The company, which celebrates 100 years of creation, is led by Dolores Prado and Caterina Costa, CEO and president of the Board respectively.
This year Holcim Ecuador becomes a centennial company, since in 1921 it was born with the name of Industrias y Construcciones, founded by José Rodríguez Bonín. Its CEO since this year, Dolores Prado, the first woman to lead the firm in its 100 years of existence, spoke with Diario EL UNIVERSO about the stages it went through to become a leader in the construction sector and in equality gender, in addition to its challenges and projects for the future.
Does it have a special connotation that she is the first woman to lead this company as its CEO?
As a leading company in the construction industry, we have identified all the challenges posed by gender equality in the industry and we have been working for several years for an action plan with clear objectives. One of our initiatives is called Women in Operation.
In this we focus on having more women in non-traditional positions in our operations. Being able to incorporate supervisors in production plants or, for example, women drivers of heavy and specialized equipment into our team, fills us with pride.
Another great example is our new Loma Alta aggregates plant, the first plant with 52% women. A milestone that shows that diversity is part of our strategy and reinforces our conviction that talent is genderless.
To achieve this goal we were able to demolish paradigms and build a future of new opportunities, where the work culture respects diversity, for all professions without distinction. This project has an approximate investment of $ 10 million and is in its final construction phase.
Another of the initiatives we work on, Administrative Women, focuses on developing leadership skills and preparing more women to take on new challenges.
Examples of the results of this program are that our leadership team currently has 50% women and our company has been led since this year 2021 for the first time in its 100 years of company by me as CEO.
In addition, last August, Holcim Ecuador presented changes to its board of directors. Caterina Costa de García was appointed as the new president of the company’s board of directors and is the first woman to take on this challenge. Caterina assumed the responsibility of leading with me this company that believes in equal opportunities, in talent without distinction.
Holcim Ecuador chooses for the first time a woman to direct its board of directors
How did Holcim get to Ecuador?
On March 29, 1921, the Industrias y Construcciones company, founded by José Rodríguez Bonín, began the constitution of the company and the construction of the first cement plant in the country, called the San Eduardo Plant, in Guayaquil. This construction ended in July 1923.
In 1948 the company had a new owner, Presley Norton, who remained as head of the company until 1974 and since this year, La Cemento Nacional acquires its name.
In 1976, the Swiss group Holderbank became the main shareholder of La Cemento Nacional. This brought with it technology, innovation and great development for the local team. Since 2004 the company La Cemento Nacional officially became the Holcim Ecuador brand, part of the international group of the same name.
In 2015 the global group Holcim Ltd. merged with Lafarge SA This resulted in the LafargeHolcim SA Group, the largest cement company in the world. Recently in this 2021, the group changed its name and is now Holcim.
What operations and infrastructure does Holcim currently have in Ecuador?
Holcim Ecuador currently operates an integrated cement plant in Guayaquil, a cement grinding plant in Latacunga, ten concrete plants: Guayaquil (3), Quito (3), Cuenca, Manta, Machala and Ambato. In addition, seven mobile concrete plants, an aggregates plant in Pifo and the new Agregados Loma Alta plant located in the Daule canton.
In the segment retail, The Disensa franchise network has 600 franchisees nationwide. In 2020, nearly $ 278 million in sales were generated and Holcim has approximately 850 employees.
How much has Holcim invested to date in Ecuador?
Holcim Ecuador is committed to the country, having invested more than $ 500 million in the last 10 years, permanently modernizing its cement production processes and expanding its capacities in concrete, aggregates and offering the best solutions for the construction market.
In addition, Holcim Ecuador permanently allocates an average of $ 1.5 million annually for its environmental management plans. We work permanently on infrastructure improvements, equipment renovation and high standards to reduce our impacts through the most modern technology for our operations.
This year Holcim Ecuador is expanding its operations with the creation of a new aggregates plant, called Loma Alta, located in the Daule canton. This project has an approximate investment of $ 10 million, plans to start operations in October of this year 2021 and has a strong focus on hiring women for said operation, more than 50% of the workforce is made up of women.
What are the company’s expectations for the future regarding the new legislation under discussion and what new investments are being prepared?
We are prepared to continue building a better future and betting on the country with various projects and objectives to meet. Always remembering our commitment to sustainability, which allows us to get closer to our purpose of building for people and for the planet, of being the leader in innovative and sustainable construction solutions.
The work that we have been doing to make these objectives a reality has allowed us to gain the trust and recognition of customers and experts in sustainability issues, in 2020 we received with great humility and pride the number 1 position of the ranking Green Companies, according to the study carried out by Advance Consultora.
In 2020 we were also recognized by the ranking Employer Branding of the consulting firm Ferias 360, as the first company in the construction sector and the third in the country in which Ecuadorians want to work, this also commits us more to continue innovating and looking for new ways of working for the care of the environment.
Despite the drop in demand in the construction market due to the pandemic, at Holcim Ecuador we are sure that we will continue to grow together, generating well-being and a future for the country and its people. (I)
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