COMSA
Encyclopedia
Grupo COMSA is a Spanish construction and infrastructure company whose main business historically has been railway infrastructure work. Later the business expanded into more general construction and infrastructure work.
Since the 1990s the group has diversified into other business areas,
The majority of the group's employees were in Spain, with ~40% in other countries - the two other main areas by employee number being Australia and Poland.
In July 2009 Grupo Comsa and Emte SA (Estudios, Montajes y Tendidos Eléctricos) merged to form COMSA EMTE.
(Tarragona
). By 1930, the company became a public company and moved its headquarters from Reus to Barcelona
. By the 1940s, the company had expanded into the general civil engineering field - building bridges, buildings and roads. By the 1980s, the company had expanded from its base in Catalonia
having projects in Asturias
, Andalusia
, Galicia and Castile and León
, and had also entered the real estate and aggregates businesses. The 1990s brought further diversification as well as the beginnings of an international presence with a subsidiary Fergrupo in Portugal
.
In Spain COMSA carried out all aspects of railway building from the planning stage to construction and maintenance; high profile projects included work on the infrastructure of the high speed Asturias
link and Vitoria-Bilbao
line. Other work included the construction of sidings for manufacturing companies including BASF
, Ford Espania
, Repsol Butano
and Volkswagen
, rolling stock shed and workshop construction, and electrification projects.
In the general construction field the group carried out road, bridge, industrial, public and office building projects, as well as water infrastructure, harbour and airport construction.
Additionally through subsidiaries under the umbrella organisation COMSA Medio Ambiente the company was involved in waste water and industrial and urban waste management, recycling, hazardous waste management, as well as being involved in renewable energy projects - including wind farm, photovoltaic and biodigestion technologies.
was set up in 2002 and was the first private company in Spain to acquire a license for the de-monopolised rail system. A subsidiary operated in Poland as 'Fer Polska'.
The firm GMF (Gestíon de Maquinaria Ferroviaria) managed the groups rolling stock including the track infrastructure equipment (track tampers etc).
Since the 1990s the group has diversified into other business areas,
The majority of the group's employees were in Spain, with ~40% in other countries - the two other main areas by employee number being Australia and Poland.
In July 2009 Grupo Comsa and Emte SA (Estudios, Montajes y Tendidos Eléctricos) merged to form COMSA EMTE.
Comsa
The groups beginnings can be traced back to 1891 when railway employee José Miarnau Navás set up company to carry out railway infrastructure work in ReusReus
Reus is the capital of the comarca of Baix Camp, in the province of Tarragona, in Catalonia, Spain. The area has always been an important producer of wines and spirits, and gained continental importance at the time of the Phylloxera plague...
(Tarragona
Tarragona
Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona...
). By 1930, the company became a public company and moved its headquarters from Reus to Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. By the 1940s, the company had expanded into the general civil engineering field - building bridges, buildings and roads. By the 1980s, the company had expanded from its base in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
having projects in Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
, Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, Galicia and Castile and León
Castile and León
Castile and León is an autonomous community in north-western Spain. It was so constituted in 1983 and it comprises the historical regions of León and Old Castile...
, and had also entered the real estate and aggregates businesses. The 1990s brought further diversification as well as the beginnings of an international presence with a subsidiary Fergrupo in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
Company structure and activities
The main railway and infrastructure businesses within Spain were organised within the company COMSA Empresa Constructora.In Spain COMSA carried out all aspects of railway building from the planning stage to construction and maintenance; high profile projects included work on the infrastructure of the high speed Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
link and Vitoria-Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
line. Other work included the construction of sidings for manufacturing companies including BASF
BASF
BASF SE is the largest chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Germany. BASF originally stood for Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik . Today, the four letters are a registered trademark and the company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange, and Zurich Stock...
, Ford Espania
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
, Repsol Butano
Repsol YPF
Repsol YPF, S.A. is an integrated Spanish oil and gas company with operations in 29 countries...
and Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
, rolling stock shed and workshop construction, and electrification projects.
In the general construction field the group carried out road, bridge, industrial, public and office building projects, as well as water infrastructure, harbour and airport construction.
Additionally through subsidiaries under the umbrella organisation COMSA Medio Ambiente the company was involved in waste water and industrial and urban waste management, recycling, hazardous waste management, as well as being involved in renewable energy projects - including wind farm, photovoltaic and biodigestion technologies.
Logistics
COMSA Rail TransportCOMSA Rail Transport
COMSA Rail Transport is a subsidiary of the COMSA EMTE Group, was created in 2002 by Grupo COMSA to provide comprehensive logistics services, rail freight and passenger.-History:...
was set up in 2002 and was the first private company in Spain to acquire a license for the de-monopolised rail system. A subsidiary operated in Poland as 'Fer Polska'.
The firm GMF (Gestíon de Maquinaria Ferroviaria) managed the groups rolling stock including the track infrastructure equipment (track tampers etc).
Other business activities
- Through 'IOSA Inmuebles' and 'Tamisa Hotels' the group undertook its real estate and hotelling businesses respectively
- The 'CUMESA' and 'Ubladesa' companies were involved in quarrying/mining of aggregates
- 'TRAVIPOS' - a joint venture with Rail.One GmbH produced precast concrete sleepers and other structures for the rail industry.
- 'TAMISA Agrícola' is the groups agricultural division - producing olive oil and wine.
International operations
Subsidiaries were operated in Poland, Portugal, Argentina, Australia and Chile:Argentina
The rail infrastructure subsidiary COMSA de Argentina was created in 1994.Australia
COMSA had a 40% shareholding in 'MVM Rail Pty Ltd' (along with Macmahon Holding @ 60%) - the company undertakes most aspects of railway infrastructure work including signalling and overhead cable installation. Outside Australia MVM worked on rail projects in South-East Asian countries. The company was founded in 1992 by COMSA and Valditerra of Italy.Poland
COMSA owned a majority share in the three subsidiaries that make up the company Trakcja Polska:- PKRE - involved out the design and implementation of railway electrical power systems.
- PKRiI (Przedsiębiorstwo Robót Kolejowych i Inżynieryjnych SA) The companies' main line of business was the groundwork for and installation of railway track and associated infrastructure.
- PRK7 (Przedsiębiorstwo Robót Komunikacyjnych 7 S.A) became part of Trakcja Polska in 2007; the company specialises in public building construction and in rail and tramway creation and repair.