“Innovation is a safe bet for Álava companies and for RPK has led to successful expansion”
The General Deputy visits the firm RPK Sociedad Cooperativa, with national and international facilities, which has decided to open its first factory in China next year and in the medium term offices in Detroit and Japan.
Vitoria-Gasteiz, September 22 2017. This morning the General Deputy, Ramiro González visited the company RPK Sociedad Cooperativa as part of the meetings being held with the assistant General Deputy Pilar García de Salazar to get to know the reality and needs of the Álava business sector. RPK, headquartered in the Begoño industrial estate, is a business group whose activities involve manufacturing components for the automotive sector and more specifically precision high-tech wire and strip transformation, for their incorporation into brakes, suspensions and vehicle engines, among others.
“Their innovative character is one of the greatest strengths of our companies. A bet which in the case of the cooperative RPK led to the opening of a technological centre one year ago which is enabling successful internationalization and expansion, key aspects in the future of any company” explained Ramiro González during the visit.
On behalf of the cooperative, the Managing Director Ricardo Romo and several members of the Governing Board led by the Chairman Josu Etxebarria hosted the visit. Ricardo Romo referred to the recent decision of the cooperative to open its first plant in China next year.
“This international presence reinforces the position of the Álava plant as a creator of high quality employment, technology and innovation. Furthermore, we also plan to open a new office in Detroit and another in Japan in the medium term”.
Meanwhile, Josu Etxebarria focused his message on capturing and retaining talent,
“an aspect which concerns us in this expansion process we are undergoing. In fact, we are working together with educational centres in Álava, with the institutions through BIC Araba and we participate in the BIND 4.0 Startup accelerator in an aim to attract innovation and talent to the corporation.”
This cooperative dates back to 1974 when it was launched by a group of some twenty entrepreneurs. Today it is an international group with over 650 staff members and a presence in 3 continents. Apart from its headquarters in Vitoria-Gasteiz, it has another three manufacturing facilities in Spain (Haro, Anguciana and Tarragona), and overseas in México (Celaya), India (Pune), and also a technical commercial office in Germany.
