Lebrija awards Patidifusa, Centro Pilates and Freiduría La Galera as best business initiatives of 2024

The Plenary Hall of the Lebrija City Council hosted this Tuesday, October 20, the presentation of the 2024 Best Business Initiative Awards, a call by the Department of Employment, Commerce and Economic Development that recognizes people who have launched a business in the municipality. The awards went to Judit García Velázquez, Francisco Manuel López Capitán and M.ª Goretti Chernichero Caballero, in the fields of art and crafts, wellness and gastronomy.

The first prize goes to Judit García Velázquez, for the Taller de Arte y Artesanía Patidifusa. The project began in April 2024 with creative workshops and its promoter is a multidisciplinary visual artist and craftswoman accredited with the Carta de Artesanía de Andalucía, recognized by the Junta de Andalucía. The initiative is moving toward an independent cultural proposal conceived as a meeting point for those interested in art, creativity and crafts. The second prize recognizes Francisco Manuel López Capitán for the Centro Pilates, opened in March 2024 and dedicated to physical exercise, health and wellness. The center offers personalized attention and adapts activities to each user's needs. It is located on a commercial street in Lebrija and has the collaboration of three other professionals. The third prize goes to M.ª Goretti Chernichero Caballero for the Freiduría La Galera, a business offering a varied selection of fish and preparations, with products bought daily in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Family experience in the fishing sector has served as the basis for the activity, which has a human team and kitchen facilities to provide its service.

The jury took into account the innovative nature of the projects, the use of local resources, the belonging of the promoters to priority groups in matters of employment, the sector of activity, social involvement, environmental commitment and the prospects for future viability of the companies. According to the City Council, these awards seek to foster entrepreneurship, encourage the launch of new business initiatives and recognize the role of small and medium-sized enterprises in generating employment and wealth in Lebrija.

The mayor of Lebrija, Pepe Barroso, noted during the event that supporting local businesses by shopping in the city itself is a direct way to contribute to maintaining employment, economic dynamism and the well-being of citizens. In addition to the mayor, the presentation was attended by the delegate of Employment, Commerce and Economic Development, Cristina Fernández; the manager of the Asociación de Pequeños y Medianos Empresarios de Lebrija (APYME), María Dolores Bernal; the representative of the Centro Andaluz de Emprendimiento (CADE) of Lebrija, Ana Dorantes, and the municipal technician of Fomento Económico, María José Bellido.