Press room

The main merits highlighted by the Jury were: Orkli’s great exporting tradition, with the company exporting 80% of its sales in 2003 (78.2 million euros out of a total of 99 million) and its leadership in thermoelectric safety, where it has a world market share of 55%. Last year the company manufactured 45 million magnetic units and thermocouples for water heaters, boilers, gas cookers, etc. with European leadership in other products liked motorised valves and hydraulic blocks.

Orkli operates its own sales network in 20 countries and has the leading manufacturers in the world in its sector as its customers: Sabaf, Robert Shaw, Copreci, Electrolux, Merloni and Junkers, part of Bosch-Siemens.

The Jury also emphasised Orkli’s ability to combine a strategy of setting up plants abroad –with a plant with 90 employees in China- with the export of products manufactured at its Ordizia plant, which provides direct employment for 515 people, together with a lot of knock-on employment. In the short- and medium-term, Orkli also plans to takes on the Eastern European market, especially Russia.

Finally, at the same ceremony in which Orkli was presented with its award, Miguel Odriozola, the Managing Director of Lagun Artea from Zumaia, was awarded the prize for Businessman of the Year. The Biele company from Azpeitia won the prize for SME of the Year and CTI Soft the prize for best Business Service Company.

http://www.orkli.com