MAXAM
MAXAM, award to the Internationalization in the XXI Executive Awards
2011.04.14
Press room - News - MAXAM, award to the Internationalization in the XXI Executive Awards
This well-known publication recognizes the globalization process developed by the company in only ten years.
Since 1990, the Executive magazine distinguishes the successful path of Spanish companies and executives in thirteen categories. One of them is the Internationalization, with which the Jury of this XXI edition has decided to award MAXAM with. This is a recognition to the successful management that the company has led. In verily a decade, MAXAM has gone from a company focused only on the Spanish market, to consolidate itself as a global leader within their areas of activity.
MAXAM is the second global company in the sector of civil explosives (MAXAM Civil Explosives), the main manufacturer of cartridges, sports ammunition and hunting gunpowder (MAXAM Outdoors), the first Spanish company in the defense sector (MAXAM Defence), a powerful producer of chemical raw materials (MAXAM Chem) and withholds an innovating project in the subject of renewable energies parting from their own resources (MAXAM Chem).
MAXAM’s history goes back nearly 140 years. It all began in 1872 when Alfred Nobel founded in Bilbao the Sociedad Anónima Española de la Pólvora Dinamita.
1990-2011
In the last two decades MAXAM has gone through an intense transformation. In 1992 MAXAM was called Unión Española de Explosivos, in those days subsidiary of the newly created ERCROS, operating 100% in Spain. It was then when the phase of adjustment and transformation began, followed by an international expansion mainly developed between the years 2000 and 2007. Thanks to this, MAXAM has become an industrial group with manufacturing installations in over forty countries and commercializing in over a hundred, 6000 employees spread throughout the five continents, and with a turnover of 885 M€ in last year’s exercise, (75% from international markets).
The key to the success of this process resides in the principles of their management; credibility, flexibility, coherence and clear rules, joint efforts and internal communication. Here are some examples of the steps taken:
- Organizing MAXAM by business units: Civil Explosives, Outdoors, Defence, Chem and Energy: positioning the company’s activity, and by differentiating them through their products and services.
- Establishing strategic agreements for the supply of raw materials (e.g. ammonium nitrate).
- Strengthening the internal structure of R&D to become pioneers in the technological “state of the art” and being independent regarding our competitors.
MAXAM’s globalization has been a process parallel to the world’s economy. As the multilateral agreements between nations and the establishment of supranational markets established themselves, the international commerce was boosted and opened to the markets, in addition, making necessary the need to obtain more resources. This is how the mining activity multiplied worldwide with the exploitation of potential deposits in various locations such as the Amazons, Siberia or Mongolia. At the same time, MAXAM modernized technologically and adapted to this situation to successfully attend the demands of the greatest mining corporations. The aim: to foresee anticipate their needs and help them increase their production.
This is how the activity and layout of MAXAM reached Australia, South Africa, Ghana, Bolivia, USA, and spread throughout Europe reaching countries such as Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan. This continues to be done today, so far, with Peru, Turkey or Papua New Guinea.
The success of this internationalization process resides in two aspects. To begin with, the compromise of the management team, starting with the figure of their President, José Fernando Sánchez-Junco Mans. The main shareholder of MAXAM belongs to a stable group of over one hundred employees represented by their chief executive, and are completed by two private equity firms.
The second are the principles of action, corporate policies, within the subjects of quality, security, prevention of occupational health & safety and environment, thsat surpass the legal requirements. These are the guidelines that seal a sustainable management, a way to behave and develop an industrial, economic and social role – also through the MAXAM Foundation- of a company that develops products and services aimed to contribute to the welfare and development of the society as a whole.
MAXAM is a service and industrial group that operates on a global scale, by developing, manufacturing and commercializing civil explosives and initiation systems for mining, quarries and infrastructures; cartridges, sports ammunition and hunting gunpowder for sports use; and products for the defense industry. Likewise, they are suppliers of key raw materials for the nitro chemical activity, for MAXAM’s own internal needs, as for the commercialization to third parties. Finally, MAXAM offers their clients a series of solutions in the field of safety and environment. This is a result of their technological development in these areas.
MAXAM has a turnover of approximately 1000 M€ and are present in the main mining areas of the world, with manufacturing sites in over 40 countries and sales in over 100 in the five continents – and with over a total of 6000 employees.
MAXAM’s complete offer to companies and markets where it operates, integrates high tech products of superior quality and security and the most complete technical advice, contributing with all this to the continuous improvement of the services given to their clients. Their vast international presence and respect for the environment, their endless efforts in research and patronage work, make off MAXAM an active company, engaged with the progress and development of the society and the environment that surrounds us.
MAXAM´s Chairman is given de award by
Javier Bartolomé, Chairman of Wincor Nixford.
