AEFA Concludes 30th Anniversary Year with Addition of 16 New Family Businesses

AEFA, the Family Business Association of the province of Alicante, held its traditional Christmas Gathering today, marking the conclusion of its 30th anniversary year. The event, hosted at Casa Sicilia Winery, brought together members and collaborators, with the presence of Carlos Pastor, the Deputy for Economic Development and European Projects.

One of the highlights of the gathering was the welcome of 16 new family businesses joining the association this year, a number that underscores AEFA's sustained growth and its ability to represent the province's business fabric. In total, the association now has 196 member companies.

The companies, which received a commemorative plaque, include: Agroserc, Bernal Alimentación, Coloma García, Davofrio Dosados, Endal, Grupo María José San Román, Grupo Tindale, Hijos de Manuel Crespo, José Borrell, Lavandería Charo Martin, Raúl Asencio Pastelerías, Restaurante Alfonso Mira, Studio Hc, Vcb Alarm, and Vegametal Cubiertas.

During her speech, AEFA President Maite Antón thanked attendees for their commitment to the association and highlighted how special 2025 has been for the entity: "a year of continuing the legacy from 30 years ago, celebrating this anniversary, and continuing to grow thanks to your trust."

Antón also reviewed some of the milestones of 2025, such as the 30th edition of the AEFA Awards, the consolidation of the AEFA Forum and AEFA Senior, the chairs at UMH and UA; the Family Business in the Classroom project, and the Centenary Companies Gala. She also mentioned the development of an intense agenda of conferences, meetings, and institutional representation actions "which would not be possible without the constant support of our collaborators," said the AEFA president, naming each one: Banco Sabadell, Banco Santander, Caixabank, Cajamar, Cuatrecasas, Gonçalves Pereira, Diputación de Alicante, Eurocaja Rural, Familia Peláez, Fundación Juan Perán Pikolinos, Garrigues, Ibercaja, Ifedes, Improven, Kpmg, and Pwc.

The president also took the opportunity to emphasize AEFA's importance as a spokesperson for family businesses in dealings with administrations and reiterated the main demands and challenges they face for the coming year, such as the need for a regional family business law.

The event concluded with a lunch in a relaxed and family-friendly atmosphere, where members and their families shared experiences and toasted to a new year full of new challenges.