La Vanguardia newspaper interviewed the CEO of LITOCLEAN, Begoña Mundó.
Spotless floors (La Vanguardia)
LITOCLEAN expands market due to increasing decontamination requirements

Not so long ago, industrial activity was carried out without taking into account the pollution it generated in the soil. In the absence of specific legislation in Spain, only a few large companies, especially foreign ones, took care of this aspect based on international regulations. Today, things are different and it is mandatory to follow increasingly strict requirements. LITOCLEAN, a Catalan company specialized in soil analysis and decontamination, has experienced this evolution. Founded in 1999, it began with select clients who were committed to implementing good practices and has ended up working for all types of companies that need to comply with the rules in order to operate.
Since 2005, Spain has required baseline soil reports in order to obtain an environmental license, overture or cessation of activities. There are many types of companies that must undergo subsoil contamination controls. “The market has changed a lot, now we have an infinite number of clients, very diverse, from large chemical companies to small transporters that have a fuel tank for their vehicles,” explains LITOCLEAN’s CEO, Begoña Mundó. Its headquarters are in Barcelona. It has a warehouse in Rubí and technical offices in Madrid and A Coruña. In 2016 it had a turnover of four million euros for its activity in Spain and Portugal. And it has subsidiaries in Mexico, Peru and Ecuador. “First we offer our help and if in the long run there is more business, we establish ourselves, that’s how we are doing it in Latin America,” adds Mundó, who is also one of the four owner-partners, among whom is also the president, Albert Tasias. The group, as a whole, made a turnover of eight million last year.
LITOCLEAN’s workforce is made up of 44 people, with multidisciplinary professional profiles from the fields of geology, biology, chemistry and various engineering fields. “This variety is one of our strengths,” says the CEO. Initially, the company focused mainly on land studies. Later, the drafting of decontamination plans, or remediation in professional jargon, and their execution became increasingly important. Today, the study part accounts for approximately 10% of a project. Clients include gas stations, the chemical industry, refineries, chemical warehouses (large hydrocarbon tanks in ports, airports, etc.), pharmaceuticals and the automotive industry.
“There is more activity because regulations are becoming stricter,” continues Mundó, “but competition is fierce, there are companies with very low prices. This trend could mean, according to LITOCLEAN’s forecasts, that in 2017 its turnover in Spain and Portugal will fall to 3.5 million.