• Ceramics Industry
• X-RAY OF THE NEW SPANISH CABINET

From left to right and top to bottom: Sáenz de Santamaría, de Guindos, García-Margallo, Gallardón, Morenés, Montoro, Fernández Díaz, Pastor, Wert, Ibáñez, Soria, Cañete i Mato.

The plight of so many Western economies—particularly Spain's—is no secret. For this reason, political action is more crucial than ever. Although civil society (citizens, companies, etc.) is and always will be the most important social agent, the duty of making drastic employment, fiscal and other changes falls squarely on the shoulders of government.

In this context, defined by the pressing importance of political action, it’s well worth taking a look at the profiles of the 13 members of the new Spanish government formed in December.

The sex, age and number of children of the new ministers come as no surprise: a preponderance of men is still common, aged well over 50, and with a number of children above the national average.

There is not much to highlight regarding the make-up of the cabinet itself, which initially seems appropriate.

Without a doubt the most remarkable point is the public sector experience of the new cabinet members; very different from their counterparts in other countries, who have more private sector experience. The public sector worldwide has very clear differences compared to the private sector, which is the true backbone of any economy. The public sector is marked by different working arrangements, more limited career and salary ceilings and a radically different incentive logic. These features frequently mean that the public sector is far removed from everything that really makes the world go round, distinguished by a conservative outlook and a resistance to change.

It is to be hoped that the strong civil service profile of the new cabinet will not be an obstacle to the bold decisions they will need to make in the immediate future.

• Corporate
• 2012: YEAR OF TRADE SHOWS

This new year will stand out, among other things, due to the great number of trade show visits. The two largest shows worldwide for our industry, CERAMITEC and TECNARGILLA, again coincide in the same year, as was the case in 2006. Various national fairs have also gained prominence in recent years and our presence there has become increasingly important.

So far, BERALMAR has confirmed its presence at the following trade shows in 2012:

• KIEVBUILD 2012 - Kiev (Ukraine) 29 February - 2 March, 2012
• INDIAN CERAMICS 2012 - Ahmedabad (India) 20-22 March 2012
• BATIMATEC 2012 - Alger (Algeria) 3-7 May 2012
• CERAMITEC 2012 - Munich (Germany) 22-25 May 2012
• TECNARGILLA 2012 - Rimini (Italy) 24-28 September 2012

• QUALITY MANAGEMENT

In 2007, BERALMAR created its Quality Committee, comprising 10 people from various company departments. The committee aims to analyse and resolve quality issues and determine the appropriateness of corrective, preventive, or product improvement actions.

On 26 January the Quality Committee held its 100th meeting, and from this vantage point the results of its achievements are highly satisfactory. Not to mention the direct benefit to BERALMAR clients: during 2011 non-quality costs have been reduced by 47.68%, representing 0.38% of last year’s turnover.

Adopting a quality management system was a strategic decision for BERALMAR.

• News and Accomplishments
• FIRST SOLID-FUEL FIRING INSTALLATION IN MACEDONIA

BERALMAR has just received its first order for a solid fuel firing facility in Macedonia. The MICROMATIC unit will be installed in a tunnel kiln at the CIGLANA KUMANOVO works in the town of the same name in the north of the country.

The solid fuel used will be micronized petroleum coke. The MICROMATIC system features a silo for storing the fuel, a closed fuel transport pneumatic circuit, and a set of distributors and injectors in the firing area, with a centralised automatic control panel.

This system, a variation of PROMATIC for applications where the user has access to micronized (<100 m) and dry (<1% H2O) solid fuel, was launched for the first time in 2002 in Spain, where it has been installed in over 50 kilns. The MICROMATIC system has also been installed in other countries such as Morocco, Bosnia, Portugal, Greece, India, Chile, Colombia and the United States.