Scranton Businesses The Amsterdam-based firm rose to prominence after it announced the 2018 3.7 million acquisition of a historic Spanish basketball club, Youth of Badalona. Known locally as La Penya, the green-and-black club sits within one of the family-controlled investment portfolios linked to Grifols and its directors, including the founder of the law firm Osborne Clarke. The portfolio also includes a substantial stake in a cava producer, and diverse interests in healthcare and real estate in Madrid and Barcelona.
Scranton holds an 8.13% stake in Grifols, with additional shares held by two other family-linked instrumental companies accounting for 7.09% and 9.20% respectively. Nuria Roura, the mother of the current honorary president, adds another 6.15%. In total, reported to the National Securities Market Commission, the family’s combined ownership reaches about 30.5%.
Grifols traces its roots to an early laboratory founded in 1909 focused on blood therapy and has grown into a prominent player on the stock market. By 2008, two years after its Ibex35 listing, investor confidence had driven share value toward 34 euros, backing a capital base around 23 billion euros. Under the leadership of Víctor Grifols Roura, the group pursued a strategy of acquisitions and international expansion that attracted widespread attention. In June 2010, a major acquisition in the United States for approximately 3 billion euros accelerated the company’s U.S. listing ambitions, and the following year the operation helped Grifols secure a place on the Nasdaq exchange. Documents released in 2010 and discussions on related governance issues highlighted the strategic significance of Parets del Vallès, near Barcelona, as a key site for plasma research and production. The company’s work in blood therapy began to intersect with broader medical research and disease treatment applications.
Over time, Grifols expanded beyond its core business, pursuing overseas growth and diversification, including research into therapies for Alzheimer’s disease. The funding strategy leaned heavily on debt, a choice many peers in the sector recognized as high leverage when growth projections were ambitious. Others in the same space included operators of telecommunications infrastructure, mobile technologies, and leading manufacturers of large-scale household products.
Within the Grifols family, leadership transitions occurred as part of a broader reorganization. In 2017, executive responsibilities shifted within the family, with a move of power to Raimon Grifols and Victor Grifols Deu, while boardroom roles evolved to reflect new governance. The organization also faced external commentary and shifts in strategic direction during this period.
In April 2022, Grifols completed a notable but controversial acquisition of the German company Biotest for about 1.4 billion euros. The group’s debt rose to around 9 billion euros, a level nine times EBITDA, a ratio that investors widely regarded as high risk. Subsequent market reactions reflected concerns about liquidity and the firm’s ability to sustain earnings growth. News coverage noted that donor plasma supply and regulatory considerations at borders influenced investor sentiment and public perception.
By late 2022, corporate governance moves culminated in leadership changes. A round of executive realignments shifted the balance of power within the management team, and the company announced that net debt would be a primary focus alongside EBITDA growth. Forecasts for the year suggested sales near 6 billion euros, with liquidity projected around 1.57 billion euros, and a pivot away from new acquisitions or dividends until debt reduction progressed. In the meantime, plasma donation volumes rose by about a quarter, signaling a resilient core business in the face of challenges.
This period also brought workforce adjustments. Recent reports mentioned layoffs in the United States and Spain as part of a broader cost-control strategy, reflecting market pressures and a drive to stabilize operations. The broader market responded with cautious optimism as investors weighed the impact of the restructuring against the company’s long-term prospects.
As the company continued to evolve, leadership changes included the resignation of a chief executive for health and personal reasons, with an interim board member stepping in to guide ongoing governance. Raimon Grifols was promoted to vice president, signaling a continued emphasis on family leadership within the boardroom. The trajectory of Grifols remains a focal point for investors and industry observers as it balances cash flow, debt reduction, and strategic growth initiatives in a dynamic global market.