“In 1966, two junior engineers founded a switchgear manufacturer that would later become a low voltage contractor. This business would expand across markets and cross continents, moving with technology and with its offering, whilst retaining its identity and the culture that made it a success. Eventually, the company those engineers founded became renewable energy specialists. Almost 60 years later it remains a family-owned company, upholding those core values while continuing to the lay infrastructure for the transition to renewable energy,” says Gerardo Rodríguez Pagano, Managing Director of Elmya EPC.
In the company’s early years its core business was in assembling electrical switchboards, then later it expanded to low and medium-voltage installations from the electrification of rural areas to landmark buildings such as hospitals. The company also carried out work on high-speed train infrastructure in the early 90s. In the late 90s, the company shifted into the retail sector, establishing long term relationships with major international retail chains, in particular Spain’s largest supermarket brand, Mercadona.
“It was an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to client satisfaction and reliability as a contractor,” Rodríguez says.
A Reliable International Partner
The company continued to grow and establish its reputation, until the 2008 financial crisis kickstarted a new phase in its development.
“We embarked on an international expansion to ensure our survival strategically, diversifying our markets by entering Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Italy and the UK, even the Emirates,” Rodríguez recalls. “That journey was important for us. It introduced us to the renewable energy sector, and that created the perfect opportunity to scale up our business while contributing to a more sustainable future for the planet.”
Rodríguez joined the company in 2019 with the goal of transforming Elmya’s operations to create a reliable contractor for larger-scale utility solar plants. Building on the company’s existing foundations, values and ethical principles, Rodríguez led the company for the next five years to become the 27th largest EPC contractor of its kind in the world, by capacity. The company has grown by 30% year on year throughout that period, while maintaining a zero-debt policy and continuing to deliver a profit.
“At Elmya, honesty and reliability are the core of our operations,” Rodríguez says. “We pride ourselves on being our clients’ trusted partner, anticipating their challenges and providing solutions. We prioritise the success of their projects and this approach is only possible by filling our key positions with experienced professionals from diverse backgrounds who bring valuable expertise from several industries.”
Elmya has developed a robust system to manage complex industrial projects, ensuring consistency and ability.
“This is not only a significant competitive advantage but is also a source of pride for everyone at Elmya,” Rodríguez tells us. “Our commitment to honest, top tier talent makes us a reliable partner.”
Prioritising People
Of course, the 2008 financial crash was not the only crisis Elmya had to navigate. As an electrical company with 60 years of experience, it has passed several challenges in its history, but the Covid pandemic still looms large in everyone’s memory.
“We had people in diverse countries in Latin America and Europe, all with their own restrictions and government policies,” Rodríguez remembers. “When facing a problem like that we always put the people at the centre of our strategy. Our main objective was to get people home safely, protecting them and their families.”
The pandemic presented Elmya with several financial and logistical challenges, but Elmya’s leadership and board decided to prioritise its staff.
“We kept everyone’s jobs, we brought our people home and that allowed us to rebound our business after everything passed,” Rodríguez says.
Rodríguez still believes the greatest challenge Elmya has to overcome is finding the right people to join the company.
“Our business thrives on talent and the market is highly competitive. So, we have a dedicated and hard working team of professionals responsible for recruiting top talent,” Rodríguez says. “They make a significant effort to communicate our mission and values. They also highlight exciting opportunities within the company.”
Those opportunities are part of the reason that retention is much less of a challenge for the firm.
“As we have grown into a mid-size operation, we have preserved that atmosphere at the office,” says Rodríguez. “Our CEO has established strong guidelines based on respect, empathy and willingness to help which forms the foundation of how every employee is expected to behave.”
Elmya continuously invests in the development of its people’s skills, from health and safety training to executive programs for leadership. As the leader of a technology-driven company, Rodríguez understands that it is crucial to stay ahead of the industry, and he makes it a priority to educate Elmya’s people on every possible new development and give them the opportunity to grow with the company.
“I can’t think of a better company to be with right now,” he tells us. “We are growing consistently and from strong foundations, driven by a balance of young talent and seasoned professionals. They are the engine behind everything we do.”
Recently Elmya has partnered with one of the world’s top three strategic consultation firms to develop a five year plan. Rodríguez describes the results of that consultation as “both challenging and exciting”.
“We are set to become leaders in the solar PV sector with Europe, the UK and the US as our primary markets,” says Rodríguez.
Elmya is also continuing to explore other potential opportunities across Europe, including the design and construction of high voltage infrastructure up to 400kV, which will eventually become a separate business unit. Rodríguez also tells us that Elmya is additionally scoping potential projects in the US market partnering with a prominent local construction firm.
“Together we expect to become the key player in the largest market outside China and India,” Rodríguez says. “As a group, we have even more mission goals. We are expanding our developing pipeline in Greece and the UK, and entering markets like Romany, Germany and the US. We are diversifying our operations to include data centres, EV charging points and electrification of the grid in general. We are committed to sustainability and have made it our mission to lead the energy transition while staying true to our foundational values.”
