Costa Blanca

Ale-Hop is getting ready to expand internationally

While Ale-Hop is based in Dénia, its main office is now in the province of Valencia. The company is looking at many countries with the goal of settling down with its famous cow in the near future by opening new stores and starting new businesses in the countries where it came from, using the group’s current structure to its advantage. In 2024, the Clave Dénia company was accepted as a member of the Forum of Renowned Spanish Brands (FMRE) as a brand with high international potential. This “solidified its commitment to excellence and strengthened the image of Spain in the international market.” Ale-Hop is getting ready to reach new goals and horizons in the international arena. It is continuing to strengthen its place in the national market and is also starting to sell its products in international markets like Portugal, Croatia, and Italy.

The business group’s sales rose by 31% to 224 million in 2023, the most recent available financial year, and it had more than 300 places of sale, bringing them back to levels seen before the pandemic. Besides that, the business made a net profit of 41 million euros. That being said, the group’s tax payment, which was 61 million euros in 2023, also stands out. In the same year, the first Mondo Vesta store opened. It was 1,600 square meters and sold “furniture, decoration items, gifts, household goods, home goods, as well as perfumery and cosmetics items.” This was made possible by the creation of a new company through a holding company.

The goal for them was to keep opening more stores all the way through 2024. They brought their famous cow to Italy “in search of new pastures” with an Italian company in the group. This helped other projects outside of Italy. The Italian store had a good first year, but they were “satisfied with the turnover, although we need to continue learning and improving in different fields.”

Any way you look at it, not having to depend on banks gives them the freedom to grow and make investments without having to borrow money. The group also planned to put more money into solar energy in 2024 through the Grimalt Obras y Servicios company. They also planned to open 25 to 30 new stores, which would be run by one of the group’s companies based on where they were located.

Getting bigger in the province of Valencia

A lack of land for supplies caused the Grimalt family to move from Dénia to Bellreguard. Since then, the family has been growing in the province of Valencia. Indeed, they have already talked about the “Activa Safor” project, which will give the Ale-Hop group a place to store goods, work, and do study for their business. A deal was made between Grimalt Patrimonial (Ale-Hop) and the town councils of Gandia and Bellreguard in Valencia to study, run, and grow this long-term strategic investment project. So, it would include setting up and advertising a transportation platform, offices, and an R&D&I centre for Grimalt Patrimonial’s business activities at the point where the municipalities of Gandia and Bellreguard meet.

The Ale-hop company is building a strong, smart and long-lasting base to become a consolidated international giant. Its fourth storage centre, which is in the El Brosquil industrial estate in Oliva, fits into this picture. It adds the ones that are already there in Bellreguard, Ondara, and Pedreguer. It can be reached from the N-332, the Pego road, and the AP-7 link. All of them, mostly in La Safor and Marina Alta. The company finished building the warehouse last year. It covers 17,800 square meters, has 13 loading and unloading docks, and can hold 31,000 boxes. The warehouse is on a 30,000-square-meter plot of land.

Discover more from Costa Blanca Daily

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Related Topics:Denia Italy Portugal Valencia

Up Next

Government go-ahead for the environmental effect report to double the Torrevieja N-332

Don't Miss

Drag Ona was named Drag Queen of 2025 in Torrevieja

Click to comment

Costa Blanca

Every month Alicante records around fifty housing squatters

The number of home squatting cases in Spain is on the rise. In 2024, there were 16,426 occurrences of breaking and entering and usurping of properties nationwide, which is over 1,200 more than the previous year, according to data from the Ministry of the Interior.

It should be mentioned that these statistics only include cases that have been reported to the State Security Forces and Corps. They show that there are, on average, 45 unlawful squattings across Spain every day, with Catalonia—and particularly Barcelona—at the top of the list. In actuality, this represents 42% of all instances, whilst the Valencian Community, the third autonomous region with the greatest prevalence, does not surpass 11% of all cases.

According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, Alicante is likewise highly ranked. The province of Alicante ranks sixth in terms of the number of usurpation and breaking and entering reports, while being far from Barcelona’s 5,077 squats.

This means that in 2024, there were 687 home squattings in the province of Alicante, which is greater than in places like the Balearic Islands, Malaga, Las Palmas, Seville, or Murcia. Although last year’s number is lower than that of 2022, when the historical series’ maximum was attained, the province has reported 68 more cases than in 2023.

The growth data is exponential if we consider how this phenomenon has changed over the past ten years. Squatter populations have increased by 245% since 2014, with an average of 1.88 squatters per day in the province—far less than the average of 14 squatters per day in Barcelona.

In 2024, 246 persons were detained or looked into for crimes linked to breaking and entering and usurping property, 253 people were victims, and 495 cases of these crimes were resolved, according to data from the Ministry of the Interior.

As for national data, for the first time the barrier of 11,000 people investigated or arrested for ‘squatting’ in Spain was surpassed, an increase of 17.7% compared to 2023, according to data compiled by Idealista. It is striking that in the case of Barcelona there are more people arrested and investigated than cases of ‘squatting’, with 5,686.

Verbal proceedings for illegal occupation of homes are also increasing. According to data from the General Council of the Judiciary, the Valencian Community recorded 18.7% of all such cases in Spain between January and September, making it the second autonomous region with the highest number.

Discover more from Costa Blanca Daily

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Costa Blanca

Alcoy hopes to use drones for local security

In an effort to capitalise on the potential of these unmanned aircraft to improve city security and emergency response, the Alcoy City Council is advancing the establishment of a dedicated Local Police unit in drones. In order to achieve this, the Security Department already has a functioning drone and a number of personnel are undergoing the necessary training.

In accordance with this plan, a municipal delegation comprising the Alcoy Local Police superintendent Carlos Martín, the councillor for Police, Emergencies, and Civil Protection Raül Llopis, the agent Pablo Aura, the Department of Emergencies and Civil Protection technician Quique Blanes, and the Department of Innovation representative Pedro J. Ramiro attended a conference yesterday in Benidorm that addressed the use of drones and artificial intelligence. The event showcased the possibilities of these technologies in urban settings by executing the first simultaneous flight of an air taxi and multiple unmanned aircraft in Europe. The purpose of the gathering was to network with other local governments and organisations that focus on creating cutting-edge drone solutions.

The significance of this endeavour to modernise municipal services was emphasised by Councillor Raül Llopis. “We are developing a cutting-edge city concept in which technology enhances emergency response and security. Another step in this regard is the establishment of this drone unit within the Local Police, which will enable us to respond to urgent circumstances more swiftly and efficiently,” he stated.

This project is being developed in collaboration with the University of Alicante, the Polytechnic University of Valencia, and the Department of Emergencies and Innovation. Alcoi is taking part in a comprehensive study on the use of unmanned aircraft to deliver emergency and hospital services in complicated orographic contexts, like the city and its hospital region, as part of this framework. This project aims to assess the operational feasibility of drones in emergency response and healthcare, with a seventy percent subsidy from the Valencian Agency for Innovation-IVACE+I.

The project’s goal is to assess the use of drones for remote patient communication in emergency scenarios, the location of missing persons, the immediate transfer of defibrillators in cases of cardiac arrest, and the delivery of medical equipment in remote places with limited access. Additionally, its use in search and rescue, natural environment surveillance, and forest fire control are taken into consideration in the sphere of civil protection.

Llopis has emphasised how this initiative can improve Alcoy’s emergency response and medical services. “We are confronted with a life-saving technical advancement. The ability to rely on drones to deliver medical supplies or help locate individuals in danger will greatly enhance emergency response. To ensure the highest level of rigour in the construction of this system, we also work with universities and other expert entities,” he said.

This project’s development is a component of the Alcoi Urban Sandbox, an innovation area where various drone and AI-based solutions will be evaluated. With a projected completion date of the second half of 2026, the project is presently at the draughting stage.

Discover more from Costa Blanca Daily

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Costa Blanca

Two hurt in A-31 traffic accident in Elda

Two people have been hurt in a traffic accident on the A-31 near Elda today. After a car veered off the road, the Alicante Provincial Fire Consortium sent out personnel together with SVB and SAMU units to respond to the incident.

While one of the injured was able to escape on his own, the other had to be extricated from the car and sent to the Alicante General Hospital via medical helicopter.

Traffic in the area has been stopped by the Civil Guard to allow for the helicopter’s landing and rescue operations. The intervention was carried out by a Heavy Urban Fire Brigade (BUP), a Command and Leadership Unit (UMJ), and a Various Rescue Van (FSV). The crew consisted of three firefighters from the Elda station, a sergeant, and a corporal.