Victor Grifols selected as "Business Leader of the Year 2011" by the Spain - U.S. Chamber of Commerce

BARCELONA, Spain, Dec. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Victor Grifols Roura, president and managing director of Grifols, has been selected as the "Business Leader of the Year 2011" by the Spain – U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the premier forum fostering commercial, economic and industrial relations between Spain and the United States. This award, given annually, recognizes the professional career of business leaders who stand out in their industries, as well as their contribution to the globalization of the economy. In the case of Victor Grifols, his leadership as sales manager of Grifols since 1979, and as president and managing director since 1987 has driven the transition of Grifols and allowed it to grow from a family company to the third largest producer of plasma protein therapies worldwide.

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The award will be presented by Angeles Gonzalez Sinde, Minister of Cultural Affairs of the Government of Spain during the gala dinner that will take place on December 6th, 2011 at the Hotel Pierre in New York, and attendees will include notable political and business figures from both Spain and the United States.

Victor Grifols Roura studied Business Science at the University of Barcelona and joined Grifols in 1973. A man of great strategic and commercial vision, as the Commercial Director he was the architect of the restoration of Grifols' sales network in Spain. Additionally, as managing director, he was responsible for the in-depth reorganization of the company that allowed it to establish the basis for the multinational group that Grifols is today.

For Victor Grifols, international expansion has always been and continues to be essential to ensure the growth of his organization. In 1988 he opened the company's first international subsidiary in Portugal, inaugurating the process of progressive expansion of Grifols in other markets, whose first objective was Latin America, though entrance into the United States market was always the long-term goal.

During the 1990's the international expansion of the group took off, and one of the decisive factors of this was the acquiring of two Food & Drug Administration licenses in 1995: the Establishment License for the production plant in Parets del Valles (Barcelona, Spain), and the Product License for its product, Albumin.

In 1998, Miami was designated as the site for the first American subsidiary of Grifols, with Central America and the Caribbean as its principal areas of influence, followed by Argentina and Chile in 1991. The disappearance of the Soviet Bloc in 1992 created the opportunity for a new subsidiary in the Czech Republic, and the following year, Mexico was chosen as the next country for expansion.

In 1997, European expansion began through acquisitions. The purchase of subsidiaries of Alpha Therapeutic Corporation in the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy permitted a rapid penetration into those markets and generated enough confidence for the company to leap to the United States, a world leader in the blood derivatives sector. In the years 2002 and 2003, two acquisitions planted the roots of Grifols in the US: the purchase of SeraCare, that ensured the supply of raw materials through the expansion of its plasma acquisition centers, and a large part of the assets of Alpha Therapeutic Corporation, including its plasma division and protein purification plants for the in Los Angeles.

Presently, Grifols maintains a strong presence on the North American market and the internationalization of the group has translated into a global commercial presence including more than 90 countries with direct subsidiaries in 24.

In addition to the process of internationalization, Victor Grifols has been a key player in some of the milestones that have most influenced the success of the company. His broad experience and deep understanding of the plasma protein therapy industry, and strong belief in a job well done has allowed Grifols to adopt some of the decisions that have marked its course. Among these decisions are the company's choice to go public in 2006 and the recent purchase of Talecris, and the group continues to maintain the support and backing of its shareholders, institutional as well as individual.

With Victor Grifols as president, Grifols has converted into one of the Spanish corporations with the largest presence in the United States, where, after its recent acquisitions, the organization generates around 60% of its revenue and employs over 8,000 workers. Victor Grifols has always maintained a strong relationship with the North American market and a large part of the group's investments have been focused in this geographic area. Between 2002 and 2011, the company invested approximately five billion dollars, including direct inversions of capital (CAPEX), resources destined for research, development, innovation and other diverse acquisitions. Additionally, Grifols has announced that it will dedicate more than $720 million to direct capital investments in North America by the year 2015.

About the Spain – U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Founded in 1959, the Spain-U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Inc., is the premier forum fostering business and commerce between Spain and the United States. Headquartered in New York City, the Chamber is a private nonprofit membership organization dedicated to serving American and Spanish businesses.

The Spain-U.S. Chamber of Commerce represents some of the most influential companies from the Spanish and American communities with the mission of providing the highest quality services to its members, putting the most effective strategic tools within their reach to increase the competitiveness of their businesses.

About Grifols
Grifols is a world-leading healthcare company. Its commitment to an ongoing research program will improve how patients are cared for, and also benefit society as a whole.

Since its founding in Barcelona (Spain) in 1940, Grifols' aim has been to produce new healthcare solutions based on the therapeutic properties of plasma-derived proteins. Its capacity to innovate and our strong ethical values place it at the forefront of the international biopharmaceutical industry.

Present in more than 90 countries worldwide and with sales subsidiaries in 24 different countries, it is currently the third largest producer of plasma protein therapies worldwide in terms of capacity and the first European company in the sector, with a diversified and well-balanced range of products.

Since 2006, Grifols ordinary (Class A) shares are quoted on the Spanish Continuous Market, and since 2008 they are listed on the IBEX-35 index (GRF). Additionally, since June 2011, Grifols non-voting (Class B) shares are also listed on the Continuous Market (GRF.P), and in the United States on NASDAQ (GRFS) through ADRs (American Depositary Receipts).

In the years to come, the group will reinforce its leadership in the industry as a vertically integrated company thanks to investments it has already made and those that it is planning to realize. Additionally, Grifols places great importance on its research and development activity, which is focused on discovering solutions and therapies for people affected by plasma protein deficiencies, and on finding new therapeutic indications for plasma derived proteins. An excellent example of this is the new clinical study for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Grifols Facts

• Grifols markets and distributes products in more than 90 countries
• Grifols' subsidiaries operate directly in 24 countries
• Around 11,500 people are employed by Grifols throughout the world
• 75% of Grifols workforce is in the United States
• Production facilities are located in the United States, Spain, Australia and Switzerland
• Approximately 2,200 million euros in revenue
• Well-balanced and diversified range of products: 53% of all income from the United States, 26% from Europe, 7% from Canada and 14% from the rest of the world
• The maximum number of plasma products is obtained from each liter of plasma: Intravenous Immunoglobulin –IVIG- (46%), albumin (10%), factor VIII (9%) alpha-1 antitrypsin (12%) and others (21%)
• Grifols operates 147 donation centers for plasma collection in the United States
• Between 4% and 5% of Grifols' revenue is allocated to a significant number of R+D projects.
  

DISCLAIMER

The facts and figures contained in this report which do not refer to historical data are "projections and forward-looking statements". The words and expressions like "believe", "hope", "anticipate", "predict", "expect", "intend", "should", "try to achieve", "estimate", "future" and similar expressions, insofar as they are related to Grifols Group, are used to identify projections and forward-looking statements. These expressions reflect the assumptions, hypothesis, expectations and anticipations of the management team at the date of preparation of this report, which are subject to a number of factors that could make the real results differ considerably. The future results of Grifols Group could be affected by events related to its own activity, such as shortages of raw materials for the manufacture of its products, the launch of competitive products or changes in the regulations of markets in which it operates, among others. At the date of preparation of this report Grifols Group has adopted the measures it considers necessary to offset the possible effects of these events. Grifols, S.A. does not assume any obligation to publicly inform, review or update any projections and forward-looking statements to adapt them to facts or circumstances following the preparation of this report, except as specifically required by law.
This document does not constitute an offer or invitation to purchase or subscribe shares, in accordance with the provisions of the Spanish Securities Market Law 24/1988, of July 28, the Royal Decree-Law 5/2005, of March 11, and/or Royal Decree 1310/2005, of November 4, and its implementing regulations.

SOURCE Grifols