1967

Inauguration of the first concession

Inauguration of Gracia I, Gracia II, Plaça Catalunya, Lluís Companys and Pau Casals.

1970-1972

Second concession in Barcelona

“Second concession” in Barcelona is awarded, comprising car parks in Rambla de Catalunya-Gran Vía, Diputació-Llúria and Plaça Urquinaona.

1972

Banco de Bilbao buys Saba shares

Banco de Bilbao, attracted by the growth of the sector, buys Saba shares and takes control. Ángel Perdigó is Chairman and Luis Marín CEO.

1974-1980

Development beyond Barcelona

Development beyond Barcelona. Saba explores opportunities, giving its business territorial coverage that will keep on expanding: Castellón, Mataró and Granollers (in the province of Barcelona), and Cadaqués and Blanes (in the province of Girona).

1983

Travessera car parks, Barcelona

In the framework of joint projects with construction companies and developers, Saba builds its own car parks in Travessera 17 and Travessera 43, in Barcelona.

1987

Share increase

Banco de Santander and Barna Parking (owned by Enrique Gabarró) subscribe the share increase promoted by Saba and take control of the company.

Enrique Gabarró is appointed Chairman and Salvador Alemany is CEO.

Saba formalises Barna Parking’s merger by absorption. The operation results in the Hospital Clínic and Gracia III car parks being added to the portfolio.

1991

Internationalisation

Start of a decade in which internationalisation is a key challenge for Saba. The company begins studying operations that in the course of several years would result in its expansion to Portugal, Italy and Chile.

1994

La Caixa acquires shares

La Caixa buys Barna Parking its stake in Saba and also acquires Banco de Santander and Banco de Bilbao shares, taking control of the company. A part of the purchase was made through the concessionaire Acesa.

Josep Vilarasau is appointed Chairman and Salvador Alemany is ratified as CEO.

The company assumes management of 14 Inmobiliaria Colonial car parks in Barcelona, Madrid, Alicante, La Coruña and Terrassa, among other cities.

2002

Saba joins Abertis

Saba joins the recently created group Abertis, chaired by Isidre Fainé, where Salvador Alemany serves as CEO. At this time, Saba has 91 operations in Spain, which translates into about 50,000 parking spaces, approximately.

This decade witnesses increased internationalisation and also enhanced quality in key aspects such as excellence in service, maintenance and image of facilities, sustainable environmental management and quality certification.

2004

Quality and innovation

The commitment to service quality and innovation is maintained thanks to the vehicle guiding system (VGS), as well as the first car sharing and electric vehicle initiatives.

2009

New technological initiatives

Saba's commitment to contribute solutions for improving mobility is materialised with new technological initiatives, including the launch of a Remote Parking Management (Geda) centre, a pioneering technological project in the control of car parks and metered areas in the network of car parks which the company manages in Spain.

Saba continues to work towards a more homogeneous expansion process, as well as in creating the right business mix with a greater share of other activities associated with public road parking tenders and management of car parks in airports, ports, hospitals and shopping centres.

The company is awarded key management concession contracts in car parks at airports (continuing to operate Barcelona-El Prat and new awards in Tenerife Sur, Girona, Reus, Almería and Pamplona), ports (controlled parking zone in the Port of Blanes), shopping centres (Illa Carlemany in Andorra) and hospitals (Mataró).

2010

Airport car parks

Saba consolidates its status as one of the main operators in the management of airport car parks. It is awarded contracts for the management of car parks in the aerodromes of Almería and Pamplona, which join those in Barcelona-El Prat, Girona, Reus and Tenerife Sur. In total, the Group manages nearly 37,126 parking spaces in Spanish airports. This does not include the 635 parking spaces under concession at the Brindisi airport in Italy.

Innovation, the application of new technologies, the concern towards social efficiency needs and environmental sustainability are other factors that distinguish the company’s development in 2010.

Saba deploys new technological and service improvements in its car park network, offering charging stations for electric vehicles. As part of its sustainability programme, the company installs green recycling points. A total of 34 car parks now boast the VIA T payment systems at car park exits.

2012

Robustness and innovation

Saba maintains its commitment to growth, improving efficiency and generating shareholder value. The group emphasizes the industrial element in the management of its businesses, the robustness of its activities and the commitment to new development opportunities.

Saba implements in Barcelona the new car park access and payment system that it will roll out, in a later stage, to its entire network. The VIA T device streamlines access to the car park: it allows entry and exit without a ticket, without going through the cashier and without having to even stop the vehicle.

Saba stays true to a philosophy of management and growth. A company guided by rigorous control of its relationships with all stakeholders, building a balance based on the satisfaction of customers, shareholders, employees and society at large, following the main objective of creating value for the shareholder and going public in the medium term.

2013

Growth

Growth has remained the main challenge since the establishment of Saba Infraestructuras and 2013 is a clear example of this ambition. During this year 88,000 new parking spaces are acquired in 52 cities, following the completion of two important operations – Aena and Adif.

Saba is awarded the contract for managing car parks in 14 airports (“Mediterranean Lot”) of the Aena network, adding 57,000 new parking spaces and giving Saba a competitive edge and experience in managing economies of scale.

Saba wins the contract for managing and operating car parks in Adif’s 51 railway stations, adding 22,000 new parking spaces in 72 car parks, which allows the company to enhance its operational, technical and commercial management capacity, making a significant impact on perimeter growth.

The two operations represent a firstrate qualitative and quantitative jump, increasing the number of car parks by 68% and the number of parking spaces by 40%. These operations confirm that the strategy adopted in 2011 was the right one.

2014

Adif and Bamsa

Adif and Saba sign the contract for leasing and operating 72 car parks for the Spanish railway manager.

Saba closes one of its most significant operations: acquiring 60% of joint venture Bamsa, set up by the Barcelona City Council. This public-private partnership project fits Saba’s concession-based operations and enables the company to design a proposal for managing mobility in urban centres, in addition to strengthening the future of the company. This operation not only guarantees the company’s growth but – since it is a 25-year concession – it also opens up its future prospects. Bamsa will manage 26 car parks in Barcelona totalling 12,555 parking spaces.

Bamsa is a unique project that aims to put our car parks at the international forefront thanks to the availability of wider parking spaces and major investments designed to improve our customers’ comfort through innovative paint and signage design that enhances brightness. Advances also include optical technology control and payment systems, VIA T technology in car parks that did not yet have it, a new vehicle guiding system featuring better, more efficient lighting, especially in the parking area, and a change in operating model and maintenance on a large scale.

2016

Divestment of logistics parks

In 2016, Saba Group formalises the divestment of its portfolio of logistics parks. With this transaction, Saba wraps up a period in which it has carried out four successive divestment operations, which total €300 million in shareholder’s equity, thus maximising the value of this business line and facilitating key operations in car parks such as Adif, Bamsa and (in Portugal) CPE. This move also boosts Saba’s added capacity in the car park business.

Since 2011, Saba has increased its number of car parks by 80% up to 371, and its parking spaces by 43% up to 195,000, with a cumulative expansion investment of €482 million.

Saba will remain committed to growth as one of its driving forces, just as it will continue to stress the identification of opportunities and geographical diversification, always from a selective viewpoint.

The company faces the challenge of an ever-changing reality where new technologies will define various parameters and change the rules of the game. It now stands as a benchmark in areas such as efficiency, technological innovation and commercial proactiveness. Living proof of this is: The Customer service and Control Centre (CCC), the deployment of VIA T at car park entrances and exits, the Saba App, the new business website, and the technological upgrade of control and payment systems.