Over twenty years of steady results, the Alicante-based construction firm CHM faced a challenging year, unable to influence rising material and energy costs in its contracts. Despite the headwinds, the company posted an 8% improvement in turnover, finishing the year with a modest profit and revenue of 115.3 million euros.
These are the most recent accounts the Martínez Berna family have filed with the Trade Registry, reflecting the industry’s pressures during the year following the Ukrainian conflict and its impact on raw materials and energy prices.
The accompanying management report notes sharp price increases for key inputs. Iron surged by 68 percent, aluminum by 59 percent, cement by 22 percent, and bituminous mixtures by 81 percent. Taken together, construction costs rose by more than 30 percent, creating a tough environment for project budgeting and bid pricing.
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In spite of government decrees designed to raise public works spending, CHM indicates that the subsidies and framework measures were insufficient to absorb the cost inflation, and certain items such as energy rose by around 88 percent, further pressuring margins.
Company employees. Information
Although the year produced red numbers for the firm, management notes progress that helped reduce losses to 948,535 euros, or 0.8 percent of turnover. Projections for the year ahead point to renewed profitability, supported by a 33 percent expansion of the contracted business portfolio, with prices aligned to real costs and current invoicing.
By the end of 2022 CHM had a project backlog valued at 310.9 million euros for the coming years, of which 138.8 million euros was slated for execution in the current year, according to the management balance sheet. The document also highlights the quality of CHM’s public sector clients, including the Ministry of Transport, Adif, autonomous communities, and municipalities, alongside a strong base of private customers. It notes promising new lines of business, notably in the engineering, procurement, and construction of photovoltaic plants.
Valalba Group
Similarly, Vallaba Group, the holding that consolidates the Martínez Berna family businesses, closed the year with positive figures by offsetting CHM losses with solid performance from other units. The group reported a net consolidated profit above one million euros, with a total turnover of 121.6 million euros.
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Among the major projects undertaken by the group during the year was a 20 megawatt agrovoltaic park in Menorca, with a total investment of 17.75 million euros and a planned completion in 2023, along with promotions such as Sakura Tower in Benidorm. The Sakura Tower project is expected to reach delivery in 2023, and the Tridente Residence in Alicante is another key development.
CHM employs about 570 people and operates a network of eight national and one international delegations, reinforcing its geographic reach and capacity to manage large-scale projects across markets.