Petri Salopera, Vice-President of Sustainability at Calibre Mining
Digital communications for today’s enterprises
MELIÁ (Dominican Republic) Beyond hospitality and into new leisure ventures
ARANWA HOTELS RESORTS & SPAS (Peru)
Wellness and hospitality at Peru’s dreamiest destinations
SIMPLOT (Mexico) The best fries in the best conditions in every table Ten megaprojects never finished
Managing Director
Jassen Pintado
Creative Director
Omar Rodríguez
Editor in Chief
Rafael Tablado
Finance Director
Christina Schoch
Social Media Director
Maria Elena Gastelum
Content Coordinator
Alicia Barrantes
Project Directors
Ana Macfarland
David Alarcon
Giuseppe Modenesi
Lucy Verde
Marcelo Modenesi
September 2021
We greet you with utter joy to find our work once again in your hands and grabbing your attention.
Our cover features Petri Salopera, Calibre Mining’s VP of Sustainability, who shared with us not only important aspects about the Canadian company’s efforts in production and exploration in the Central American country, but also making sure the benefits from their operation in Nicaragua also reach the communities surrounding them.
On its behalf, AVAYA Colombia keeps becoming instrumental to digitization for companies in their turf, enabling client representatives to experience their available technology first hand.
From up north, J.R. Simplot’s division in Mexico and Central America needed only
a decade to become one of the leaders into supplying frozen fries for food service businesses in this territory.
In the leisure sector we are delighted to share with you what Aranwa Hotels Spa & Resorts has to offer for those traveling to Peru, this boutique hotel chain blends lodging with wellness, creating unique experiences in dreamy settings. On their behalf, Meliá Hotels International operates a powerhouse in the Dominican Republic with five hotels aimed at travelers into different plans and purposes, be it romantic getaways as well as family vacations, and they’re venturing into new territories within leisure and entertainment, find out more about them!
Enjoy!
Mateo Rafael Tablado, Editor in Chief at The Boston Business Review
Email: rafael.tablado@thebostonbr.com
ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION, DEDICATED TO MAKING YOUR BUSINESS MORE SUCCESSFUL.
Architecture company dedicated to design and construction, with extensive management in sectors such as Retail and Workplace. Our methodology is based on experience and the will to make your business more successful.
blaqplus.com
Petri Salopera, Vice-President of Sustainability at Calibre Mining
66.
Bertling Logistics in Miami your end-to-end logistics partner for mining projects MINERÍA
Increasing productivity and reducing risks in every blast MINING
An array of possibilities in the Dominican Republic
Simplot Mexico
TECHNOLOGY
The digital tools and support companies need
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Networking to deliver the best, ready to eat product 100.
Impulse, ambition, wrong managerial manoeuvres, and other factors contributed to the fact that the constructions on the following list remain unfinished, great beyond the fact that some of them, perhaps, should have never been started
The construction of this skyscraper was started in 2010. Stopped in 2011 due to a dispute between project developers and local authorities. The 126-story building was due originally for 2016, but it was cancelled permanently in 2015.
Since the end of the 1990s, different public figures promoted the construction of a bridge over the River Thames whose main attribute would be to feature a large garden from side to side. In 2012, the designs of the 3939.59 sq. ft. construction, which would connect the South Bank to the Temple District, were revealed, and it was estimated that it would be open 18 hours a day and attract three million
tourists per year.
The original US$85 million budget was increased in 2015 to US$260 million, which led to criticism. In 2017 the cost raised to US$280 million.
Apple was invited to fund the project and the company wanted to build a store in the center of the bridge, which was finally rejected. The contractor pocketed US$ 60 million because some documents had been signed, besides more than US$12.5 million were already spent on design expenses.
After Qatar was designed as host for the 2022 football World Cup, plenty of investments in infrastructure were started in Qatar. In 2011 the construction of this structure was announced, consisting of three bridges interconnected by long under-water tunnels, which would make a total of seven and a half miles for a flow of 6,000 vehicles per hour, connecting
with Hamad Airport and designed by Santiago Calatrava.
Less than two years later, the project was stopped due to the decrease of oil prices and the demand for workforce in other construction areas. In 2020 a US$140,000 million investment was announced to finish mega-projects, which means its reactivation is possible, but it wouldn’t be finished for the 2022 World Cup.
China’s transformation in the last three decades has generated numerous infrastructure projects, as well as some constructions which have been abandoned. This happened in Xiangyun, a mega-project which was practically a new city with a residential area and an entertainment one.
The construction was stopped in
2014, when the building company was investigated for corruption. The properties prices fell, and the company declared bankruptcy. The project developer in charge aimed at investing US$17,000 million on the project, and 700 dwellings had been sold when the construction was stopped by the local authorities in 2017; the buildings are in ruins nowadays.
Since the 1990s the Mexican government studied different options to build a new airport in this capital city.
A project in a place designated in 2001 was cancelled due to protests from the inhabitants of a part of the area, as their lands would have been expropriated. The project was considered once again in 2014, leaving out the areas in conflict, considering its opening in October 2021, with a construction cost
of US$13,300 million.
With the construction having already started, the latest elected government, which took office in late 2018, considered the project unfeasible, alleging -among other matters- corruption in the processes and tenders, and announced its definite cancellation at the beginning of 2019.
The government has now a US$4.2 billion debt as a compensation to investors and companies which were hired for the project.
The almost two miles structure was conceived as a replacement of the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge and to contribute to the business relationships between both countries. Its construction started in 2011, but the US$350 million project was stopped between 2014 and 2019, as the North-
Korean side reached a field near Sinuiju, with no bridge-related activity. In 2017 North Korea required that China should assume the construction expenses of the North-Korean side.
In mid-2020 the project was stopped again, being almost finished, and the works were re-started in October of the same year.
Local entrepreneur David Brillembourg, who passed away in 1993, came up with the idea of building this skyscraper during the oil and financial boom in the 1980s. The construction of the building was stopped in 1994 due to a banking crisis in Venezuela and the government took control of it.
The government tried to auction the unfinished complex in 2001 without success. A dwelling crisis in 2007 led to the squatting of the building by more than 200 families, who improvised some basic services and even started some informal businesses. In 2015, the inhabitants were relocated, and the structure was damaged during the earthquakes in August 2018; it is empty up to date.
The construction of this skyscraper started in 2008 and, by 2012, the 1958 ft and 128-story main structure was ready.
Its completion was due for 2014, but at the beginning of 2010 its construction was stopped because of the financial crises of the previous years, being retaken eventually in 2011, and postponing its completion until 2018-2019.
Shortly after resuming its construction, the project developer declared bankruptcy. In 2018, there was an attempt to re-start the works, but no company took the project, which has attracted expert athletes to climb this kind of structures.
The structure remains unfinished, and it will remain so, as the Chinese government banned the construction of buildings taller than 500 meters (1640.42) ft in April 2020.
The story of this construction dates back from 1920, and even in 1942 and 1955 , respectively, the line elevated sections that it would have replaced were demolished.
In 1972, the project was restarted due to a tax crisis in the city, just to be stopped again in 1975, after some
tunnels had been completed. The project was restarted once again in 2007 and its first stage -consisting of three stations- was opened at the beginning of 2017, with a 1.8mile section and a cost of US$4,450 million. The cost of the second stage is estimated in US$6,000 for a 1.5-mile section, and its opening is planned between 2027 and 2029.
In some moment of its enigmatic existence, North Korea had the strange idea of attracting tourism. To accommodate and assemble all that tourism, in 1987 they started the construction of a pyramid-shaped, 105-floor building which would have been the world’s tallest hotel at that time.
Plenty of the funds for the construction came from the then Soviet Union, as consequence of its fall and its coincidence with a North-Korean economic crisis, the project was stopped in 1992. In 2008 the works were restarted and by 2011 its exterior was completed with the installation of windows. The openings which were announced for 2012 and 2013 have been postponed, and on one of the side walls of the building informally known by foreign media as the “Hotel of Doom”, a LED screen has been placed, where animated films and propaganda scenes are shown.
It is estimated that its completion would cost US$2,000 million, which is 5% of North Korea’s GDP.
The best services in hospitality blend with health and wellbeing through the acclaimed Aranwa Hotels Resorts & Spas property collection, delivering a unique concept in Peru
Produced by Jassen Pintado
Written by Mateo Rafael Tablado
Interviewee Rosana Martínez, CBO for Aranwa Hotels Resorts & Spas
eru has a lot to offer either as a leisure destination or for business trips. The growth of its hospitality industry displays the kind of recent developments that have attracted investment from abroad since a few years back, in the same way domestic capital has been injected into the market, resulting in successful ventures.
Among these relatively new developments, Aranwa Hotels Resorts & Spas stands out as a collection of hotels offering the most attractive destination itinerary in Peru, blending the attributes of a boutique hotel along the amenities provided by the best spas into a context of Peruvian culture and history, resulting in hospitality services well above standards.
“Aranwa” means “legend” in Quechuan, summarizing the feelings
that Aranwa hotels can evoke in the most singular way. Each hotel is different and intertwined with its location’s traits, beyond the general concept displayed at each Aranwa property, regarding service and wellbeing.
Aranwa hotels have been recipients of accolades on many occasions, besides being listed among the top ten hotels in South America and the world by Tripadvisor and World Travel Awards users, and by Condé Nast Traveler readers.
The hotel chain belongs to Grupo San Pablo, the largest private healthcare network in Peru, with more than 30 years looking after the people of Peru, led by Dr. José Álvarez Blas.
“Working with a company within the healthcare sector brings a different perspective. Health and wellbeing are taken to the hospitality industry with high standards along with Peruvian and international cuisine,” said Rosana
Working with a company within the healthcare sector brings a different perspective. Health and wellbeing are taken to the hospitality industry with high standards
- Rosana Martínez, CBO for Aranwa
& Spas
Martínez, CBO for Aranwa Hotels Resorts & Spas.
EXPERIENCE AND DEDICATION SERVING THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
Besides having built a successful and outstanding career in the hospitality industry, which at times could be defined by “being in the
right place at the right time”, Rosana Martínez did not begin her career in the tourism sector, but still within related activities. Martínez earned a Bachelor’s degree in Translation and Interpreting from Ricardo Palma University, in Lima. After working briefly in this trade, a friend invited her to the sales department of PFA
(Pension Fund Administrator) and soon after she enrolled in American Airlines, not long after she completed her training in the USA, she decided to work within the tourism industry, but not precisely onboard a plane.
“The service provided in an airline is also applicable to hospitality,” the executive said. After making this
decision, she was hired by the then known as El Pardo hotel (currently belonging to the Doubletree by Hilton chain) as a sales executive, and afterwards she arrived at Antigua Miraflores Hotel, where she took on multiple duties with the property’s opening as a starting point. After Antigua Miraflores, Martínez was
hired by the property who would later become Oro Verde hotel, which currently hosts Swissotel Lima, where for more than a decade her career developed into more important positions, from being Sales Director to Sales Manager, until becoming Chief of Sales, taking part in the executive board.
In Oro Verde, Martínez was in charge of serving important foreign delegations for global and regional summits with heads of state, monarchs and also professional sports teams, besides the everyday chores her position entailed. Little did she know this was the setup for an upcoming challenge.
While in a sabbatical between 2007 and 2008 to complete a Master in Business Management at the St. Ignatius of Loyola University, the alumni relations department at the university contacted Martínez to tell her about an opening in a new resort chain for which she was the ideal fit. Aranwa had just opened with properties in Vichayito and in the Sacred Valley when Martínez joined the company in January 2009 to lead the expansion to Cusco, Colca and Paracas.
“In Aranwa not only did I get the chance to contribute with my previous experience, but I have also learned a lot from the different approach held
Resorts
Spa delivers a stylish brand of wellness to the Peruvian coast
by Grupo San Pablo, led by Dr. José Álvarez Blas and Gabriel Álvarez Huiman, and along my great team we’ve achieved positioning Aranwa as one of the most important hotel chains in the country. I’m in charge of the commercial area for the five properties and five years ago I also took on the Marketing department,” Martínez explained. Besides the aforementioned, she has also completed other courses to update her knowledge in different areas, as required to run and manage the Aranwa operation.
Aranwa Sacred Valley Hotel & Wellness opened in October 2008. The property is located in the Urubamba Valley -the Incas’ Sacred Valley- near the banks of the Vilcanota River. The land where the hotel was built belonged to the Yaravilca Hacienda, from the colonial period, during the 17th century.
The property hosts 115 rooms, 30 of which are colonial-style suites, furnished according to that time period and enhanced with Cuscan art pieces. The Presidential, del Lago and del Río suites stand out as ideal settings for special occasions.
Aranwa Sacred Valley is also host to the “Unno Spa”, one of the largest in its kind in South America, with a 26,900 sq ft area, recipient of accolades such as the Best Spa in Peru in the 2020 World Spa Awards, being also nominated for 2021. Unno Spa offers 11 treatment rooms, three hydrotherapy pools with different temperature, foot bath, Vichy shower, hyperbaric chamber, Inca sauna and other services that make this a praiseworthy spa.
Once into the second decade of the 21st century, Aranwa has expanded, currently offering five destinations, all of them in Peru: Colca, Cusco,
Our hotels share a much appraised Peruvian essence, which is mostly sought after by our foreign guests
- Rosana Martínez, CBO for Aranwa Hotels Resorts & Spas
The concept behind these five properties is the goal to achieve wellness and tranquillity in a place designed to generate a relaxing, comfortable experience
As a collection of hotels, Aranwa encompasses five properties, each with a unique personality in harmony with its surroundings.
the executive declared.
ARANWA CUSCO, STANDING LOVELY AT THE FEET OF MACHU PICCHU
Downtown Cusco was the capital of the Incan empire and is currently a must-stop destination in the road to Machu Picchu, and it also hosts Aranwa Cusco, a five-star boutique hotel, considered the third best hotel worldwide and second best in South America in 2020 by Condé Nast Paracas, Sacred Valley and Vichayito.
“Our hotels share a much appraised Peruvian essence, which is mostly sought after by our foreign guests,”
The mansion where the hotel was built was designed as historical patrimony of the city of Cusco, and as such it’s considered a museum hotel, besides hosting unique art in its facilities, which offers guests audio tours in English and Spanish.
and hydro massage tub.
Aranwa Hotels Resorts & Spas finds itself at the forefront of digital technology, relying on the necessary resources to ease online reservations and being supported by a semi-automatic CRM and client support system.
The supply chain at Aranwa Hotels Traveler magazine.
Among other amenities, rooms are furnished with an intelligent oxygen system, bathrooms with electric underfloor heating, Scottish shower
Resorts & Spas is subject to a thorough, detailed process as is every guest’s stay.
The group carries a supplier validation program, ensuring the latter align with the hotel’s standards.
One of Aranwa’s main purposes is to work with suppliers located in the hotels’ surrounding communities, thus creating opportunities in each area, besides hiring and training staff from these zones.
Through Grupo San Pablo, Aranwa is involved in benefit and social assistance activities in areas such as education, culture, science and arts for children and individuals in extreme poverty conditions.
And in the Huayllabamba community, in the vicinity of Aranwa Sacred Valley, a medical post was furnished to serve its inhabitants.
Among the goals set by Aranwa, consolidation of domestic guests’ loyalty is thriving due to the COVID19 restrictions, and since May 2021 the group has been directing efforts to attract foreign guests once again.
Not everything depends upon Aranwa Hotels Resorts & Spas, but it should be noted that the group obtained the highest certification in health and safety management on behalf of the SGS global firm, specialized in compliance certification.
“International tourism will be reactivating as countries reach a higher vaccination average, generating confidence for travelers to arrive at foreign destinations,” concluded Rosana Martínez, CBO for Aranwa Hotels Resorts & Spas.
For 25 years, Meliá has achieved a superb operation in Dominican Republic, offering a wide variety of experiences for different travel plans and is now investing in new entertainment options.
Jassen Pintado
Santiago Rivera Núñez, Area Managing Director for Meliá Hotels International in the Dominican Republic
Since 1956, Meliá
Hotel International -a hotel chain founded in Spain by Gabriel Escarrerhas moved on from its hotel operations in tourist destinations in the Iberian country, such as its properties in Majorca and the rest of the Balearic Islands, to spread its lodging service style at an international level, starting with Meliá Bali, in Indonesia, and afterwards dabbling into the Americas in countries such as Mexico and the Dominican Republic, among others, currently operating more than 380 hotels in four continents, besides being listed in Spain’s stock exchange within the IBEX 35 index, which gathers the best 35 companies in the country.
Meliá Hotels International started operating in the Dominican Republic in 1996 with the Meliá Bávaro. After more than 25 years, Meliá now offers five hotels, coming up to more than 3,000 rooms, besides three casinos, an important real property operation, three golf courses in the Cocotal area, as well as a shopping mall about to become an amusement park.
Four of the hotels are in the same one million-plus square feet area in a premium location in the Dominican Republic as Bávaro beaches are.
If there is a concept which unifies the following properties -besides Meliá’s characteristic touch- is their horizontality, with a low density per square foot and wide gardens:
“The differentiation attribute by which Meliá stands out is the human element, it is in them where we have our great value”
- Santiago Rivera Núñez, Area Managing Director for Meliá Hotels International in the Dominican Republic
• Meliá Caribe Beach, with a family concept.
-Meliá Punta Cana Beach, an adults only property, Wellbeing and Wellness inclusive.
• Paradisus Palma Real, one Meliá’s flagships and one of the most beautiful among the Paradisus line and in the Dominican Republic.
-Paradisus Grand Cana, also with one of the best beaches and unrivalled gardens.
• Paradisus Punta Cana, which is about three miles away from the rest and is also one of the first Meliá’s properties on the island, open since 1998.
“The differentiation attribute by which Meliá stands out is our human
element, it is in them where we have our great value”, pointed out Santiago Rivera Núñez, Area Managing Director for Meliá Hotels International in the Dominican Republic.
Santiago Rivera Núñez has developed his entire career at Meliá Hotels International, where he first entered to carry out his professional
internship and afterwards became promoted to leadership positions, working in different countries in f our continents.
Rivera Núñez took part in the opening of the first Spanish hotel in China, specifically in Shanghai, and has worked in Meliá’s properties in Tunisia and Mexico, besides the Dominican Republic.
“Meliá is the ideal company to
”Meliá is the ideal company to get trained and grow.
I am really proud of belonging to this great family”
- Santiago Rivera Núñez, Area Managing Director for Meliá Hotels International in the Dominican Republic
learn and grow. I am really proud of belonging to this large family”, the executive commented.
Within Meliá Hotels International’s operation in the Dominican Republic, changes are happening from the inside, strengthening synergies and simplifying processes, increasing efficiency and being enabled to provide a better experience for guests.
Since more than two years ago, the company has accomplished a series of important investments, which, beyond the closing of hotels from March until October 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, are a part of a project whose core has not really been modified; not so the properties, which are becoming a real sensation that goes beyond the hospitable aspect to dabble directly in entertainment.
This is only a part of the new Meliá’s look in the Dominican Republic:
• Meliá Punta Cana Beach, one of the “adults-only” themed hotels
which also carries a “wellness” concept besides having sustainable structures. New restaurants have been created in this hotel to widen the culinary experience and a luxurious YHI SPA -Meliá’s brand- has recently been opened, using organic products which are 100% local.
• Paradisus Palma Real keeps that breathtaking sight of the Caribbean upon arrival, as well as counting with “The Reserve for Adults Only” and its family version “The Reserve”.
• Meliá Punta Cana is also headquarters for “The Level Adults Only”, with spectacular sights for sunrises and twilights from its rooftop. The whole hotel is enhanced with wellness attributes, having its rooms equipped by DELOS, with mattresses with temperature control, air purifiers, vitamin C showers and even a personalised welcome carried by Deepak Chopra.
• Meliá Caribe Beach keeps its family vacation essence, but it has been renovated with three new restaurants apart from an amusement water park, Splash Island -independent from a Kids Zone-. It also counts with a “The Level” version adapted to a family atmosphere.
One of the most recent investments - over US$150 million- is referred Circle -because of its circular shape-,
previously The Grand Reserve. The new hotel, which is in Paradisus Grand Cana, offers a premium deluxe concept update, besides counting with attractions such as another Splash water park. In this family hotel, every room is a suite and the ones on ground level are “swim-up” rooms.
The luxury is present in each of its eight restaurants, and it also has MAIA Signature spa, by Natura Bissé.
“We must do things we did not use to do, as guests become more informed, demanding more personalised, higher quality experiences”, declared Rivera Núñez.
The Meliá Hotels International’s stellar project in the Dominican Republic ventures completely into the entertainment and leisure sectores
and will have significance in all of the Dominican Republic.
Via a strategic partnership, it is foreseen that Katmandú, an amusement theme park, will open in late 2022.
Besides rides, Katmandu will also offer a shopping area and highly digitized operations are expected in the property, which will even offer 360º as well as virtual reality experiences,
“Guests become more informed, demanding more personalized, higher quality experiences”
- Santiago Rivera Núñez, Area Managing Director for Meliá Hotels
International in the Dominican Republic
generating value both for the Meliá hotels, the Punta Cana area and the country.
Meliá is not alone, and the hotel offer in this area in the Dominican Republic generates a high competition. This has brought investments also from leisurerelated sectors, as hotel industry and tourism are, and the area will probably host more hotels and theme parks in the mid-term.
FOUNDED
1996 ein the Dominican Republic. 1956 worldwide
“There are many companies, both Anglo-Saxon and Hispanic which are investing a great amount of money in the country and in the area. I can say that this is the perfect moment to invest in the Dominican Republic”, concluded Santiago Rivera Núñez,
Area Managing Director
for Meliá Hotels International in the Dominican Republic.
INDUSTRY Hospitality
CONTACT
www.melia.com/en/home.htm +1(809) 688-5000 santiago.rivera@melia.com
Assertive efforts able to increase value in production and within surrounding communities take Calibre Mining into a leading gold producer in Nicaragua
Petri Salopera, Vice-President of Sustainability at Calibre Mining
Calibre Mining is a Canadian company with corporate headquarters in Vancouver, British Columbia, operating in Nicaragua. The company trades in the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: CXB).
The company’s executive leadership is formed by an outstanding group of individuals with decades worth of experience not only in mining but also in public companies. The group’s successful precedents include the sale of seven mining companies in transactions amounting to more than $5 billion.
“We are focused on generating sustainable value for the long term for shareholders, the communities we operate in and every party of interest,” said Petri Salopera, Vice-President of Sustainability at Calibre Mining.
Salopera earned a Master’s Degree in Development Studies, Latin American Studies and Social Studies from the University of Helsinki (Finland), besides taking part in postgraduate studies in Community Relations at the University of Queensland (Australia).
Salopera’s experience has taken him to executive positions in mining companies such as BHP and NewmontGoldcorp (both in Chile), Rio Tinto (Peru) and Newcrest (Ecuador).
Besides mining, Salopera has also been involved in academics and NGOs in Europe and Latin America, focusing on environmental, community, sustainability and media matters, besides government relations.
“Mining and its potential for positive, sustainable change generation is one of the subjects that I’m most passionate about,” commented the executive.
- Petri Salopera, Vice-President of Sustainability at Calibre Mining
REGIONAL LEVEL CLIENTS
• Constructora Meco • Lafarge-Holcim • Cemex
• Constructora Santa Fe • Calibre Mining • Argos
• Minerales de Occidente • Cementos del Norte • Mina Mochito • • Traesa • Macoma • Pedregal • Azvi • La Cantera
EXPLOTEC COSTA RICA
2 km al Oeste del Ebais de Volio, San Ramón, Alajuela (506) 2456-0000 infocr@explotec.net explotec@explotec.net
EXPLOTEC EL SALVADOR
San Salvador, Colonia San Mateo, Avenida Montevideo #9L
(503) 2223-8412 / 7069-1363 infoslv@explotec.net rfunes@explotec.net
EXPLOTEC NICARAGUA
Edicio Kakau, 7mo piso, módulos A-704 y A-705. (505) 2293-9470 / 8930-4271
laguilar@explotec.net infonic@explotec.net
- Petri Salopera, Vice-President of Sustainability at Calibre Mining
Calibre’s production in Nicaragua currently generates 36% of the country’s exports in gold. And in 2020 only, Calibre’s expenditures paid nearly $200 million in the country among operational expenses, employee salaries and benefits, capital expenses as well as in direct investments contributing to wellbeing and education in communities where the company operates in, while creating more than 3,000 positions for direct and indirect
labor, and counting with 98% of Nicaraguan nationals on its staff. Not bad for a company that arrived in the country in 2009 whose main operations were mining exploration, near the country’s Caribbean coast, mainly.
“Nicaragua has a mining tradition; we’ve always stated that the country has well established, clear laws regulating the mining industry,” Salopera declared.
In 2019, Calibre acquired assets
in Nicaragua from B2Gold. This transaction included La Libertad (in Chontales) and El Limón mines; currently, both locations are goldproducing sites. Also, the company owns the Pavón and Eastern Borosi (EBP) projects, which imply a significant contribution to the companies’ operations in Nicaragua.
Calibre also acquired several exploration concessions, and in March 2020 the company signed an agreement along with Rio Tinto
Exploration with the purpose of increasing investments in different mining projects within Nicaragua.
Calibre Mining’s operational model is run under the “Hub and Spoke” scheme: extracting minerals from different sites to be carried into processing plants which sum a processing capacity of 2.7 million tons per year, which allows to ramp up production rapidly and with low costs, delivering long-term value for shareholders.
This combination allows reinvestment for exploration in emerging areas.
Calibre Mining uses up to 97% of recycled water in production processes through tailings dams, which are built with waterproof materials to avoid residuals being in contact with the ground or groundwaters.
Tailings storage facilities include piezometers to measure residuals in tailings and embankments.
“As a company, we are focused on a sustainable performance with disciplined growth,” the executive pointed out.
In 2020, Calibre mining invested $58.6 million in purchases. The company is conveniently supported by Bertling Logistics, Canchanya Ingenieros, Casa Pellas, Empremar,
“Mining and its potential for positive, sustainable change generation is one of the subjects that I’m most passionate about”
- Petri Salopera, Vicepresidente de Sostenibilidad en Calibre Mining
Calibre Mining directs efforts toward sustainable operations and contributes toward operating in sustainable communities
Explotec, Grupo Santa Fe, Kal Tire, NIMAC and Puma Energy, among other companies.
Every Calibre Mining supplier, either big or small, is aligned with the company’s standards about ethics and care for the environment. Calibre also has supplier development programs either for key suppliers countrywide or local suppliers in each site, with the latter group being managed by the Local
Purchases Task Force.
The Directive Committee for Local Content was established in 2020 and is in charge of supervision, revision, approval and support of strategies based in each site.
During 2020, the entire staff at Calibre Mining was subject to safety training sessions focused in each different area, pointing out possible
The staff at Calibre Mining is subject to rigorous training sessions for safety and risk exposure
An excellent operational performance does not need many words of explanation, but one simple answer: Bertling in Miami.
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Visit www.bertling.com/miami to find out more.
dangers and risk exposure, besides spreading safety regulations for each aspect.
Nine other specialized technical safety trainings were added, accomplishing goals beyond the basic requirements.
Consequences deriving from de COVID-19 pandemic also affected the mining industry, and Calibre Mining adapted to the new conditions after a temporary halt to activity during April 2020.
Top priority for operations under these new conditions has been the safety and wellbeing of company employees; for this purpose, Calibre Mining developed and implemented 17 new biosecurity protocols.
“This brought a positive impact in our staff and we have been allowed to operate without having to halt our operations again since,” Salopera added.
Caring for the environment and company efforts in surrounding communities are an important part of Calibre Mining’s success.
Since 2020, the company has held multiple meetings with different groups such as native communities, among others, which are aware of the company’s responsible operations firsthand. All of these interactions take place under the best global practices carried out by Calibre and under the company’s Native Communities Standards, besides being in contact
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“The country has well established, clear laws regulating
- Petri Salopera, Vice-President of Sustainability at Calibre Mining
with the Regional Governments of the North and South Caribbean Coast.
The company operates under Nicaraguan regulations, besides carrying out practices aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), publishing its first Sustainable Development Report. It’s also worth mentioning that in August 2020, the company joined the World Gold Council (WGC). As members of this organization, we share a unified vision of our responsibility in securing a
sustainable gold mining industry based on a deep understanding of gold’s role in society, today and in coming years.
“The goal is delivering value for our groups of interest in a responsible way through innovative management focused on participation,” declared the executive.
• In the Pavón Mine (located in Rancho Grande, Matagalpa), Calibre Mining partnered with the CEN
Calibre Mining’s production contributes to more than 30% of Nicaragua’s gold exports
environmental organization (Center for Understanding with Nature) to join environmental, social and economic goals within this site.
• In the El Limón Mine, the company co-financed a campaign from the Ministry of Health, benefitting 5,055 residents from El Limón and surroundings, reducing risk of infections from diseases such as dengue fever and Zika virus.
• After damages caused by hurricanes Eta and Iota in 2020, Calibre Mining created a humanitarian aid fund along with local authorities and NGOs, helping vulnerable communities in the Rosita, Siuna, Bonanza, Rancho Grande, El Tuma-La Dalia, El Cua and San José de Bocay communities.
• In Rancho Grande, the company built a new educational center for the Yahosca Arriba community,
The company is also involved in other exploration projects, some of them along strategic partners
with improved infrastructure -including solar panels-, benefitting more than 40 students.
Toward the end of 2021, gold production from Calibre Mining is projected to reach between 170,000 and 180,000 oz.
Previously, with the purpose of creating a mid-level gold mining company, in 2020 Calibre joined the
WGC, with the duty of complying with the Responsible Gold Mining Principles (RGMP) from this entity. The company is already directing efforts to align with these regulations, as well as with the International Council on Mining and Metals Principles, besides its commitment to comply with efforts aligned to the UN’s SDGs.
It’s projected that the company will be taking three years to totally comply
www.cis.com.pe
Canchanya Ingenieros S.R.L. Peruvian company, established in 1993, specializing in the execution of works and comprehensive managementof underground and open-pit mining operations.
Telephone Nicaragua: +505 7516 1796
Telephone Peru: +511 995723074
contactos@cis.com.pe
with RGMP, current efforts to fulfill this goal include identifying areas of improvement as well as those that are already aligned with such standards.
Other purposes for Calibre Mining include reducing greenhouse gas emissions within the mid-term.
“We keep our goal of interacting in an open, respectful way to continue contributing in a positive, constructive manner to improve people’s living conditions,” finalized Petri Salopera, Vice-President of Sustainability at Calibre Mining.
your end-to-end logistics partner for mining projects
Bertling Logistics, Inc. Miami was founded in 1998 and has since developed into one of the leading –if not the only truly project-focused – logistics services provider in the area. The office is headed by Néstor González, leading the commercial department and Alicia Byrne managing operational activities in the region.
Over the last years, Bertling Miami has developed a special logistics service portfolio for the mining industry and has been handling manifold resupply and logistics for mining products conveyand all over Central and South America. From ad-hoc equipment supply shipments to bulky mining machinery and vehicles –Bertling Miami is a logistics leader in this sector. With its worldwide office network and wide-range network of subcontractors and local logistics partners, Bertling Miami solves every logistical challenge to supply - often remote- mine sites on time and on
Also, the tailor-made and highly visible IT system Bertling Miami applies and individualizes for each mining project, has been a success factor. Clients appreciate the many different EDI connections, reporting budget to ensure operations without any disturbance.
For a current gold mine project in the Dominican Republic, Bertling Miami has had a record month after the other in 2021, with recently over 111 shipments from 15 foreign locations handled in one month only, including about 200 pick-ups in the USA alone – which is no problem for the experienced logistics experts at Miami, who transport the different mining spare parts, equipment
and materials without delay – albeit the current challenging market environment caused by rate volatility, port congestion and Covid-19. About 500 containers are shipped for this contract per year.
and tracking opportunities to have full transparency over each and every shipment. In addition, overall process improvements to digitize the mining resupply operations, Bertling’s in-house developed smart device tracking and eco-footprint tracking and offsetting solutions are increasingly requested by their international mining customer to meet their sustainability and efficiency goals and targets.
The unique mining logistics expertise
and end-to-end service offering of Bertling Miami is completed with a modern warehouse facility for sophisticated material handling and storage solutions – a service which many mining companies value for storage of parts and equipment, using Bertling’s facility for onward transportation upon demand –all transparently connected and traceable via Bertling’s transport management system.
Bertling – We deliver our promise.
Bertling was founded in Germany more than 155 years ago and has since developed from a local chartering and ship-owning business to a globally recognized logistics and shipping company, offering complex project freight forwarding, GFF and resupply transport solutions as well as worldwide leading ship-owning, chartering and brokerage services to its global clients. Bertling’s value adds in-house IT services which encompass state-of-the art transport management tools, real-time tracking/tracing, reporting and overall digitalization solutions to build sustainable, highly
visible and efficiently-run supplychains for transports and projects of any scale.
Working with an international network of 54 offices in 33 countries and dedicated partners plus 700 logistics employees, Bertling is ideally positioned to provide end-to-end turnkey logistics and shipping services to the energy, oil & gas, mining & construction, infrastructure, renewables and petrochemical industries. Bertling’s highly specialized logistics services also encompass Bertling Enviro, Bertling Bulk Liquids, Bertling Class 1 and Bertling Trucking solutions.
BERTLING CONTACT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Phone: +1 786 8640550 Ext. 1562
Mobile: +1 305 7931367
nestor.gonzalez@bertling.com
www.bertling.com/miami
and reducing risks in every blast
Orica delivers avant-garde blast and explosives solutions to the Brazilian market, mainly benefitting the mining industry by increasing its productivity and delivering higher safety standards
Orica is the worldwide leader in production and distribution of blasting and initiation systems, besides providing other solutions, from cyanide production for gold extraction to cutting-edge technology in digital solutions and other blasting services, contributing to a safe, efficient and responsible resource extraction and monitoring. The company dates back to 1874, as a supplier for Australian goldfields. After more than 146 years in business, Orica has presence in more than 100
countries, providing jobs for more than 13,000 employees, of which more than 200 are tech specialists, making Orica the number one commercial explosive supplier worldwide.
“We are a community of engineers, scientists, technicians, operators, business specialists and on-site personnel working together to support our clients day in and day out,” commented Diego Vallim, Country Manager for Orica Brazil.
Diego Vallim has been in charge of Orica Brazil since 2021, after joining the company in 2016 as Senior Sourcing Manager for Latin America,
“We are a community of specialists working together to support our clients”
- Diego Vallim, Country Manager, Orica Brazil
being based in Chile. Vallim took part in a Management Leadership Program and was selected for this position afterwards. The acquisition of Peruvian company Exsa by Orica, a $200 million operation, is listed among his recent accomplishments.
His education includes an MBA, among other courses in Brazil and abroad. Before joining Orica, Vallim also held leadership positions for companies in the automotive and mining industries.
Orica’s presence in Brazil dates back to the 1980s. In Brazil, the company currently offers its entire solutions and product portfolio for blasting, from initiation systems and emulsions to high-end technology
to design safe blasts. Other services such as risk-reducing geotechnical monitoring are provided by the GroundProbe™ division.
Orica serves the mining industry in Brazil, mainly for iron and gold extraction, as well as for other basic metals and quarries, besides offering solutions to construction and oil & gas industries.
The company relies on its production plants within the country, where initiation systems and emulsions are produced, and it’s also supported by a wide supply network covering clients in all of the Brazilian territory.
“We are known for our safety culture and for our skills to create value through products and technology, but mainly for our staff’s capabilities,” Vallim pointed out.
Being the global leader in blasting and explosives for the mining and construction sectors implies that every new product made available by Orica does not follow any path previously travelled, but rather becomes a trendsetting innovation in the industry, capable of disrupting the way any specialized task has been performed. The most outstanding solutions among the company’s latest development are:
• WebGen™: This wireless initiation system avoids the use of down-lines and connecting wires. Its reach gets the signal through rocks, air and water, resulting in safe, reliable blasts without risking any injury to staff, increasing productivity and reducing costs. WebGen™ is SIL3certified (Safety Integrity Level), and is the only commercial explosive with the highest security grade.
• Avatel™: A digitized underground charging system designed to initiate blasts from a safe cabin, reducing exposure to any harm. Avatel™ was created in collaboration with Epiroc, another leading company in mining machinery.
• GroundProbe: This division recently developed RAR (real aperture radar) and SAR (synthetic aperture radar) devices, able to monitor slope stability, the GMS robotic station for prism monitoring, the GML for convergence monitoring in underground mining, and the RGRVelox (reactive geohazard radar) for reactive monitoring and alarming for tailings dam breaches.
The Design For Outcome system offers a comprehensive digital solution to gather and manage data, previous blast results as well as rock and ore
properties to use with predictive algorithms, delivering possible outcomes and determining the quantity of explosives to use in each procedure depending on expected results.
Design For Outcome is enhanced when paired with the BlastIQ™ cloudbased platform, which manages the stored data from blasts and perforation, easing integration with
electronic initiation systems such as I-kon III, the most advanced in its kind, able to optimize small and large scale blast times, automatically generating blast sequence reprogramming, increasing reliability under severe weather conditions and able to reduce blast delays.
One of the most important aspects
for Orica, globally, is its R&D department, which receives annual investments for more than $50 million, where more than 60 data analysts come up with the newest solutions with latest-generation technology, setting goals such as reducing personnel exposure to any risk during blasts, operational excellence as well as maintaining and improving global sustainability standards.
Orica has factories and development centers worldwide, which brings flexibility and other advantages to its supply chain and logistics, which benefit also from partnerships with clients and suppliers.
All of these factors enable the company to guarantee the availability of the most advanced solutions in Brazil, delivering the best execution
and safety in blasting, globally, after more than 100 year-experience in different kinds of mining operations worldwide.
“The latest solutions in blasting and slope monitoring are within our reach, thrusting Brazil into the forefront of the world’s mining industry,” declared the executive.
The restrictions and consequences derived from the COVID19 pandemic resulted in a testing time for Orica Brazil’s resilience and adaptability.
Many of the duties required to complete essential activities supplied by the company must be carried on site, and these are performed by more than half of the staff. In the same way, such unusual conditions allowed for a complete overview of company procedures, thus accelerating the
“We are known for our safety culture and for our skills to create value, but mainly for our staff’s capabilities”
automation and digitization strategy, thrusting new practices such as remote assistance through AR (augmented reality).
Orica focuses on inclusion and diversity strategies, a subject in which
there have been tangible results, but still with so much to accomplish. 33% of leadership positions for Orica in Latin America are held by women, while in graduate programs this grows to 50%. Also, 35% of positions in charge of different squads are held by women. There’s still room to grow in
Technologies
field positions, though Orica Brazil proudly hired the first MMU female driver.
For the foreseeable future, Orica plans to get into a certain scenario
whose path to reach it requires effort through resources in the company’s hands.
Orica’s purpose is to generate value and allow its disruptive solutions to evolve, such as WebGen™ technology, GroundProbe™ radars, and the BlastIQ™ digital platform,
“The latest solutions in blasting and slope monitoring are within our reach, thrusting Brazil into the forefront of the world’s mining industry”
- Diego Vallim, Country Manager, Orica Brazil
delivering increased safety and productivity through these solutions.
Also, strengthening its industrial presence in Brazil and the rest of Latin America to optimize its supply chain in the territory, and capitalizing on what this represents regarding raw material and finished products management, contributing to make Orica become a strategic partner for its clients.
FOUNDED: 1874 (in Australia)
INDUSTRY: Mining
WEBPAGE: www.orica.com
TEL: (+55) 12 214 1300
EMAIL: diego.vallim@orica.com
AVAYA Colombia has raised as a powerhouse and accelerator for business, as it has gained importance as the market’s leading digital resources facilitator
On a global scale, AVAYA is a synonym for dynamic and fluent communications, for flexible and adaptable environments and excellency in what Information and Communication Technologies regards. The Company – a spin-off from AT&T- follows a path in which, for 21 years, it has kept itself at the forefront by means of technological innovations as well as by easing millions of operations to more than five million users in contact centers, becoming a referent in sectors such as “solutions as a service” and as a facilitator of cloud transitions and digital transformations.
Juan Manuel Mesa oversees AVAYA’s Colombian operation. He graduated in Electronic Engineering from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Colombia), owns a Master’s Degree on Business Administration
from Thunderbird School of Global Management (Arizona, USA) and some studies on Digital Business Strategies from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
After a 20-year career, Mesa has experience in charge of digital transformation projects in different sectors, in the creation and launch of business development strategies in different companies from the sector such as Oracle Colombia, where he served as a general manager. Previously, he served as a Public Sector Director and as a hardware Sales Manager for the Andean Region. He also acted as Business Manager for Lenovo’s Enterprise division and, before that, he led IBM’s System X strategy for Latin-America and the Caribbean.
The Company’s work in Colombia has made an important ally in unified communications out of it, besides
Solutions offered by AVAYA have become more relevant with the increase in remote work as a consequence of the global pandemic
being a supplier for nine out of ten of the biggest “call centers” in the country, increasing its market share up to 50% according to the “Digitalization and Preparation for the Adoption of Solutions in the Cloud” report, conducted by analysts Frost & Sullivan.
These efforts have made Colombia
to be the country with AVAYA’s third largest revenue in Latin America.
To culminate that successful job, a new AVAYA Innovation Center has been built in Bogotá, a facility up to standards shared by the corporate headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, and New Jersey, USA. A great investment has been made on this center to
Companies require the capacity to create applications from different elements, which would ease their communication and collaboration environment
- Juan Manuel Mesa,
General Manager for
AVAYA Colombia
make innovations and high-level technological experiences available to clients and strategic partners, becoming a hub able to provide solutions in Digital Transformations and Unified Communication to business leaders at every level, from entrepreneurs to senior management in Colombia’s large companies.
AVAYA’s results in the recent “Life And Work Beyond 2020” survey showed that the intention of the workforce in working activities should be more flexible regarding employee’s physical presence in company offices and in their schedules, as well as users’ and consumers’ expectations towards multichannel interaction with brands and companies, in a way in which they can receive an immediate response for their needs.
To become closer to these models, AVAYA has considered three key factors:
• Cloud solutions, where not only is information stored, but also software.
• Easing access to technological resources, with support from Artificial Intelligence and subscription models.
• Flexible and modular technological architecture, in which clients are enabled to generate custom-made solutions, covering any possible experience for different users.
“Companies require the capacity to create applications from different elements, which would ease creating the ideal communications and collaboration environment to manage and train teams”, said Mesa.
AVAYA integrates hubs with different applications, making collaborative work easier
Our partnerships’ growth has enabled us to accelerate the introduction and adoption of new technologies and keep ourselves as a client-centered company
- Juan Manuel Mesa,
General
Manager for AVAYA Colombia
Resources available from AVAYA are useful tools which, after some time, become essential for collaborative work. One of these important innovations is AVAYA Spaces, which gathers applications into a hub and makes collaborative work easier for thousands of people.
Another recent remarkable launch has been AVAYA OneCloudTm, which aligns itself with services such as contact centers, unified communications and communication platforms.
These and other resources are available by the AVAYA OneCloudTm
Subscription model for software and devices, which enables companies access these tools by flexible payment methods such as monthly fees, according to their needs and modular growth.
“This offer is available in all of Latin America and its aim is to fill in a gap that companies need to be more
competitive in a market which is now more aggressive than ever”, the executive explained.
AVAYA keeps close relationships with big brands, which enable the company into creating strategic alliances that result in the possibility of offering innovative products for companies of all sizes as well as easing their path to digitalization.
Brands such as AWS, Google Cloud, IBM, Microsoft, Nuance, Telmex and Verint, among others, are a part of the solutions AVAYA offers to its customers and users to make a difference.
“Our partnerships’ growth has enabled us to accelerate the introduction and adoption of new technologies, break the inertia and keep ourselves as a clientcentered company”, the general manager stated.
AVAYA offers customized subscription models, covering the needs of companies of any size
The COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences have changed many companies -even in positive aspectsas an agent for emerging abilities which perhaps didn’t gather that many attention in the conditions prior to the health contingency. AVAYA Colombia
has shown itself as a resilient Company with a winning DNA, able to detect opportunities for new business, as well as thrusting those companies in need of these digital tools to keep working during the emergency. Moreover, AVAYA supported companies from all sectors in Colombia by giving away about 50,000
free licenses to use their products in remote work, apart from offering webinars to help companies face this situation so they could go on working.
“The daily discipline and execution of the ‘Go To Market’ strategy has been consolidated and changes have really strengthened the team”, said Mesa.
AVAYA carries an important and comprehensive task to detect and support youngsters able to create innovative solutions with the help of technology. For that reason, AVAYA has created a cloud-based lab for entrepreneurs, having already trained more than 400 people to use the
resources the company offers.
This effort has spread to the Antioquía, Atlántico, Boyacá, Cauca and Cundinamarca departments, by working together with colleges such as Universidad de Antioquía, Universidad de Boyacá and Universidad de La Sabana, among others.
The forecast for AVAYA is positive,
as the company has a highly qualified team to work and offer a services portfolio that provides support for the requirements the current situation and the future demand for the continuity of its clients’ businesses.
An emphasis on cloud-based applications and storage is foreseen, as well as a push to voice biometry and Artificial Intelligence to improve the customer’s experience.
Joining forces with raw materials suppliers and strategic partners in logistics takes Simplot to the top of the frozen french fries market
Interviewee
Luis Alberto
Rodríguez
Mastache, CEO for Simplot México
Interviewee
Alberto Ponce, Supply
Chain Director for Mexico and Central America at Simplot
John Richard Simplot gave his own name to the company he founded during the late 1920s in Boise, Idaho, a state widely known for its high volume of potato production. The JR Simplot company has always been a standout in innovation, besides facing and surpassing different challenges, detecting opportunities and making the most of them to achieve growth for decades, developing the business of frozen french fries, and becoming an empire after striking important deals with the McDonald’s fast-food chain and its owner, Ray A. Kroc.
Currently, Simplot generates 11% of french fries imports in Mexico, and, along two other companies, adds to 60% to 65% of the specialty’s global production.
Through its food, agriculture, turf and livestock divisions, Simplot
generates value in the food industry, providing resources to support its suppliers and relying on these resources to thrive in the global market since the early 21st century, with a decade’s worth of labor in Mexico.
“We are interested in winning, we think Mexico can host world-class organizations,” commented Luis Alberto Rodríguez Mastache, CEO for Simplot Mexico, and also in charge of the Central America territory for the company.
Rodríguez Mastache earned a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from ITESM (Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, in Mexico), graduating with honors through a scholarship. Afterwards, he completed an MBA from IPADE (PanAmerican Institute for High Business Management, in Mexico), he also completed Humanities studies at
“We all have leadership within our duties, we all have a leadership example for things to happen”
- Alberto Ponce, Supply Chain Director for Mexico and Central America at Simplot
the University of Granada (Spain) and the Strategic Business Negotiations Program at Ivey Business School (part of the Western University, in Canada). His 30-year experience has led him to different areas such as sales and operations, besides marketing, working for multinational companies in the food and beverage industry, and being part of Simplot since 2015.
“It’s our duty to make our organization grow in Mexico under the values the company has displayed: generating value along with suppliers, clients and distributors,” the executive said.
Alberto Ponce is in charge of the supply chain. Ponce earned a degree in Industrial Engineering from ITESM (State of Mexico campus),
and also earned an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. His 14-year experience has led him to global companies such as ColgatePalmolive, Coca-Cola and Philip Morris.
“To achieve growth, we need the right people. Once the right people are here, the most important thing is keeping the talent in a safe environment,” pointed out Ponce, Supply Chain Director for Mexico and Central America at Simplot.
About 400 million pounds worth of potatoes are imported into Mexico, which, along with the 350 million pounds imported into Central America
and the Caribbean add up to 750 million lb, which amounts to almost a billion lb in a global market worth 26 billion lb of potatoes. Simplot’s main focus is on food service businesses, which includes restaurants of every level, grocery stores, retail chains and other specialized outlets.
“Our value proposition offers solutions for what our clients are looking for,” Rodríguez Mastache declared.
The structure providing support to the Simplot Mexico operation covers beyond the values and principles of a family business, which brought success to the company in its home country, but it’s also based in three key factors:
• Strategic support: The necessary support to design and track the company’s course, from goals to
the different ways to carry out plans.
• Product portfolio: The Quality Assurance and Research & Development departments contribute to deliver products with the highest quality and consistency; R&D also directs efforts to upcoming innovations. As a result of such efforts, the company is able to offer a product that maintains its temperature for 40 minutes, resulting in a warm, crispy product as delivery customers receive their meal.
• Innovation system: Investment in technology and standardized systems, answering to processes deployed during the last two years, led by the implementation of the SAPHANA ERP platform.
This structure allows Simplot Mexico and affiliates worldwide to work with freedom, responsibility and authority to make decisions and carry concrete
“Our duty now is to develop a logistics network that enables us to deliver our products in a more efficient manner”
-
Luis Alberto Rodríguez Mastache, CEO for Simplot México
To back Simplot’s strategic positioning in the fries specialty, the company opened new production plants in Argentina and duplicated its production capacity in Canada and China.
Regarding Mexico and Central America, Simplot doubled production capacity for avocado in Mexico, with the company’s plants in Morelia and Irapuato leading the way.
“Our production facilities in Mexico deliver global production for Mexico, the United States and Asia,” Ponce commented.
One of the most important tasks in the Logistics department for Simplot Mexico is developing distribution networks, considering how fragmented distribution is in Mexico,
“We strive to promote solutions actions to increase profitability.
as delivery to every food service unit becomes a challenge.
Synergies have been developed to counteract the contraction among available carriers in the US to bring the product down to Mexico’s northern border and rely on a nationwide distribution network.
In Central America, the company is developing a similar network, able to work with the same efficiency as the one in Mexico does.
“Our distribution partners are doing a great job, we are setting up agreements with Mexican entrepreneurs to reach more locations,” Rodríguez Mastache declared.
Simplot’s strategic partners in logistics operate units furnished with GPS, led by monitoring stations for easy location 24/7, in the same way maritime shipping lines operate tracking platforms.
Leading company in logistics solutions for the Cold Chain in food industry in MEXICO AND PERU
frialsa.com.mx
along with our distributors and show them that investments in technology are important as it is connecting through social media, offering different options and the importance of delivering a quality product,” Rodríguez Mastache commented.
ACHIEVEMENT VIA SIMPLOT GROWER SOLUTION
Depending from different potato farmers led Simplot to create the
Simplot Grower Solution advisory services, which provides resources such as information, valuable data and advanced products for farmers to obtain successful crops.
This program has been successful with small farmers in the US and Canada, in the same way it has been developed in Mexico, so far, under the “Partners in Growth” brand philosophy.
“In this way, we guarantee quality and support our partners’ growth,” Ponce added.
Simplot Mexico considers the long term as an important factor to create and maintain sustainable systems, also in aspects such as driving its workforce development. Such an environment favoring outstanding performance has not only earned
Simplot Mexico being listed as a “Great Place to Work”, but has held the company in this ranking during the last four years, factoring along other elements such as the professional/ personal life balance aspect among employees.
“We all have leadership within our duties, we all have a leadership example for things to happen,” Ponce concluded.
