Outside the Netherlands, Spain is Getronics NV’s most important market, where it trades under the names of Diode Espana SA, Madrid, Ready Systems SA and Gematica SA, both based in Barcelona. The computer and electrical engineering group has about 200 employees in both Spain and Portugal, but generates about 15% of total sales and profits in Spain alone. President of Getronics, A H J Risseeuw says that Spain warrants particular attention because it has one of the highest growth rates in Europe, even though this has slowed over the past two years or so. His main aim is to develop services and consultancy in the country, possibly by acquisition, although he refused to be drawn on a timescale. He has about $45m to finance such acquisitions, but says he prefers to develop the company internally. Risseeuw also sees maintenance and optical fibre installation as possible growth areas.
