, we became part of the SPANISH NETWORK OF THE UNITED NATIONS WORLD PACT. It is the world largest corporate sustainability initiative with more than 12,500 signatory entities and a presence in more than 160 countries based on ten universal principles. In June we became part of the Galician Network PXR that seeks to reduce waste by promoting the repair or recovery of any type of objects that have not yet finished their life cycle, offering new ways to renew or refine them, saving substantial amounts of money.

In August Global Industry, the magazine of the Metal Sector and Associated Technologies, interviewed Rebeca Acebrón Vice President of Asime and CEO of Acebron Group and she was optimistic about the post-COVID-19 scenario.

In October we participated in the reference conference Maritime Trends to debate the present and the future of the naval, maritime and port sector. The congress was organised by Asime, the Association of Metal Industries and Associated Technologies of Galicia.

We can say that we ended the year captivating attention thanks to our Industry 4.0 since both La Voz de Galicia and TVG2 echoed our good work and progress.

La Voz de Galicia titled it “The marathon towards Industry 4.0” and they dedicated us a full page where they tell about our race towards digitisation and TVG2 made a documentary inside our facilities where you could see the different processes we carry out and how they are interconnected .

But at Acebron Group we always want to go further and not only are we immersed in a process of digitisation of our factories, but we are also concerned about organisational improvements to boost the company and expand internationally. We are proud to say that we are already more than 1600 on Linkedin where our growing activity is being well received and shared.

But at Acebron Group we always want to go further and not only are we immersed in a process of digitization of our factories, but we are also concerned about organizational improvements to boost the company and expand internationally. We are proud to say that we are already more than 1600 on Linkedin where our growing activity is being well received and shared.

Despite the fact that it has been a year full of obstacles, we have not stopped our activity and we are proud to say that we have carried out large projects in sectors such as wind, hydraulic, aerospace, rail and capital goods. 

We would like to highlight the work carried out for Inhisa Hidráulica SA, which consisted in the manufacture of four gate valves type “BUREAU” and their subsequent pressure test. We carry out all this process in collaboration and under the instructions of our client, the resulting work being of high quality. Proof of this are the reduced leaks obtained in tests after the manual adjustment process, which have always been below 10% of the admissible leaks established by the applicable regulations.

Our message for 2021 is a message of positivism and hope. We openly thank the entire Acebron Group´s team that has worked against the odds to get to where we are today. It has not been easy, but we have learned, we have grown and we look forward to the future. Happy 2021.