The Consorci de la Zona Franca commits to the Òdena Basin

• The president of the Consorci, Pere Navarro, and general secretary Anton Ferré, reiterated their intention to carry out business projects in the Industrial sectors of the Basin.

• Mayors, unions and business organisations have united behind the Economic Activity Master Plan of the Òdena Basin, which will boost industrial activity in the area.

The president of the Consorci de la Zona Franca, Pere Navarro, accompanied by the general secretary of the organisation, Anton Ferré, visited Igualada this Wednesday to ratify their commitment to the Òdena Basin, and their willingness to develop the urban planning in this sector of Can Morera (Òdena).

As a result of this visit, the Business Investment Attraction Office of the Commonwealth of Òdena Basin (MICOD) will achieve some of its main objectives regarding development of the Can Morera industrial estate, as well as other industrial areas included in the Economic Activity Master Plan of the Òdena Basin, which is currently being processed.

The meeting with executives from the Consorci de la Zona Franca was attended by the mayor of Igualada and the president of the Commonwealth of the Òdena Basin, Marc Castells; the mayor of Castellolí, Joan Serra; the mayor of Òdena, Francisco Guisado; the mayor of Jorba, David Sánchez; the mayor of Vilanova del Camí, Noemí Trucharte; the mayor of la Pobla de Claramunt, Santi Broch and the mayor of Santa Margarida de Montbui, Teo Romero. Representatives from other local organisations were also present, including the president of Unión Empresarial, Joan Domènech; territorial union representative of CCOO in the Anoia district, Josep Maria Romero and the territorial union representative of UGT, Francesc Rica. They were all there to show their support to an alliance that will be crucial for driving industrial activity in the Anoia district.

The mayor of Igualada, Marc Castells, thanked the Consorci de la Zona Franca on behalf of the territory and remarked: “Never before have we been as united as we are today, never before have we joined forces to provide more land for industry, sustainable industrial estates that provide quality jobs with fair salaries; we are determined and excited to make this project a reality and to provide solutions to the many companies that want to grow but have been unable to do so due to lack of space”.

The State Delegate in the Consorci de la Zona Franca de Barcelona, Pere Navarro, highlighted the potential of the Anoia district as an area of economic activity and said that “the type of alliance being forged here is the result of cooperation among municipalities and social agents in the Òdena Basin, which is the best way of achieving such ambitious, shared objectives. The Consorci wanted to join the project because as a public partner we are responsible for people. We are a factory of future opportunities and we invest in the district and its people”.

Francesc Rica spoke on behalf of the main unions, saying: “This is an opportunity to dignify industrial activity in the district and we will ensure that agreements are fulfilled and that this leads to an increase in GDP”. Josep Maria Romero also spoke, expressing his commitment to the project and assuring that CCOO will work to ensure “that the productive model does not lead to precariousness”. On behalf of the business sector, the president of the Unión Empresarial of the Anoia district, Joan Domènech, remarked that “it is not easy to unite so many different agents behind a common goal” and reiterated the business organisation’s commitment to the project that will strengthen the industrial community in Igualada and the Anoia district.

Click here to see a photograph of the meeting.