Source: http://worldcityweb.com/home/MIA/publications/magazine/43/811/

Spanish Castles

by WC

South Floridas booming construction sector is presenting opportunities for Spanish construction and design companies.

Though she did not disclose the identity of the companies, Spanish Trade Commissioner Belen Cristino said that a number of Spanish businesses were interested in bidding on the Miami streetcar project.

Meanwhile, the Port of Miami tunnel proved attractive enough a prospect for Madrid-based Fomentos Construcciones y Contratas (FCC) to state its interest, according to a report published in Forbes magazine last month. FCC has just opened an office on Brickell Avenue.

Quoting La Gaceta de los Negocios, the magazine said that FCC and Actividades de Construccion y Servicios had lodged bids for the 40-year, multi-million dollar port tunnel job.

The boom in restaurants and hotels is fueling interest in the design sector and Grupo Kettal is one example of a company that is capitalizing on it.

The Barcelona-based outdoor furniture specialist opened up a Coral Gables showroom on Miracle Mile in January from and is selling to business hotels and restaurants. It moved from Minorca Avenue.

It has stores in Madrid, Marbella and Tarragona in Spain together with premises in Dusseldorf, Munich, Cannes, Paris, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
The five-employee-strong company, which has been looking for a space for more than two years, has received commissions from The Delano, the Four Seasons Miami and the Ritz-Carlton chain.

Barcelona provided another of the newer entrants to the interiors sector in South Florida.

The Roca Tile Group was founded in 1917 and now has a presence in more than 50 countries.

Last year, the company announced that it was moving its corporate headquarters from North Canton, Ohio, to Miami. The company plans to relocate in June to offices in Doral.

Another company to benefit from construction in Miami is Areas USA which opened a Miami office last year.

The hospitality company the worlds fourth largest operator of transit restaurants won one of the contracts to run operations at the new terminals at Miami International Airport. It also has a deal with Estefan Enterprises to operate its Bongos Cuban Caf brand across Mexico and South America.

The Barcelona-based company plans to recruit 130 staff by the end of 2009 and will operate in an Enterprise and Empowerment Zone.

Another infrastructure, if not construction, company that is in the process of making a South Florida landing is Biodiesel de Andalucia which is partnering with the Vecellio Group, out of Palm Beach.