Uralita started operations at the beginning of the twentieth century, when in 1907 it was one of the first European companies to introduce a new building material that was to revolutionise the construction industry: fibre cement.
In the 1950s Uralita began using plastic as a construction material, and in the 1970s it started producing concrete tiles. From 1985 this was complemented by ceramic roof tiles and agreements with UK producer REDLAND®, which has since been absorbed by Lafarge Group.
In 1977 Uralita introduced Spain to a new interior wall system that was already widespread in the US: plasterboard. Uralita, through its PLADUR® brand, is the Iberian market leader in sales of this material today. The 1970s also saw Uralita breaking into sectors from which it has now withdrawn, such as paints, plastic containers, sanitary ware and flat ceramic roof tiles.
In the second half of the1980s and in the 1990s, Uralita’s major strategic move was internationalisation, mainly into Spain’s neighbouring countries (Portugal and France).
In 1988 Uralita acquired Poliglas, gaining access to the insulation market. In 2002 it acquired the insulation business of the German company Pfleiderer AG, which provided a platform for expansion into Eastern Europe and Russia.
At the end of 2002, the Nefinsa group, owned by the Serratosa family, acquired 45.7% of the company. The arrival of the new strategic shareholder led to the launch of the Strategic Plan for 2004-2006, which identified businesses with better future prospects in terms of growth and profitability: insulation, gypsum, roof tiles and pipes. The company disposed of the other businesses in which it was present over the 2003-2005 period. Having successfully implemented its 2004-2006 Strategic Plan, Uralita unveiled its new strategic plan for 2007-2009 at the end of 2006, whose main objective is to achieve profitable growth.
2007 was a milestone in the history of Uralita Group marking its 100th anniversary. Various initiatives were carried out over the course of the year to celebrate this landmark. These included the creation of a new logo, a communications plan to bolster Uralita’s position as an active cornerstone of society and the move to new corporate offices.
In September 2007 Uralita announced a key change in its strategy. Although the construction materials business will continue to play a central role, in order to ensure value creation for shareholders, Uralita will look at the possibility of entering other industries.
To provide an exit route for shareholders who do not wish to take part in this new stage in Uralita’s development, Nefinsa launched a new takeover bid, gaining control of 79.1% of the company.