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| New blood: Grifols delivers jobs transfusion for Spain | New blood: Grifols delivers jobs transfusion for Spain |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Spain may have one of the highest levels of unemployment in Europe, but not everywhere is devoid of jobs. In the town of Parets del Vallés, near Barcelona, Grifols has one of its largest plants and almost single-handedly improves the employment data for the region. | Spain may have one of the highest levels of unemployment in Europe, but not everywhere is devoid of jobs. In the town of Parets del Vallés, near Barcelona, Grifols has one of its largest plants and almost single-handedly improves the employment data for the region. |
| Everything at the company, which makes products based on human blood, runs with the precision of a Swiss watch. | Everything at the company, which makes products based on human blood, runs with the precision of a Swiss watch. |
| The temperature is adjusted independently in each room, along with the air pressure, so that when a door is opened the air rushes out of the room and dust is unable to travel in. Masked staff in white coats, caps, gloves and glasses carry bags of blood and transparent liquids. | The temperature is adjusted independently in each room, along with the air pressure, so that when a door is opened the air rushes out of the room and dust is unable to travel in. Masked staff in white coats, caps, gloves and glasses carry bags of blood and transparent liquids. |
| The business has 11,230 employees around the world, 650 of them at the Catalan site, and turns over €2.3bn (£1.8bn) a year. | The business has 11,230 employees around the world, 650 of them at the Catalan site, and turns over €2.3bn (£1.8bn) a year. |
| When WikiLeaks published a list of interests that the US government considered of strategic importance on the Iberian peninsula, there were just three items: the strait of Gibraltar, the gas pipeline to Algeria and Grifols. | When WikiLeaks published a list of interests that the US government considered of strategic importance on the Iberian peninsula, there were just three items: the strait of Gibraltar, the gas pipeline to Algeria and Grifols. |
| The company knows where its appeal lies: patents, innovation and exclusive processes – and, it says, its commitment to training. Grifols fishes in a variety of pools for its talent. In 2011, it doubled its workforce by buying Talecris and taking on the workers at its 67 plasma donation centres. In total, 2,390 of its workers are in Spain, 8,342 are in the wider EU, and 498 are spread out around the rest of the globe. | The company knows where its appeal lies: patents, innovation and exclusive processes – and, it says, its commitment to training. Grifols fishes in a variety of pools for its talent. In 2011, it doubled its workforce by buying Talecris and taking on the workers at its 67 plasma donation centres. In total, 2,390 of its workers are in Spain, 8,342 are in the wider EU, and 498 are spread out around the rest of the globe. |
| Grifols researchers come from many universities and qualifications in medicine, biology, pharmacology, chemistry and engineering are indispensable. "But don't forget," said a spokesman, "we use production processes. Most of our staff have professional [rather than academic] qualifications." | Grifols researchers come from many universities and qualifications in medicine, biology, pharmacology, chemistry and engineering are indispensable. "But don't forget," said a spokesman, "we use production processes. Most of our staff have professional [rather than academic] qualifications." |
| In Spain, Grifols operations are based in Parets del Vallés and Las Torres de Cotillas in Murcia. They involve delicate processes rather than industrial assembly lines or conveyor belts, so the company needs skilled workers – but blood derivatives do not figure on any college syllabus. For this reason, the company provides a final, brief stage of training in academies of its own, which it opened in 2009 in the US and in 2011 in Spain. According to the spokesman, Grifols ran 26,611 courses last year, which translates into 260,791 hours of training – 30 hours for each employee. | In Spain, Grifols operations are based in Parets del Vallés and Las Torres de Cotillas in Murcia. They involve delicate processes rather than industrial assembly lines or conveyor belts, so the company needs skilled workers – but blood derivatives do not figure on any college syllabus. For this reason, the company provides a final, brief stage of training in academies of its own, which it opened in 2009 in the US and in 2011 in Spain. According to the spokesman, Grifols ran 26,611 courses last year, which translates into 260,791 hours of training – 30 hours for each employee. |
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