PONS has been one of the five finalist companies for the 11th Catalonia International Award for Catalan Business Projection. The award was presented on September 30, 2026, at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, as part of the 39th edition of the PIMEC Awards, at an event presided over by the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, before 1,250 attendees.
The award went to Druids, a company from L'Ametlla del Vallès that manufactures machinery and technology for producing wire and exports nearly 95% of its output. Our congratulations to their team and their CEO, Raimon Pérez Soldevila.
What this award recognizes
The Catalonia International Award for Business Projection distinguishes companies that project Catalonia abroad with an image of excellence and contribute to its international reputation. It is granted by Catalunya Internacional, a consortium formed by 38 entities. One of them is PIMEC, the association for small and medium-sized enterprises, which organizes the PIMEC Awards.
Along with PONS and Druids, the list of finalists was completed by De La Mur, a bag and textile product manufacturer from Granollers; Indústries Preciber, from Reus, specializing in micro-turning for the electronics industry; and Joguines Grapat, from Cabanes, which makes wooden toys. The Secretary General of PIMEC, Josep Ginesta, presented each finalist with their certificate of accreditation.
PONS was the only agri-food company on the list. For us, that has a specific meaning: Lleida olive oil is also part of the conversation on how Catalonia is projected to the world.
A projection that starts in the field
From Lleida, the Pons family has been exporting continuously for over 50 years to markets on five continents. For more than 25 years, it has operated directly in the United States through Casa Pons USA, its subsidiary in Parsippany (New Jersey).
PONS was the only agri-food company among the five finalists.
This journey is sustained by controlling every phase. On our estates in Lleida, we cultivate the varieties for JANIROC, our line of single-varietal products from our own estates: Arbequina, Lecciana, and Koroneiki. The olives arrive at the biotechnological mill (Mill 4.0), inaugurated in 2023, less than 30 minutes after leaving the tree. There, it is cold-extracted at below 27 °C, and each batch is analyzed to adjust the process for subsequent batches of the same variety within the campaign.
The 2026 harvest is already underway. What is decided in the field during these weeks is what our customers will find in the bottle in each of their markets.
Four generations, the same criteria
PONS was founded in 1945. Today it is led by Eduard Pons, the fourth generation of the family, with a team of about 120 professionals. In these 81 years, almost everything has changed: the scale, the markets, and the technology.
What has not changed is the way we work. Knowing what happens in each plot and in each batch before giving it a name in another country. That is the projection recognized by an award like this, and the one we want to continue building with our distributors in each market.
Next stop: SIAL Paris 2026
From October 17th to the 21st, we will be at SIAL Paris, in Hall 2, booth R-159. If you are an importer, distributor, or specialized retail buyer, book a meeting with our export team.
Source: official press release from Catalunya Internacional (October 1, 2026).