ALICANTE. The coronavirus pandemic altered the plans that countless companies had drawn up for 2020, especially in sectors not related to food. Among those that could not escape the impact of the pandemic and its restrictions is the furniture company from Alicante Active, a true benchmark for the sector in the province, which saw its income and net income decline in 2020. Despite everything, Castalla’s signature kept the numbers black in one of the worst financial years since the previous crisis.
This is reflected in the annual accounts of Actiu for the 2020 financial year, deposited in the Mercantile Registry and consulted by alicante square. According to the accounts, Actiu Berbegal y Formas invoiced 64.27 million euros in 2020, almost 30% less than a year before, when its turnover reached 90.11 million euros. The drop in business was offset by the reduction in the cost of supplies and other operating expenses, but on the other hand, personnel expenses increased to 14 million, so that Actiu’s operating profit fell by less than halffrom 12.7 to 5.7 million.
The financial result, in turn, worsened compared to the year before the pandemic, as there were no extraordinary income from disposals, so that the net result at the end of the year fell 80% compared to 2019. With everything, Actiu managed to maintain the benefit, although very reduced, and did not enter losses as a result of the covid. According to the accounts, the company scored a positive result of 1.5 million euros after taxes, compared to 8.3 million in 2019.
The management report attached to the accounts explains the drop in income due to the pandemic and highlights how the containment of operating expenses made it possible to show a positive result despite everything. Likewise, it indicates that in the first half of 2021 the measures adopted after the pandemic made it possible to improve income, which together with the financial strength of society “allows overcome without too much difficulty the current situation”. The report also highlights the investment of 11 million carried out during 2020 in the improvement of processes and new designs, and the implementation of the new technology platform of Actiu that came into operation in 2021.
Actiu, a second-generation family business (it was founded in 1954 by Vicent Berbegal) currently employs 450 employeesand its forecasts for 2022 point to invoice 85 million euros, so that it would practically return to pre-pandemic figures. In addition to sales to Spain, the Castalla firm exports its design furniture to 90 countries. Faced with the trend at the beginning of the century to relocate production, Actiu opted for the territory and kept all manufacturing within a radius of 20 kilometers around Castalla, using the know-how of the auxiliary plastics, upholstery and aluminum who previously worked for the toy industry.
