Uralita Group
Spanish construction-materials group known for insulation, gypsum, roofing, piping and fiber-cement products.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Uralita Group was a Spanish construction-materials multinational whose history began in 1907 under the name Roviralta y Cía. The group developed a broad portfolio for the building sector, including insulation, gypsum, roofing products, piping systems and fiber-cement materials. Its best-known historical association in Spain was with fiber cement, particularly products containing asbestos. The word “uralita” became widely used in Spain as a generic term for asbestos-based fiber-cement products, regardless of manufacturer, reflecting the importance of the company’s brand in the domestic construction market. The company expanded beyond its original Spanish base and operated as a European industrial group. Its activities included several product categories serving residential, commercial and infrastructure construction. Uralita’s portfolio also included paint through its Industrias Procolor division. In 1982, the group acquired the Bruguer paint brand. Four years later, Akzo Nobel Coatings, now associated with AkzoNobel, acquired Uralita’s entire paint division, transferring Bruguer to the Dutch coatings company. By 2008, Uralita reported sales of approximately €1.007 billion, with more than 55% generated outside Spain. At the end of that year, the group had approximately 4,006 employees and 41 operating factories in Europe, with two additional factories under construction. These figures illustrate the scale of the company before its later restructuring and financial deterioration. Its corporate offices were located in Madrid. Uralita’s history was also shaped by legal and public-health issues connected with asbestos exposure. In July 2010, a Spanish court ordered the company to pay €3.9 million to people who had lived near its factory in Cerdanyola del Vallès, near Barcelona. The case was notable because the compensation concerned residents rather than company employees and reflected wider scrutiny of the health and environmental consequences of asbestos-related manufacturing. In 2015, the company changed its corporate name to COEMAC, short for Corporación Empresarial de Materiales de Construcción. The rebranding marked a later phase in the group’s corporate history, although the Uralita name remained strongly associated with its earlier products and with Spain’s asbestos legacy. In June 2020, COEMAC entered insolvency proceedings, and the board announced the appointment and acceptance of an insolvency administrator. Public reference material identifies this event as a major endpoint in the company’s development, but does not by itself establish the precise legal status of every remaining brand, subsidiary or asset.
History
Uralita Group originated in Spain in 1907 as Roviralta y Cía. Over the course of its industrial development, it became a diversified manufacturer and supplier of construction materials. Its activities covered insulation, gypsum, roofing, piping and fiber cement, allowing the group to serve multiple stages of building construction rather than relying on a single product category. The Uralita name became especially prominent in Spain through the company’s fiber-cement products. Because of the brand’s prevalence, “uralita” entered common Spanish usage as a generic term for asbestos fiber cement, including products made by companies other than Uralita. This linguistic association illustrates both the company’s historical market presence and the extent to which asbestos-based building products were embedded in twentieth-century construction. The group also pursued expansion into adjacent categories. In 1982, it acquired the Bruguer paint brand. The paint business was subsequently sold: in 1986, Akzo Nobel Coatings acquired Uralita’s full paint division, Industrias Procolor, and Bruguer passed into the Dutch company’s ownership. The transaction narrowed Uralita’s exposure to paints while leaving its core construction-materials operations intact. Uralita developed an international European manufacturing footprint. In 2008, the group reported sales of €1.007 billion, of which over 55% came from outside Spain. At 31 December 2008, it had 4,006 employees and 41 operating factories in Europe, with two further facilities under construction. Its corporate offices were in Madrid. The available reference material does not identify all subsidiaries, sites or product brands in the group, but these figures indicate a substantial multinational industrial organization. Asbestos-related health concerns became a major part of the company’s public and legal history. In July 2010, Spanish courts ordered Uralita to pay €3.9 million in compensation to residents who had lived near its factory in the Barcelona area. The ruling was notable because it involved people living near the facility rather than former employees. It formed part of broader legal and social scrutiny of asbestos exposure, industrial responsibility and the long-term consequences of fiber-cement manufacturing. In 2015, the company changed its name to COEMAC, an abbreviation of Corporación Empresarial de Materiales de Construcción. The new name represented a corporate rebranding, while the historical Uralita identity continued to carry strong recognition in Spain. In June 2020, COEMAC entered insolvency proceedings. Its board reported the appointment and acceptance of an insolvency administrator, Barrilero y Zubizarreta Insolvency, A.I.E., and described a related authorization to defer the statutory preparation of the 2019 annual accounts. The supplied sources do not provide enough information to determine the final disposition of all assets, factories, trademarks or successor businesses, so the current status of the Uralita brand is best treated as unknown rather than definitively active or defunct.
- 2020
Entry into insolvency
[1]COEMAC entered bankruptcy proceedings and announced the appointment of an insolvency administrator.
- 2015
Corporate name changed to COEMAC
[1]Uralita adopted the corporate name COEMAC, short for Corporación Empresarial de Materiales de Construcción.
- 2010
Court compensation order involving nearby residents
[1]A Spanish court ordered Uralita to pay €3.9 million to people who had lived near its Barcelona-area factory in an asbestos-exposure case.
- 2008
Reported international operating scale
[1]Uralita reported €1.007 billion in sales, more than 55% from outside Spain, and had 4,006 employees and 41 operating European factories at year end.
- 1986
Paint division sold to Akzo Nobel Coatings
[1]Akzo Nobel Coatings acquired Industrias Procolor, Uralita's complete paint division, including Bruguer.
- 1982
Acquisition of Bruguer
[1]Uralita acquired the Bruguer paint brand and incorporated it into its paint activities.
- 1907
Company founded as Roviralta y Cía.
[1]The business that later became associated with Uralita Group was founded in Spain under the name Roviralta y Cía.
Products and positioning
A European construction-materials supplier with a historically broad portfolio spanning building-envelope, interior, roofing and piping applications. In Spain, the Uralita name became particularly identified with fiber-cement products, while its later corporate identity emphasized a diversified construction-materials group.
Insulation
Insulation systems
Uralita Group produced insulation materials for construction applications. These products formed part of the group’s building-envelope and energy-performance portfolio, alongside gypsum, roofing and other systems. The available reference material does not specify individual product names, materials, technical ratings or current availability.
Interior construction materials
Gypsum products
Gypsum was one of the group’s principal construction-materials categories. The range is described at group level rather than by individual product, so the supplied sources do not establish specific board, plaster or finishing-system names. These products served interior construction and finishing applications.
Roofing
Roofing systems
Uralita manufactured roofing products as part of its broader construction portfolio. The brand’s historical presence in roofing contributed to its recognition among Spanish building-materials users. Available references do not provide a complete catalogue or distinguish which roofing products remained after the later COEMAC rebranding.
Pipes and infrastructure materials
Piping systems
Piping was another major Uralita product category. The group supplied pipe-related construction materials, but the supplied material does not identify the exact materials, dimensions, standards or markets for individual systems. The category formed part of the company’s industrial and infrastructure-oriented offering.
Fiber cement
Fiber-cement products
Fiber cement was the product category most strongly associated with the Uralita name in Spain. Historically, the group produced asbestos-based fiber-cement materials, and “uralita” became a common Spanish term for asbestos fiber cement generally. The category is inseparable from later health, environmental and legal scrutiny concerning asbestos exposure.
Paints and coatings
Bruguer paints
Bruguer was acquired by Uralita in 1982 and held within the Industrias Procolor paint division. Uralita sold the entire division to Akzo Nobel Coatings in 1986, after which Bruguer became part of the Dutch coatings company’s business rather than remaining a Uralita offering.
Controversies
2010
Asbestos-exposure compensation for Barcelona-area residents
Spanish courts ordered Uralita to pay €3.9 million to people who had lived near its factory in the Barcelona area. The case attracted attention because compensation was awarded to nearby residents rather than employees, linking the company’s historical fiber-cement operations to wider concerns about community exposure to asbestos.
Brand decisions
2020
Entry into insolvency proceedingsOtherBackground
COEMAC faced financial distress after operating as the renamed successor to Uralita Group.
Action taken
The company entered bankruptcy proceedings and its board reported the appointment of Barrilero y Zubizarreta Insolvency, A.I.E. as insolvency administrator.
Aftermath
The available reference does not establish the final legal outcome or the disposition of all group assets and brands.
2015
Corporate rebranding as COEMACStrategyBackground
The group operated across several construction-materials categories and adopted a corporate name reflecting that broader scope.
Action taken
Uralita changed its corporate name to COEMAC, or Corporación Empresarial de Materiales de Construcción.
Aftermath
The Uralita name retained historical recognition in Spain, especially in connection with fiber cement, while the legal corporate identity became COEMAC.
1986
Sale of the Industrias Procolor paint divisionM&ABackground
Uralita decided to divest its complete paint division after holding the Bruguer brand for four years.
Action taken
Akzo Nobel Coatings acquired Industrias Procolor, including Bruguer.
Aftermath
Bruguer passed into the ownership of the Dutch coatings group, ending its direct association with Uralita.
1982
Acquisition of BruguerM&ABackground
Uralita expanded into paints and coatings as part of its broader construction-materials strategy.
Action taken
The group acquired the Bruguer paint brand.
Aftermath
Bruguer was later included in Uralita's Industrias Procolor paint division, which was sold to Akzo Nobel Coatings in 1986.
Sources1 sources
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