The Spanish Confederation of Bus Transport (CONFEBUS) has awarded Joaguín Arias, founder of The Vectalia Group, with the 2018 CONFEBUS award for his work and professional accomplishments.  The Vectalia Group is the company responsible for the operation of public transport in the city of Alicante, several towns in the province and other cities in Spain such as Caceres, Merida or Albacete.  His son, Antonio Arias, CEO of Vectalia, received the award in his name.

Joaquín Arias (Puente de Domingo Flores, León, 1929) is founder of the Vectalia Group, a group of companies primarily dedicated to mobility and the service sector.  His professional career began when he was only 17 years old, a time when he started having contact with different sectors, primarily passenger transport, but also with others such as the production of flour, ceramics and mining.

He began and developed his business activity in the transport sector, founding a number of companies in different cities such as Galicia, Castilla y León, Asturias, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura, Islas Baleares and the Community of Valencia, and also established business in countries such as France and Morocco.

In later years, he created The Vectalia Group, and starting with this sector he began to diversify through the formation of companies that include: bus stations, service stations, parking lots, regulated parking services and other diverse activities related to mobility.

On the other hand, in the service and other sectors, the Vectalia Group has formed a number of companies specialized in cleaning services, maintenance, security, and landscaping, as well as marketing, events, food services, catering, and farming and wineries, providing service to the public and private sectors throughout the country.

All of the above with a series of premises based on his passion for work, effort, humility, responsibility and the example set by his search for continued presence, and a future where the main asset is human capital, relying on a group of professionals that currently form a workforce of 3,500 employees.

Joaquín Arias’ professional career has been accompanied by a long list of awards and achievements for all of his work, both in business and on a human level, the most recent being the naming of a street in his name in the city of Alicante.

In addition, Joaquín Arias has always worked intensively in the area of associationism, and is one of its greatest supporters, taking great interest in the entire associative panorama and always placing great importance on the needs and concerns of his fellow businessmen.