Family Businesses in the Basque Country, a Social Asset to Be Preserved for the Development of the Region

  • Jose Miguel Lanzagorta AEFAME (Asociación de Empresa Familiar de Euskadi)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18543/bee.2823
Keywords: family business, economic development, Basque Country, social asset, embeddedness, ecosystem, legacy, governance

Abstract

Family businesses in the Basque Country are of vital importance to the Basque business fabric, representing 84% of said fabric and contributing significantly to employment and added value in the region. These companies, apart from their economic relevance, are characterized by their deep-rooted values, commitment to sustainability and distinctive management. The Basque Country’s Family Business Association (AEFAME) works to highlight their social value by promoting collaboration, developing a favorable ecosystem and designing an active governance. The continuity of these companies is ensured through attention to family governance and fostering entrepreneurial commitment among future generations. Collaboration with academic and governmental institutions is also pivotal to strengthen and sustain this business model embedded in the region, bolstering its sustainable development and contribution to social welfare.

Received 20 July 2023
Accepted: 11 October 2023

Author Biography

Jose Miguel Lanzagorta, AEFAME (Asociación de Empresa Familiar de Euskadi)

Born in Bilbao in 1967 and holds a degree in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Deusto, class of 1990. From 1990 to 1991 he studied for an MBA at IE Business School. José Miguel belongs to the second generation of the founding family of Iparvending Group, one of the main automatic food distribution groups in Spain, formed by Easy Vending, Nordisven, Vending 4, Veraco Vending, Servirreiner, Satvending Gesinor and Iparvending Centro Especial de Empleo, and whose main activity is the Vending, Water Fountains and Technical Service business. José Miguel Lanzagorta has been CEO of Iparvending Group since January 2015. He is currently CEO of ABC Logistic Group, a company specialising in logistics and national and international transport. He is also CEO of Corporación Financiera Lanca, the family holding company that groups together Inmobiliaria Lanca, as well as the rest of the industrial participants, and is also a director of Vicrila, Agrimac-Agria Hispania and trustee of the Iparvending Foundation (an initiative of the Lanzagorta Family that was created with the objectives of promoting healthy eating and encouraging the incorporation of people with disabilities into the labour market). Finally, in 2018 he became a member of the board of directors of AEFAME, the Family Business Association of the Basque Country, a non-profit organisation whose mission is to be an institutional, social, economic and academic benchmark for the reality of family businesses in the Basque Country. In July 2022, he was appointed president of AEFAME at the General Assembly, replacing Andrés Sendagorta. Since 2021, he has been a member of the board of directors and executive committee of CECOBI, and of the board of directors of CEBEK.

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Published
2024-03-25
How to Cite
Lanzagorta, Jose Miguel. 2024. “Family Businesses in the Basque Country, a Social Asset to Be Preserved for the Development of the Region”. Bulletin of Economic Studies 78 (234), 217-25. https://doi.org/10.18543/bee.2823.
Issue
Vol. 78 No. 234 (2023): Entrepreneurship and Family Business: A natural symbiosis
Section
Guest Authors

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