Based in Seville and with over 50 years of experience in the lifting and accessibility sector, Hidral continues to advance its expansion plan by integrating specialist companies that complement its knowledge, broaden its capabilities, and generate new opportunities. in strategic markets. In this case, the incorporation of PLS brings to the group a company with a strong track record, a leading position in the UK accessible social transport sector and a recognised specialisation in engineering-based accessibility solutions.

The acquisition It further strengthens Hidral's position in transport accessibility through Hidral Gobel., a company also integrated into the group and specialising in accessibility solutions for road transport. The complementarity between PLS and Hidral Gobel will allow the group's value proposition to be strengthened across different vehicle types and applications., setting up a broader and more specialised platform to continue growing internationally.

Florencio Chacártegui, managing director of Hidral, points out: “This operation The Hidral Group's long-term strategy for international growth involves integrating specialised companies. that complement our experience, expand our capabilities, and generate new opportunities in key mobility and accessibility markets. In this context, the complementarity between PLS and Hidral Gobel generates a synergy of great value, by reinforcing the group's global offering across different vehicle segments and accessibility applications, and by supporting our long-term international growth strategy.".

PLS will continue to operate as an independent company under its current name and will maintain its management team at the helm of daily operations.. For clients and partners, this continuity guarantees stability in all areas of the business, including product quality, service, technical support, and after-sales care.

For its part, Adam Beck, director general de Passenger Lift Solutions, ha destacado el valor estratégico de esta integración: “PLS ha sido elegida específicamente por Hidral por nuestra trayectoria como líderes del mercado británico en el sector M2. Our experience, reputation and focus on product design and delivery naturally align with Hidral's range and vision.. The important thing is that we will build on what already works: PLS will remain PLS, with the same people, the same values ​​and the same commitment to our clients, now with the added backing of the reach, capability and resources of an international group.

The operation also opens new opportunities for collaboration between both companies in areas such as procurement, research and development, and manufacturing, creating a more solid foundation for innovation and sustained growth. The combination of PLS's experience in the British market with Hidral's industrial and technical capabilities represents a relevant step in the future development of both organisations.

With an international presence in over 120 countries, With this acquisition, Hidral consolidates its commitment to continue growing in strategic markets and to develop increasingly comprehensive solutions in lifting, accessibility and mobility..

La entrada Hidral adquiere la empresa británica Passenger Lift Solutions (PLS) y refuerza su estrategia de crecimiento internacional en movilidad accesible se publicó primero en Hidral.

La entrada Hidral celebra su 50º aniversario y deja patente el impulso de su estrategia internacional se publicó primero en Hidral.

The signing ceremony was held at the headquarters of the Seville Food Bank and was attended by the following people Florencio Chacartegui, CEO of Hidral, as well as Leopoldo Parias, President of the Seville Food Bank, and José Pérez, The meeting was attended by the Head of the Resource Attraction Area. During the meeting, the importance of strengthening the links between the business fabric and social organisations was highlighted.

Through this commitment, Hidral demonstrates that business involvement is an essential element to generate a positive impact on the environment and contribute to the collective welfare.

The agreement provides for a financial contribution Hidral's contribution to fulfil the foundational purposes of the Seville Food Bank, guaranteeing the continuity of its programmes for the collection, storage and distribution of food to collaborating entities. The agreement also includes actions of corporate volunteering, The Hidral employees will be able to participate directly in the work of the foundation. As a result of this alliance, both organisations will set up a joint line of action, aimed at developing projects that will promote social awareness, sustainability and citizen involvement in the fight against food poverty.

Collaboration between Hidral and the Seville Food Bank is a clear example of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), The company's commitment to integrate ethical, social and sustainable values in its management. Through this commitment, Hidral demonstrates that business involvement is an essential element to generate positive impact on the environment and contribute to the collective welfare. Initiatives like this show that solidarity and sustainability are fundamental pillars to build a fairer, more equitable and committed society with people and the planet.

La entrada Grupo Hidral y el Banco de Alimentos de Sevilla firman un convenio para impulsar la colaboración social y el voluntariado corporativo se publicó primero en Hidral.

But Hidral's history goes beyond the traditional lift. Its vocation to improve accessibility has given rise to a business ecosystem with the same objective: to eliminate physical barriers and facilitate universal mobility. Today, Hidral is structured as the parent company of two companies with a strong social and technological purpose: Acros by Hidral e Hidral Gobel.

Acros by Hidral: solutions for the elimination of architectural barriers

Since its creation, Acros by Hidral has focused its work on offering products that guarantee the autonomy and accessibility of all people. Its range includes vertical platforms, stairlifts and domestic lifts that adapt to small spaces and the particularities of each architectural environment.

With a focus on quality, safety and customisation, Acros has developed solutions that make it possible to integrate accessibility into the design of homes, shops or public buildings without sacrificing aesthetics. In this way, it contributes to transforming spaces into truly inclusive places, where mobility does not depend on physical limitations.

Hidral Gobel: accessibility in road transport

Hidral Gobel represents the group's commitment to accessibility in the field of public and private transport. Specialising in the development of ramps, platform lifts and adapted access systems, the company works closely with bus manufacturers and transport operators to make mobility a barrier-free experience.

Thanks to its technical know-how and capacity for innovation, Hidral Gobel has managed to position itself as a benchmark supplier in Europe and Latin America, offering robust, reliable solutions adapted to the most demanding regulations in the sector.

A group with a shared vision

The synergy between Hidral, Acros and Hidral Gobel shows that accessibility can be approached from different angles, combining engineering, design and social commitment. Each company contributes an essential piece in a common project: improving people's quality of life through technology and mobility.

The result is an industrial group that not only manufactures products, but also designs solutions that transform environments, facilitating access and independence in housing, cities and transport.

La entrada Hidral impulsa la movilidad universal con soluciones de accesibilidad y elevación se publicó primero en Hidral.

Although the lift sector is dominated by large multinationals, Hidral focuses its activity on the customer segment "...".who need tailor-made solutions with a high service level", says its president, Florencio Chacartegui. From its production site at the Polígono Parsi in Seville, the company manufactures around 2,000 units a year, with a range that goes from "from a small restaurant dish lift cabin to forklifts capable of carrying more than forty tonnes.", he remarks. 

The company has a clear strategy to double its volume over the next few years, based on the company takeovers to enable it to diversify its activity and skills in the lifting sector. In 2023, it made its first international acquisition with the acquisition of a stake in the capital of Flexitecin the Netherlands, with which it already had a two-decade cooperation relationship. This operation also allows it to grow in Germany. 

"We have now also explored opportunities in countries such as the UK and Belgium, where we have identified potential new operations."explains Chacartegui. In addition, thanks to the purchase of a company in Madrid, Hidral has developed the range of solutions Acros by Hidralspecialising in products for overcoming architectural barriers, such as platforms and stairlifts. "Another example of this diversification is Hidral Gobel, which designs platforms for access to buses for people with reduced mobility."he stresses. Along these lines, the company is designing solutions to facilitate entry to taxis and other vehicles for people with reduced mobility, as well as adapting controls and pedals for driving, in plants located in Álava and Madrid. 

In the past decade, Hidral has been very active in international growth with the development of factories in Brazil and the United States. "It was a great learning experience, but they are two bets that did not have continuity because starting everything from scratch requires a huge amount of resources and the results only come in the very long term."he recalls. The current strategy is therefore based on incorporating operating businesses that complement Hidral's capabilities in markets and products. 

This year is particularly relevant, as the company celebrates its 50th anniversary. "My father, Florencio Chacartegui Vázquez, first founded Suministros Auxiliares with some partners, and from there they created Hidral, with which they launched a forklift with a capacity of 750 kilograms that was well received in the market."says the president. In 1992, after finishing his degree in industrial engineering, he himself joined the company. "These were the years in which we started to analyse going abroad, and in 1994 we went to the first international fair in the sector in Brussels.". 

Currently, the company has more than 300 professionals on staffwhich, in the words of its president, highlight that ".the industrial sector makes an economy stronger, because it creates stable jobs". 

This information was originally published in ABC and can be found at the following link: Read the news in ABC. 

La entrada Hidral refuerza su estrategia internacional se publicó primero en Hidral.

With capacities ranging from 50 kg to 750 kgthese systems are designed to optimising small spaces and facilitating the movement of goods or materials in commercial, industrial and service environments. Its compact and robust design, coupled with its ease of integration into new construction or refurbishment projects, ensures reliable and durable performance in a wide variety of applications. 

Versatile applications for different sectors 

The models MH and MTH, capacities up to 500 kgThe new, cost-effective and efficient solutions are suitable for optimising the movement of objects and documents, e.g. in bars and restaurants, libraries and archives and other buildings seeking to improve internal logistics efficiency without the need to invest in expensive infrastructure. 

On the other hand, the HO (100 to 500 kg) and EH500 (200 to 750 kg) platforms offer an efficient solution for handling larger or more varied loads. They are especially useful in warehouses and industrial buildings, where vertical movement of goods is part of the daily workflow, and also in shops, supermarkets and logistics centres, where robustness and adaptability are key to maintaining efficiency in constant traffic environments. 

All this equipment is developed following the same philosophy that characterises Hidral's high capacity systems: ensure structural reliability, ease of maintenance and adaptability to customer needs. In addition, they strictly comply with technical and safety regulations, ensuring safe and durable operation in any working environment. 

Every lifting need requires a specific solution. Therefore, the range is designed for both new construction projects and integrations into existing buildings, providing customisable options to suit every situation. 

La entrada Hidral consolida su gama de soluciones para pequeña y mediana carga se publicó primero en Hidral.

This new resource, now available on the corporate websiteis born with a clear purpose: facilitate fast and accurate access to relevant information for customers and technical professionalsThis will improve your user experience and autonomy. 

The result of months of collaborative work between different teams, MIA is presented as a conversational tool capable of responding in real time to questions about products, technical documentation and key features of the Hidral range..  

Unlike other generic automated systems, this assistant has been specifically trained with company-specific content and data, ensuring contextualised answers aligned with the real needs of the sector.. In this way, MIA is highly effective in the consultation process, acting as a first level of consultation. attention that orients the user and helps them to identify the product or solution. that best suits your needs. It also provides fast and personalised technical support. 

This new digital tool joins Hidral's successful autoconfigurator tool and reinforces an intelligent customer care ecosystem where the customer has more and more resources at his disposal to solve doubts, make decisions and work with autonomy, all of this while maintaining the human support from Hidral's technical and commercial team.. 

La entrada Hidral lanza MIA: inteligencia artificial al servicio del cliente profesional se publicó primero en Hidral.

As if it were one of the great technology companies born in a garage in Silicon Valley, Seville also has its own story of entrepreneurship and vision for the future. To many it may be familiar, to others it may not, but the company of humble origins that triumphs halfway around the world has a name: Hidral.

What started as a small workshop in the city of Seville has become a global company with a presence in more than 120 countries and approximately 70% of its production is destined for international markets.

Half a century ago, in 1975, in the basement of a family home in the San Jerónimo neighbourhood, Florencio Chacartegui Vázquez and his partners launched a project that would change the industrial lifting sector. Thus was born, discreetly and quietly, the largest industrial lifting company in Andalusia, Hidral.

At that time, the lift sector was in the midst of transformation and Seville had the necessary talent to be part of that change. Florencio Chacartegui, an engineer with an almost visionary entrepreneurial vision, saw the opportunity and founded Hidral with a clear objective: to offer innovative elevator solutions adapted to the needs of the market.

In 2025, Hidral celebrates 50 years of history and its lifts are present in infrastructures all over the world. "Our growth has been the result of constant effort, innovation capacity and commitment to quality. We not only export lifts, we export confidence", explains Florencio Chacartegui, Hidral's general manager.

A company with global DNA and local roots

It is well known that no one is a prophet in their own land, and perhaps Hidral has been a bit like that. If we were to take a survey on the street, few would be able to place it on the map, but its seal is present in a multitude of elevators in companies, shopping centres all over the world... And, of course, in the specialised sectors of the international lift industry: its name is synonymous with quality and innovation.

Branding problems aside, the apparent anonymity of its acronym has not slowed down the company's path to success. Since its beginnings, it has had a clear vocation for expansion that goes beyond selling products abroad. A pioneer of private label, it now has sales offices in France, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Middle East and Russia, as well as a network of distributors and strategic partners in key markets.

In fact, if we were to line up every single lifting solution Hidral has manufactured over its 50 years, the distance travelled would be around the world. From small loading platforms to large capacity lifts, with over 2,000 units produced annually, Hidral has not only elevated structures, but also opportunities, taking its technology to the furthest corners of the globe.

But if there is one thing that defines Hidral, it is its link with Seville and its people. A high percentage of its almost 300 employees are from Seville, some of them with decades in the company. Here, the commitment is mutual: Hidral generates employment and opportunities in its land, and its human team more than repays that trust, making the company a big family where everyone rows in the same direction.

Looking to the future: substance and commitment

From its first forays into the market to its consolidation as a global benchmark, each stage has been a stepping stone to success.

To ensure its continuity and expansion, a strategic shift took place in 1998 that laid the foundations for a new era. In 1999, Florencio Chacartegui Jr. took over as general manager, at a key moment in which the company disassociated itself from its partners and consolidated its identity as a family company. With this, the founding values that had made the company grow were reinforced.

However, the spirit of broadening the scope of the company's business had already been set in motion long before that. In 1994, it had crossed borders for the first time by participating in the international lift trade fair in Brussels, a milestone that marked the beginning of its global expansion. From 2000 onwards, with a clear strategy, it began a process of professionalisation and a firm commitment to internationalisation, establishing its presence in the world market.

The road to excellence did not stop there. In 2017, a new qualitative leap was made with the creation of a Board of Directors that incorporated independent external directors. This decision not only provided a more strategic vision, but also guaranteed decision-making based on experience and knowledge of the sector.

Every step along the way has been a testament to resilience, growth and ambition. But unlike fictional stories where family businesses are embroiled in power struggles and internal conflicts worthy of a TV series, at Hidral everything has developed naturally. The Board of Directors leads with judgement and objectivity with a long-term vision and the consolidation of a corporate identity that continues to look to the future.

Today, with more than 28,000 m² of facilities, Hidral continues to evolve and is, in a way, a tireless reflection of the Andalusian character. The commitment to digitalisation, energy efficiency and connectivity in lifting systems reinforce its position as a benchmark in the sector.

In Chacartegui's words: "Hidral's growth has no ceiling. We continue to invest in innovation, talent and new markets so that our Sevillian brand continues to raise projects all over the world".

After 50 years, Hidral not only celebrates its history, but also looks to the future with determination. Its aim is to continue growing, innovating and raising projects all over the world. And it will do so with the same spirit with which it began: with effort, with vision and with the pride of taking the Andalusian seal to the top.

La entrada Ascensores “Made in Sevilla”: Hidral, 50 años elevando la innovación andaluza al mundo se publicó primero en Hidral.

In these 50 years, Hidral has grown from a family business to a global benchmark in lifting. And this is just the beginning of a success story that will continue to shape the industry for decades to come.

The beginnings: A niche market

The history of Hidral begins with the initiative of the Sevillian engineer Florencio Chacartegui Vázquez and his partners, who in 1972 founded Suministros Auxiliares. They identified an opportunity in the manufacture of forklifts for the lift sector and, in 1975, they took a key step by creating Hidral S.A.

The company's first product was the EH-500 model, a forklift truck weighing up to 750 kg, which aroused the interest of major companies such as Zardoya and Giesa. Within a few years, the growing demand led the company to expand its facilities, multiplying its production capacity and consolidating its reputation in the sector.

Expansion and diversification

In the late 1970s, Hidral responded to market demand by developing new products, such as service lifts and dumbwaiters, with great success in the Iberian Peninsula. In 1980, the company moved into the design of passenger lifts, with its innovative MCH car lift, a key solution for buildings without space for access ramps.

Continuous growth led the company to found 2RD, a company focused on the manufacture of hydraulic components, consolidating its position as the only Spanish manufacturer of valve groups for hydraulic lifts. 

In 1986, Hidral expanded its catalogue with accessibility solutions, launching its first stairlift, the SH model. Subsequently, it presented the SHV vertical model and, within the line of rehabilitation carried out at that time of existing buildings, it developed the UH model, a hydraulic lift designed for very small spaces, especially for single-family homes where there is not enough space for a conventional lift.

A benchmark in the sector

During the 1990s, Hidral experienced strong growth, increasing its workforce, production capacity and investment in technology. The company consolidated its business model as an exclusive manufacturer for lift operators, without carrying out installations or maintenance, positioning itself as a strategic partner of large companies in the sector.

In 1992, Florencio Chacartegui Gómez, son of the founder, joined Hidral as Technical Director after finishing his studies in Industrial Engineering. Two years later, in 1994, the company went international, participating in the Brussels International Fair, which boosted its expansion in markets such as France, Belgium and Portugal. 

At the end of the decade, with a turnover of close to eight million euros and a constantly growing workforce, Hidral undertook a major expansion, reaching 11,000 m² of manufacturing surface area.

Internationalisation and global growth

The turn of the century brought with it an internal reorganisation and greater professionalisation of the different departments. With a staff of 120 employees in 2000, the company reinforced its commercial strategy focused on exports, reaching key markets in Europe, the Middle East and America.

In 2009, Hidral began its internationalisation process with the opening of a subsidiary and production plant in Brazil. Subsequently, it expanded its presence with sales offices in France, Lebanon, Russia and the United States. Thanks to this strategy, the company consolidated its global positioning and diversified its customer portfolio.

Innovation and specialisation

Currently, Hidral is not only committed to product and sales innovation, but is also promoting a Cultural Transformation that reaches the entire company. The aim is to redefine the way each department works and improve internal communication, consolidating a more solid and cohesive corporate identity.

This structural change seeks to strengthen the company's DNA, fostering an environment of collaboration and personal growth for each employee. At the same time, Hidral continues to modernise and expand its factories, optimising processes, reorganising production and renewing its machinery to reach new standards of excellence.

Today, Hidral is made up of three specialised business lines:

• Hidral S.A.focused on industrial and personnel lifting.
• Hidral Gobel S.L.focused on accessibility solutions in urban transport.
• Acros by Hidralspecialising in accessibility in buildings.

With nearly 30,000 m² of facilities in Seville and Logroño, the company maintains its commitment to innovation and the development of products adapted to the demands of the market.

La entrada Hidral cumple 50 años: De empresa familiar a referente global en elevación se publicó primero en Hidral.

The QHe is a significant evolution within our family of lifts, complementing our already recognised hydraulic options. Designed for a variety of uses, this electric lift stands out for its ability to function as a car lift, forklift and passenger lift. Its versatility makes it the ideal choice for both industrial and commercial applications, including shopping centres and busy buildings.

Among its technical features, the QHe Heavy Duty Electric Lift supports up to 6000 kg of load, offers a cabin surface area of 18.6 m², and allows a travel distance of up to 30 metres with 10 stops. It does not require a machine room (MRL) which optimises space and has a Gearless motor that maximises energy efficiency. In addition, its speed of 1 m/s ensures fast and safe transport.

At Hidral, we understand that each project is unique and we strive to provide solutions that are perfectly adapted to the specific needs of our customers. With the QHe Heavy Duty Electric Lift, we not only offer a robust and reliable product, but also a commitment to quality and innovation in the lifting sector.

At Hidral SA, we remain committed to innovation and excellence, offering global lifting solutions that respond to the growing demands of the market. Find out more about the QHe Heavy Duty Electric Lift QHe Trust Hidral to take your business to new heights!

Hidral S.A. - Global Solutions for Lifting.

La entrada Descubre el Nuevo Ascensor Eléctrico de Grandes Cargas QHe se publicó primero en Hidral.