Renovation project of a residential property in Portixol.

In an interview for the Nivell magazine, of the Balearic Builders’ Association, our Marketing Manager talks about her experience in India.

What have you cooperated on?

As Grupo Ferrá’s designated manager in charge of the implementation of its Corporate Social Responsibility policies, I had been looking for a while for a trustworthy and transparent organisation that we felt we could trust. I had been given excellent feedback about the Vicente Ferrer Foundation (FVF – Fundación Vicente Ferrer), so I arranged a visit with them. After meeting the representative of the Vicente Ferrer Foundation for the Balearic Islands, Isabel Pizá, and starting to work together, I realised that I had finally found an organisation from which we could learn, and with which we could share experiences and grow in terms of corporate responsibility. Our company shares a common philosophy and core values with the Vicente Ferrer Foundation, which is essential when choosing your allies.

In July 2016 we started to support the Habitat project of the Vicente Ferrer Foundation, thus enabling the construction of homes for families belonging to the most disadvantaged sections of the Indian society and facilitating their access to dignified living conditions in a tiny village called Kogira, in the area of Penukonda, Madakasira region, in the country’s southeast. Getting involved in this home building project was a way of empowering women in India, given that the houses were registered in their names so that if they are abandoned by their husbands or widowed, no one can evict them from their homes, which unfortunately is a quite common occurrence in rural India.

After receiving the first report and the pictures showing the project’s implementation, we decided to renew our cooperation. However, we received a very unusual response from the Foundation, because Isabel Pizá told us: “Wait, before continuing your cooperation with us you need to travel to Anantapur to see the results of your solidarity first hand”. A few months later, a delegation from Grupo Ferrá flew to India in order to inaugurate the houses that we had built.

Getting to know and see the Foundation´s project with our own eyes, as well as the management transparency and everything else that we saw while on the ground was such a positive experience that it encouraged us to continue supporting the Vicente Ferrer Foundation and to remain at their side in the fight against the extreme poverty.

In July 2017 began new building work for the construction of houses in the village of Kanumpalli, in the Padini area, in northern Anantapur.

As an experience, what has it given you on a personal level?

The experience has been very enriching from all points of view, as well as an excellent opportunity for learning and transforming our company. Of course, it has also had quite a significant impact on a personal level, because getting in touch with other realities that are radically different from ours suddenly opens your eyes to new perspectives. It is not possible to see life again in the way that you did before.

Who has travelled to India on behalf of the Group?

Three members of the Grupo Ferrá team made the journey: Raquel Carrasco Barrio, Financial Director, Antoni Gurrera, Managing Director and me.

Will you continue this cooperation?

We have decided to renew our commitment with the Vicente Ferrer Foundation and, as I have mentioned earlier, we are participating in the construction of more houses that will restore dignity to the inhabitants of Kanumpalli. We are extremely proud to be able to make a contribution, however small, to give families in one of the poorest areas of southern India access to a better life, because what would be considered to be a fundamental right in our society for them is a real opportunity to escape extreme poverty.

Is this the first time that you have executed Corporate Social Responsibility project abroad? What is your Corporate Social Responsibility policy in the Balearic Islands?

We do not distinguish between global and local action. Our commitment as a company is to implement any guidelines and practices necessary that may lead to the achievement of economic, environmental and social balance. In this context, such a distinction would make no sense.

We have recently started cooperating with the company 3 Glops from Mallorca, dedicated to the occupational integration of persons with mental illness through a special employment centre. We have also cooperated with AEA Solidaria, an NGO created and managed by the staff of the airline Air Europa, by sending clothes to children at risk of social exclusion in the municipal district of Boca Chica, in the Dominican Republic.

Carmen Planas: “Providing a safe and healthy working environment is a key factor because companies are made up of people and if staff members are doing well, companies thrive.” 

Endesa, Meliá Hotels International, Angel 24 and Mac Insular were this edition’s finalists.

Palma, 22 June 2018. - The companies Sampol y Ferratur won the 7^th CAEB Awards for Good Business Practices in Occupational Health and Safety organised by the Confederation of Business Associations of the Balearic Islands (CAEB - Confederación de Asociaciones Empresariales de Baleares) in cooperation with the Spanish Foundation for the Prevention of Occupational Hazards (FSP - Fundación Estatal para la Prevención de Riesgos Laborales). The companies that have been named as finalists are the following (in alphabetical order): Endesa and Meliá Hotels International, in the category for “Companies with more than 200 employees” as well as Angel 24 and Mac Insular in the category for “Companies with 1 to 200 employees”.

The President of the CAEB has pointed out that “with these awards the CAEB wishes to recognise and highlight the efforts and hard work of the companies in the field of occupational risk prevention”. Carmen Planas congratulated the winners and finalists, stating that “providing a safe and healthy working environment is a key factor for companies to stay competitive because companies are made up of people and if staff members are doing well, companies thrive”.

Planas has also explained that “occupational safety and health is a value that the CAEB has championed and promoted for more than 18 years through a quite extensive effort in providing training, information, advice and support to the local business community”.

The event’s attendees included the Head of the Department of Health Promotion and Occupational Epidemiology of the National Institute of Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (INSSBT - Instituto Nacional de Seguridad, Salud y Bienestar en el Trabajo), Francisco Marqués; the head of the Social Security and Occupational Risk Prevention Service of the Confederation of Employers’ Organisations of Spain (CEOE - Confederación Española de Organizaciones Empresariales), Marina Gordón, and the General Director of Labour, Social Economy and Occupational Health  of the Regional Government of the Balearic Islands, Isabel Castro.

The two finals of the Mallorca Championships, of 250 ATP Tour category, organised by e|motion sports at the Mallorca Country Club of Santa Ponça, were held on Saturday the 1st of July. This year's Mallorca Championships, which as usual culminates the grass court tournament series preceding Wimbledon, has witnessed some thrilling victories and new achievements in the tennis world.

On the one hand, after a nerve-wracking final that lasted a little over 1 hour, US tennis player Christopher Eubanks, currently classified as the 77th worldwide tennis player, became the singles champion after defeating French player Adrian Mannarino, who holds the 43rd position on the world ranking. Eubanks, who is 27 years old, displayed a solid and dominant style throughout the tournament, taking advantage of his powerful serve to accumulate a total of 11 aces in the finals and more that 60 throughout the championship. 

With this victory, the young tennis player wins his 1st ATP title, which shall be milestone in this professional career and improves his position in the worldwide ranking. For his part, Mannarino, 35 years old, fought valiantly in the final, but could not withstand Eubanks’ relentless game. Even though he did not get the title, his remarkable intervention is proof of his prowess on the court and a confirmation of his position as one of the world’s best tennis players.

But the surprises did not end there. In the doubles competition, the Yuki Bhambri and Lloyd Harris doubles pair won the title at a thrilling final against the Robin Haase and Philipp Oswald pair with a result of 6-3, 6-4. This victory is the 1st doubles title for Bhambri and Harris, who could not conceal their happiness and satisfaction at this achievement.

After all this, together with Kyrgios’ sudden withdrawal due to injury, Tsitsipas’ and Shelton's defeats, Feliciano López’s emotional retirement from professional tennis, we could well say that this year's Mallorca Championships has left us a legacy of firsts and powerful emotions. We have had the privilege to witness a display of talent and first-rate tennis, where both Eubanks and the Bhambri/Harris doubles pair have showcased their talent and determination on the court, cementing their presence from now on in the Mallorca Championships’ record.

Grupo Ferrá would like to extend our most heartfelt congratulations both to the winners and to e|motion sports and the Mallorca Country Club for the flawless organisation of this tournament. We are very proud to have participated in this edition of the Mallorca Championships as its official sponsors.

For more information on the ATP 250 Mallorca Championships, click here.

Photography by: Mallorca Championships.

The great grass court tennis tournament where some of the best players prepare every year for Wimbledon is about to begin. Organised by e|motion sports, the ATP Mallorca Championships will take place from the 24th of June through the 1st of July at the Mallorca Country Club in Santa Ponsa and Grupo Ferrá has decided to participate as one of its official sponsors.

The last professional tournament that Feliciano López will play in Spain

Feliciano López, Nick Kyrgios and Ben Shelton have already confirmed their attendance and participation in this edition of the tournament that promises high levels of technical prowess, excitement and outstanding play on the grass courts. While the US player Shelton, acclaimed as one of the greatest tennis rising stars worldwide, will debut for the 1st time at the ATP Mallorca Championships, the Australian star Nick Kyrgios will take part in this tournament for the 2nd consecutive year and after having been a finalist in Wimbledon 2022. Even Toni Nadal, as the Tournament's Director, has highlighted this fact as an example of the growth of this sporting event as an "unmissable event to prepare for Wimbledon".

For his part, Spanish tennis legend Feliciano López will participate for the 3rd consecutive year in the ATP Mallorca Championships. This will be the last professional tennis tournament that López will play in Spain, a fact that he acknowledged during the tournament’s presentation at the International Travel Trade Fair in Berlin, also attended by the rest of the island's governmental institutions.

You may find the last news on the tournament by clicking here.

Mallorca Country Club: an ideal location for the build-up to Wimbledon

Created in partnership with Wimbledon, the Mallorca Country Club offers all the facilities required to guarantee the success of the ATP Mallorca Championships year after year. In addition to being the new mecca for lawn tennis in Southern Europe, this club has clay and hard tennis courts, paddle tennis courts, a gym and an haute cuisine restaurant.

Commitment to sustainability

With the goal of positioning itself as a prime example of the concept of a "Green Event", the ATP Mallorca Championships supports actions aiming at guaranteeing sustainability thanks to cooperation agreements with both public institutions and private sector partners. Some of these actions include: designing projects to avoid the use of bottled water at sporting events; maximising the generation of solar and photovoltaic energy at the club and for the event; promoting the sustainable mobility service through the use of electric and hybrid vehicles; integrating and promoting local products; and creating projects for the promotion and increased awareness of sustainability actions.

At Grupo Ferrá we are very familiar with the values of sportsmanship, commitment, respect, effort and persistence that are an integral part of tennis. Therefore, we are delighted to be supporting this 3rd edition of the tournament as official sponsors.

For more information on news, timetables and tournament tickets, click here.

Photography by: Mike Lawrence / Atp Tour 

The 2nd “Diario de Ibiza” Golf Tournament was held last Saturday the 22nd of April at the stunning facilities of the Club Golf Ibiza. 

78 players (members of the Golf Association) participated in this 2nd edition of the tournament and enjoyed an exclusive day playing golf under the Stableford individual format, an event that generated such interest that there was a waiting list until a few days before its start. During the competition, participants took part in events such as the Ladies and Gents Scratch, Handicap in different categories, the longest Drive and the Closest-to-the-pin.

Among the participants, we were honoured by the support given by Bernardino Jaume (President of the Balearic Islands Golf Association), Bartolomé Tous (Vice-President of the Balearic Islands Golf Association), Salvador Losa (Island Councillor for Sports and Finance) and Toni Ramon (Local councillor for Sports of Santa Eulària).

But that wasn't all. This year, the tournament also held a very special surprise for those who could make a Hole in One on the 16th Hole. Proa Group, the tournament’s co-sponsor, offered to gift a Mini Electric to whomever could achieve such a feat. This year no one managed to do so.

This is the ranking list for the 2nd “Diario de Ibiza” Golf Tournament, Grupo Ferrá trophy

After successfully completing all 18 holes, Mercedes Bonet won the Ladies Scratch with a score of 86 strokes, while Lucas Orsateli won the Gents Scratch with a total of 74 strokes. While all participants excelled in their game and exhibited perfect sportsmanship, the ranking list was finally as follows:

• Ladies Scratch: Mercedes Bonet
• Gents Scratch: Lucas Orsateli
• Longest Drive (ladies): Mercedes Bonet
• Longest Drive (gentlemen): Ignacio Oteo
• Closest-to-the-pin: Juan Lladó
• Handicap 1st mixed category, 1st ranked: Juanan Martínez
• Handicap 1st mixed category, 2nd ranked: Toni Massó
• Handicap 2nd mixed category, 1st ranked: José Vicente Máñez 
• Handicap 2nd mixed category, 2nd ranked: Nicola Alsen

Throughout the morning, players had the option to take a break at the Halfway, to cool down and recharge batteries with the finger food and drinks prepared by the catering company El Paladar. Other activities were also offered alongside the competition, such as the golf beginners’ workshop, which allowed anyone who wished to participate to get an introduction to this entertaining and exciting sport.

Networking cocktail, award ceremony and extra presents with a Premium raffle

Following the tradition established last year, the golf session culminated with a delicious cocktail and an award ceremony held at the Hoyo 19 restaurant, located within the premises of the Golf Ibiza club. There, the players had a chance to get to know each other and exchange views on the tournament, while they enjoyed the dishes prepared by the restaurant, a photo booth organised by Sonríe 123 (Fotomatón Ibiza) and the live music offered by Pure Ibiza Radio.

Without a doubt, this was a successful 2nd edition that allowed all participants to enjoy sports, nature and light entertainment, culminating with a final raffle offering prizes provided by the following partner firms: Aguas de Ibiza Grand Luxe Hotel, Restaurante Bon Lloc Ibiza, Sonríe 123 (Fotomatón Ibiza) and Clínica Dental Bustamente.

At Grupo Ferrá we would like to thank Diario de Ibiza for counting on us once more as official sponsors of such a special tournament in Ibiza. Together with us, Proa Group also participated as a co-sponsor for the event, represented by its brands Land Rover, BMV and Mini. 

Last but not least, we would also like to express our utmost gratitude to the entire team of Diario de Ibiza (coordinated by the Event & Relationship Manager Mariana Chacón) for their outstanding work, as well as to Golf Ibiza and all the professionals that contributed to turning this day into a huge success.

Photographs and video by: Toni Escobar, Diario de Ibiza.

The I One-Day Golf Tournament in Ibiza will be held on Saturday, the 22nd of April and at Grupo Ferrá we are proud to sponsor this outstanding tournament together with our co-sponsors BMW, Mini y Land Rover.

A day to enjoy golf and the unrivalled natural beauty of Ibiza

This outstanding sporting event will be played on the individual Stableford format with the Scratch Gents and Scratch Ladies categories. The prizes awarded on this competition will be as follows: 

Handicap 1st category, 1st place
Handicap 1st category, 2nd place
Handicap 2nd category, 1st place
Handicap 2nd category, 2nd place
Scratch ladies and gents
Longest drive - ladies
Longest drive - gents
Closest to the pin

After a morning practising your swing surrounded by golf lovers, you will enjoy a cocktail and an award ceremony that will be held from 15:00h at the same club.

The ceremony will end with a final raffle including all players present when it is held.

How to register

Places for this tournament are limited. Therefore, if you are looking forward to spending a relaxing day playing golf, organised by the Diario de Ibiza, we recommend that you register as soon as possible. The registration deadline is the 20th of April at 18:00hrs.

The registration fee is €25 for members of the Golf Ibiza Club and €50 for non-members and it includes a welcome package for each registered player.

Buggy 30€.

This 22nd of April at Grupo Ferrá we will be supporting all the players taking part in the tournament and… may the best player win! We hope that everyone enjoys this event!

For more information about the tournament and registration, please do not hesitate to contact the Golf Ibiza registration centre directly: 

info@golfibiza.com
971 196 052
www.golfibiza.com