The Junta de Extremadura has awarded the Extremadura Medal to the refrigeration and air conditioning sector, as essential activities during the state of alarm. This recognition is aimed at "essential workers during the state of alarm", who have not stopped at any time, in this case, to ensure the cold chain in services such as food, hospitals or telecommunications, among others.
The initiative to include the cold sector in this recognition has arisen from the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises Vegas Altas - La Serena (APYME) which, at the request of one of its associated companies, promoted the request for said concession to the refrigeration and air conditioning sector for its work of maintaining the cold chain. It is a recognition that is extended at the national level and thus contributes to giving visibility to a sector that has been fundamental during the Covid-19 pandemic and is essential for the development of modern societies.
The refrigeration and air conditioning sector in Spain impacts more than 50% of Spain's GDP through sectors that are driving forces of the economy such as the horeca, food, telecommunications and health, among others. The sector employs more than 20,000 professionals, who carry out their work in a diversified environment with great potential for development. It is a group of professionals who have demonstrated during the State of Alarm the great socio-economic value of the refrigeration industry as a whole.
AEFYT has been one of the associations that has supported this initiative together with other organizations in the cold sector such as Asofrío, CNI, AFEC and FECE; cold user associations, such as ASEDAS and ACES; and from companies such as Friex, Mitsubishi, Tewis and Pecomark; in addition, a good number of regional companies and institutions.
"We appreciate the explicit recognition of the Junta de Extremadura to the work that has been developed from the cold sector, fundamental for the functioning and development of any modern society, and we congratulate our colleagues in Extremadura for the initiative", said Manuel Lamúa, manager of AEFYT. "We consider it very necessary to achieve broad social recognition for our sector, which contributes to the development of a large part of the Spanish economy, as a way to attract talent and investments for it.”.
