A close-knit pair: Joaquín Ureña and his Arocs concrete mixer

– Joaquín Ureña, driver with Hijos de Antonio Ciríaco from Torredelcampo

Concrete is what makes it all possible.

"Delivering materials for the construction industry makes me feel I'm doing something useful. The results are very quickly visible," he explains. For example, where there was once just an empty plot of land, there are now many buildings rising up into the air. Where just recently there was a poorly paved track, there is now a perfectly asphalted road. "Concrete is what makes it all possible," he says. Joaquín transports not only concrete, but also the aggregate with which it is made. "It's incredible how a simple mixture of sand, cement and water – along with the appropriate aggregates – can result in such a strong and sustainable material," he says.

Growth in housing area.

The driver is aware of the responsibility that goes hand-in-hand with being at the wheel of a concrete mixer: "Concrete is a highly sensitive product," he explains. Just one and a half hours after being mixed, concrete begins to set. "The delivery times must be strictly adhered to," he states. Recently, the company acquired an Arocs 3336 6x4 with a load capacity of seven cubic metres. "Unbeatable when it comes to comfort, safety and performance," says Joaquín. "On a building site, you need trucks that are 100 percent rugged and reliable," he explains. For him, it is details such as protective steel grilles for the headlamps that make the difference. Joaquín welcomes the clear signs of economic recovery in the construction industry in the province of Jaén, this being especially noticeable in the housing sector. More and more people are moving to the outskirts or are investing there in a second dwelling. For example, in villages such as Torredelcampo – eleven kilometres from the capital of Jaén – both the population density and the housing area have grown by 15 percent in recent years.

Economic upturn in the province.

The favourable living conditions outside the city mean a better quality of life. A growing number of houses with swimming are being built on the outskirts. Joaquín has first-hand knowledge of that, as he is transporting large quantities of shotcrete more and more frequently. "It makes for better insulation and sealing," he explains. There is an economic upturn in the province: up 2.4 percent in 2017. At present, Joaquín is making daily deliveries of concrete for the construction of the largest shopping centre in Jaén, Jaén Plaza. "Once it's finished and I go shopping there with my wife and daughter or when I go to the cinema, I'll be able to tell them full of pride that I built some of it myself."

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Fotos: Begoña Tremps