The century-old company has reached an agreement with NetOn Power to develop self-consumption projects for industrial customers.
Throughout its hundred years of life, the engineering firm Suris has had to adapt to changing times in order to move forward. Now it has joined the solar energy revolution and has done so hand in hand with the industrial self-consumption platform NetOn Power. Both companies have signed a collaboration agreement to jointly develop self-consumption projects for industrial customers. NetOn Power is responsible for financing the installations and Suris for construction, operation and maintenance.
The origins of Suris go back to 1918, in the Poblenou district of Barcelona, as a company dedicated to winding motors and electrical installations. In 1815, it was taken over by two of its employees, who breathed new life into the company. “We were clear about the company’s capacity and we gave it a boost by incorporating new technology,” explains Albert Segarra, current managing director of Suris and co-owner of the company with Ramón Gasch. Segarra joined the company at the age of 16, and Gasch at the age of 18.
With headquarters in Barcelona and a staff of more than 230 people, Suris handles all phases of the construction process, from design to execution, supervision, quality control, legalisation, commissioning and maintenance of a building. Solar panels are the icing on the cake. Segarra points out that the tertiary sector (housing, hotels, hospitals, shopping centres…) accounts for more than half of the business, followed by the industrial sector.
Among the projects carried out by Suris, the installation of the Covid hospital in Bellvitge stands out. “In just 109 days we managed an investment of 15 million euros”, emphasises Segarra. Thanks to the awarding of this project, Suris closed 2020 – a year particularly marked by the Covid crisis – with a turnover of 40 million euros. The company managed to maintain its turnover in 2021, which was close to 41 million, and for the current financial year it expects to reach 45 million.
Suris’ activity is now focused on Catalonia, after a few years of strong activity abroad. “Operating outside the country requires great efforts, and since the pandemic we are focusing on the local market”, acknowledges the executive director. However, Segarra warns of the danger of what he describes as “the politics of no that has taken hold in Catalonia”. In his opinion, this trend has led to the “loss of projects such as the expansion of the airport or the Hermitage”. “The future of companies like Suris depends on investment”, he reminds us.
In addition to the public administration, Suris’ list of clients includes investment funds, construction companies and the airline Vueling, for which they have built a hangar.
