The Navarrese company celebrates its 25th anniversary with the same essence with which it was founded in September 1999.
“We started with one hand in front and the other behind, but with the desire to offer a good product and a good service”, explains Óscar Lana, founder and CEO of the company. “We had a very clear initial focus: to promote accessibility in public transport. We started by making Eurotaxis in Pamplona, which are taxis adapted for people with reduced mobility. This was a milestone in the city and gave the company the initial recognition and visibility that allowed it to grow.
The first years were difficult, but at Integralia they have always kept an eye on the future. And they got it right. Already in the new century, it was clear to them that they had to make a strategic shift towards the manufacture of minibuses, a sector that at that time presented great opportunities. Óscar emphasises: “It is essential to be attentive to the demands of the market. You have to listen to what the people on the street tell you”. This ability to adapt to changes and to always be at the forefront is one of the company’s great strengths.
Now focused on minibuses, Integralia has managed to get the wheels of its vehicles turning in a multitude of countries and transport millions of different people. The secret to continue: “A good product and a good service”, says Óscar Lana. This beginning based on the integration of people with reduced mobility in means of transport has become the basis of the know-how of the company, whose adapted minibuses continue to be a way of fulfilling the founding ambition of the coachbuilder from Navarre.
Good times and bad
The company’s trajectory has gradually made its way into the mobility market, growing and seeking new solutions for new problems that arise in the sector. It is committed to innovation in safety, comfort and efficiency. But it has not been a bed of roses.
“The worst moment in these 25 years? I have no doubt: the pandemic”, says Óscar Lana. In March 2020, we were all in our homes, unable to go out. What does a mobility company do when no one can move? We reflected a lot during that time. We had a bad time. Really bad. We all went through some tough years because of the vulnerability and helplessness we felt both personally and professionally. However, we tried to focus on the positive: we invested time in improving processes, polishing projects and reflecting on where we wanted to go”, says Óscar, “we were the sector that stopped first and the one that started working later. It was tough. But I’d like to think that we came out stronger. More confident in what we do every day. We got very close to the people of the companies that are our clients, who were in a similar situation to ours, we talked a lot, we were together during the storm and, as always, in the end it cleared up”.
The pandemic was the beginning of a few years of instability with materials, delays in delivery times. The international situation without a clear line of how the transport of the future is going to be and with wars in Europe have marked the last years of the company. The company has always moved forward.
Integralia’s minibuses are robust but cosy, durable products, where you see the quality from the first moment you set foot in them. “And that’s what we have to continue to be. We bring added value to those who are looking for a minibus with certain characteristics. Afterwards, customers are amazed by the customisation possibilities we offer them and, finally, when they have tested the first vehicle, they are surprised by the exquisite customer service. That’s what we have always been and that’s what we will continue to be. 25 years have gone by, the world has changed, pesetas no longer exist, hardly anyone remembers the first Eurotaxis, but the essence of Integralia is still the same.