ongoing reinvention

NEW FRONTIERS
ONGOING
REINVENTION
GUATEMALA HIGHWAY PROJECT MARKS
THE GROUP’S DEBUT IN THAT COUNTRY
DEFENSE THE DAILY LIVES OF
PEOPLE WORKING FOR SOVEREIGNTY
Solutions
everywhere
Improving people’s quality of life, wherever they are,
is one of the Odebrecht Group’s objectives. To achieve this,
its teams are growing and expanding in 20 countries
worldwide, taking with them modern technologies and the
drive to meet the complex demands of a changing world.
They are constantly developing new solutions to fresh
challenges and helping nations and regions pursue their
greatest aspirations: a dignified life and prosperity.
E D I T O R I A L
CAPACITY
FOR REINVENTION
I
t is an ongoing drive and
a constant process of
reinvention. Launched in the
1970s, the internationalization
and diversification of Odebrecht’s
businesses are always being renewed
to keep pace with a changing world.
Staying abreast of the times is a
key part of our mission of serving
clients around the globe. We must
keep our eyes on the horizon,
although we will always rely on the
legacy of previous generations to
reap the expected rewards.
This dynamic process is always
moving forward, but it is planned
and executed with caution learned
from experience and the maturity
of people who seek to take the right
steps, which is essential to ensuring
the full satisfaction of everyone
who needs effective services for
growth and development, including
communities and countries.
In this issue, you will see the
new opportunities that are emerging
for Odebrecht Group businesses,
often arising in environments where
its teams have already established
a presence through infrastructure
services. Whether as a service
provider, an investor, a partner
2
in joint ventures or a concession
company, Odebrecht is developing
new forms of worldwide operations
that are enabling the Group to
renew itself as an entrepreneurial
organization whose calling is service.
By doing so, it is empowering itself
to serve its clients even better.
This is a new setting in which
the principles set forth in the
Odebrecht Entrepreneurial
Technology (TEO) will continue to
be the basis for our relationships
with clients, communities and
partners who, as you will see in
the reports on the following pages,
are feeling the impact of the fresh
and challenging demands of these
new times – demands that can
only be adequately met by people
who understand that it is crucial
to reinvent ourselves on a daily
basis. Instead of seeing them as
an obstacle, we are making the
changing times our biggest and
most crucial ally.
However, reinvention sometimes
means making a strategic withdrawal
to look for new paths. This is the
case with Odebrecht Informa, which
will temporarily cease publication as
of this issue. ]
Fred Chalub
π Fábio Rodrigues in the A-Darter missile’s Optical Bank Lab at Mectron’s headquarters
Odebrecht informa
3
HD I E GS HT LA I QG UH E TS S
COVER
Biocom member in a lab at the
company’s headquarters in Cacuso,
Angola. Photo by Juca Varella.
ANGOLA
28
06
New Frontiers
Begun in the 1970s, the internationalization and
diversification of Odebrecht’s businesses is a
dynamic process that is gaining significant strength
Biocom, a bioenergy factory that uses
cutting-edge technology in its agricultural
processes, signifies career opportunities for
the community in the Cacuso region
GUATEMALA
15
Odebrecht’s first project in this country is the widening
and rehabilitation of Central American Highway 2, the
main artery for the flow of the nation’s GDP
4
12
44
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Under construction in Baní province, the
Punta Catalaina thermal power plant will
make a decisive contribution to bolstering and
diversifying the DR’s energy mix
DEFENSE
A missile and radar manufacturer, the Mectron
company was created in 1991 and merged with
the Group in 2011. Its teams are conducting
tests that present highly complex challenges
FOLKS
INTERVIEW
38
24
Get to know some of the ideas and passions of Natalie
Dowlsley, Saulo Rezende, Elias Lages and Rodney Carvalho
20
50
INDUSTRIAL
ENGINEERING
Miguel Peres, International Managing Director of
Odebrecht Environmental, discusses the process of
taking the company global
A success story that began in Brazil
in the 1980s is repeating itself
in several countries, particularly
contributions that require unique
expertise
ARGUMENT
ODEBRECHT
FOUNDATION
Two participants in ongoing projects
in Brazil’s Southern Bahia Lowlands
share their experiences of work and
life through the Young Builder Latin
America Program
35
Marcelo Arantes analyzes Braskem’s international
expansion and stresses the importance of applying the
Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technology to achieve the
expected goals
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CC OA VP EA R
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π Biocom: the first bioenergy plant in Angola, a country where Odebrecht has been present since 1984
6
Juca Varella
BROADENING
FRONTIERS
THE PROCESS OF INTERNATIONALIZING
AND DIVERSIFYING ODEBRECHT’S BUSINESSES IS
GAINING SIGNIFICANT STRENGTH
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Johan Ordanez- AFP
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π Central American Highway 2 in Guatemala: expanding Odebrecht’s operations in Latin America
New ways of working in places where we already have a long-standing presence, as well as in different
places, facing the inherent challenges of starting out in new environments. In the reports beginning on
the following page, you will find examples of these new international frontiers and Odebrecht Group
businesses. In the Dominican Republic, the Punta Catalina thermal power plant is the Group’s first
industrial engineering project in that Caribbean country. In Africa, Angola is witnessing the birth
of Biocom, a modern, automated plant equipped with the latest technology in agricultural processes,
the country’s first venture in the bioenergy sector. The work of Odebrecht Defense and Technology’s
teams is one of the icons of the constant dynamism of Odebrecht’s diversification, represented in
this case by work directly related to Brazil’s national sovereignty. In Guatemala, the most populous
nation in Central America, the Group’s operations began less than two years ago. There, our teams
are building Central American Highway 2. This is a new environment for the organization, which is
bolstering its deep-rooted presence in Latin America. These are stories that speak of appreciation for
new experiences and the desire to keep pace with the times and their requirements. Above all, they are
reports on the decisions and actions of people who are eager to learn, grow and serve, with a strong
sense of unity as members of an entrepreneurial organization that has maintained an unwavering
commitment to building the future since its inception.
8
THE SQUAD FROM HOUSTON
A SPECIALIZED TEAM PROVIDES PROCUREMENT SERVICES TO
SUPPORT THE GROUP’S VARIED BUSINESSES
Written by Patrick Cruz | Photos by André Valentim
Plans for operations outside Brazil entered the
Group’s agenda in the 1970s, but perhaps not even
its most visionary leaders could have foreseen the
depth of this internationalization process. That
culture is so ingrained at Odebrecht that it enables
the organization to undertake amazing initiatives
like injecting an Argentine accent into a base for
industrial engineering operations in Houston,
Texas. Yes, there is a little (or more) of Odebrecht
Argentina in the Group’s presence in the United
States.
These Argentine reinforcements began to take
shape in June 2013, when Odebrecht Industrial
Engineering decided to establish a strategic support unit for its projects: the Odebrecht
Procurement Center (OPC). It chose the city of
Houston as its base because it is a world center for
the oil and gas industry, a sector directly related
to the industrial engineering projects with which
the OPC operates. The goal is eventually to provide
procurement services to other Group companies,
as well to maximize potential synergies between
the different Businesses.
“We’ve adapted very well, despite the challenge of organizing a new life in a country with
very different standards and processes to the
ones we’re used to," says Procurement Director
Ricardo Unzner, who moved from Argentina to the
United States with his family to take on his new
responsibilities. During the initial stage, two other
Argentine nationals, Fernando Rodriguez and Juan
Manuel Baya, moved there too. Soon afterwards,
the team was reinforced by two more of their
countrymen, Emmanuel Contreras and Ezekiel
Adamo.
The OPC team works as a kind of central supply depot for projects and seeks to make the most
of synergy in its relationships with suppliers. The
team members work for and in alignment with
Group projects, handling requests for materials, purchasing and supplying previously agreed
items. The majority of the team members are from
Argentina because they have specific experience in
procurement, the right qualifications for international expansion, and were willing to take on the
challenge in the United States. Today, the team
consists of 14 people, and there are also plans to
bolster the group when projects require it. Based
on the experience already gained from forming the
initial team for this new operation, the Argentine
professionals will play an important part, not only
because they were pioneers but also due to the supervisory role they will soon be playing.
“We are thinking of how to qualify and hire
people in the various countries with which we will
be working,” says Unzner. The idea is to relocate
these professionals for short periods of time and
prepare them to work in sync with the OPC team
based in Houston.
All OPC members are prepared to engage in
purchasing activities and manage the projects’ requests for equipment and materials. This task includes negotiating prices and keeping track of the
demand so the right number of parts and machines
arrive at the construction sites to ensure that they
have neither a surplus nor a deficit.
A youthful team
The team is young: the average age is 32. Despite
the cultural differences between Argentina and
the United States, the work they do in support
of Industrial Engineering has changed very little since OPC’s inception. “I am proud to be here,
not because I want to leave an ‘Argentine mark’ on
the company’s US operations, but because of the
challenge of being part of a team that is opening
a new front in the organization’s operations,” says
Emmanuel Contreras.
Ricardo Unzner believes that he, his fellow
Argentines and the other team members have
made their own mark on the operation. “We have
implemented a successful working method that
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brings together the benefits of decentralized management based on projects and centralized contacts with suppliers,” he says. It combines the
principle of decentralization, one of the pillars of
the Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technology (TEO),
with the work of a team that focuses on establishing relationships with the companies that supply
materials and equipment.
OPC’s activities are not restricted to the United
States. Its first construction project was the USD
369-million Pascuales-Cuenca multipurpose pipeline in Ecuador. That was a complex undertaking,
and the technicians had to rack their brains to ensure that the industrial engineering business had a
full inventory: the Pascuales terminal, the starting
point of the pipeline, is located in the Guayaquil
region, at sea level. The project involved installing 210 km of steel pipe from there to Cuenca, in
the Andes mountains. The pipelines will transport
gasoline, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
New challenges now lie ahead for the Argentines
and their co-workers at OPC. In 2015, for example, they will provide support for the construction
of the South Peruvian gas pipeline. The project is
massive, both in terms of numbers and in terms of
logistical challenges. Valued at roughly USD 4 billion, the pipeline will run over 1,000 km between
the Andean city of Cusco and the Port of Ilo in the
Moquegua region. “It will certainly be a tremendous learning experience,” says Unzner. And he
and his Argentine co-workers will be sure to pass
that knowledge forward. ]
π Ricardo Uzner: grooming and hiring people
10
π Pascuales-Cuenca pipeline in Ecuador: OPC’s first construction project
Odebrecht Archives
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PRODUCING DEVELOPMENT
THE PUNTA CATALINA THERMAL POWER PLANT, ODEBRECHT’S
FIRST INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING PROJECT IN THE DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC, WILL GUARANTEE THAT COUNTRY CHEAPER ENERGY
Written by Cláudio Lovato Filho | Photo by Erika Santelices - AFP
π Emanuel Ximenes (left) and David Carvalho Neto at the thermal power plant construction site, in Peravia province: meeting the highest standards for environ
12
José Luiz Rocha, a Brazilian from the eastern state of Espírito Santo, gazes earnestly at
the blue waters of the Caribbean Sea, off the
coast of the Dominican province of Peravia,
near the mouth of the Catalina River. A 27-year
Odebrecht member, he is a Ports Supervisor currently working on the Punta Catalina Thermal
Power Plant project, which includes the construction of a maritime terminal. The look on
his face may be serious, but his words express
tremendous optimism, and they are convincing
- not only because of their tone and meaning
but because they are spoken with the conviction
of someone with a winning résumé: “We faced
some challenges when driving the pipes, but everything’s fine.” When asked if the work is on
schedule, the seasoned supervisor displays one
of his well-known traits: good humor. “Hey! I’ve
never delivered a project behind schedule. In
fact, I always deliver ahead of schedule! It won’t
be any different here!”
These are words that the President of the
Dominican Republic, Danilo Medina, would love
to hear. Of course, he has already received that
assurance from the team responsible for the
project, which is being built by the Odebrecht,
Technimont of Italy and the Dominican firm
Estrella, the country’s partners in the quest
to achieve its main development goal: energy production. The Dominican Republic has
an energy deficit of around USD 1.2 billion per
year. “That means 15% of the country’s budget goes to paying off that deficit,” says Marco
Cruz, Odebrecht’s Managing Director for the
Dominican Republic.
The decision to build a coal-fired thermal
power plant was based on its cost-benefit ratio
for the country, which does not produce natural gas or other types of fuel. Coal is a relatively
inexpensive fuel source that will make low-cost
power generation possible. The decision to use
coal also resulted from the certainty that the
companies responsible for the project would use
the world’s most advanced technology. “From
the boilers to the turbines and generators, we
are bringing into the Dominican Republic everything that is most modern and environmentally recommendable when it comes to running
coal-fired thermal power plants,” says Marco
Cruz.
mental measures
A nation-changing initiative
Ground was broken in December 2013, and the
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plant will be up and running by 2017. This is a
greenfield EPC (Engineering, Procurement and
Construction) contract, which means that the
plant is being built from scratch. Its two 360MW generator units will produce up to 720
MW. The project includes 55 km of transmission lines between the plant and the substation in Santo Domingo, thereby consolidating
the national generation system. The port terminal, which is located inside the construction
site, will consist of a 1,300-m pier and a 300-m
docking wharf where ships (probably from the
United States and Colombia) can unload coal.
“This is a nation-changing initiative,” says
Project Odebrecht Director David Carvalho
Neto. “There will be cheaper energy through its
own operations, run by the Government through
the CDEEE [State Power Company Corporation],
our client. I feel personally fulfilled by the confidence I have that thermoelectric power is the
best way forward for the country. We are using
the best technology in the world and procedures
that meet strict environmental standards,” he
adds.
The project is 12% complete. Now, the
heavy infrastructure works phase is almost
over, including earthmoving in the one million square-meter area where the plant is being
built. After that, Odebrecht will begin providing
industrial assembly services for the first time in
the Dominican Republic.
The look of the plant will be consistent with its
status as the biggest civil and industrial engineering project in the nation’s history. The boilers will
be 72 m high, and the chimney, which will be manufactured on-site, will stand at a height of 160 m.
the project includes installing 3 km of pipes, with
structures measuring 2.5 m in diameter. The logistics is complex and challenging: all the parts will
be prefabricated outside the country. A multimodal
plan will be put in place to transport them to the
jobsite, giving priority to the maritime mode.
One of the technological and methodological
highlights of the project is the use of a beltless,
open-air exhaust system with enclosed coal transportation to prevent coal dust from polluting the
atmosphere. The soil is also receiving special attention because of its high potential for liquefaction,
which causes instability. But that’s not all. “We
are in a zone of earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis,” says Emanuel Magno Brito Ximenes, from
Odebrecht, the officer Responsible for Engineering.
“That led us to conduct a comprehensive study of
14
the soil and ocean currents, which are being documented and will be one of this project’s legacies for
the country,” he says.
Grooming teams
There will be several other manifold legacies. The
most important one may be bringing instructors
and students together in classrooms and workshops through an educational initiative called the
Creer (Believe) program. At the peak of the project, which will take place between November 2015
and April 2016, there will be around 7,500 workers
on site. That number helps explain the need for a
comprehensive effort to provide workers with the
skills they need to work in industrial engineering.
Professionals with those qualifications are hard to
find in the DR.
Based on the Acreditar Ongoing Professional
Education Program (Acreditar means “Believe” in
Portuguese), the Creer program is playing a key
role in addressing that challenge. “The country has
workers for civil construction projects, such as carpenters and masons, but few professionals for industrial projects, such as welders,” says People &
Organization Manager Pedro Leitão. “And the level
of demand here will be very high and unprecedented for this country.”
On December 9, the Odebrecht Informa team had
an opportunity to attend a Creer graduation ceremony for 184 people in Baní, the main city in
Peravia. They had just finished the three-month
course, learning about their chosen occupations in
theory and practice.
“They have lots of enthusiasm and a tremendous desire to grow,” says Victor Paulino, 25,
from Alagoas, Brazil, one of the three instructors from the National Industrial Education
Service (SENAI) working in Punta Catalina. That
Brazilian institution is responsible for transferring knowledge and technology to the Dominican
National Technical and Vocational Training
Institute (INFOTEP). “The SENAI professionals base their work on clear technical criteria.
We were all on the same page,” says INFOTEP
instructor Cristian Pelaez, 41, who was born in
Santo Domingo.
The biggest winners, of course, were the students. “It was an amazing experience. I want to
continue my studies,” says Juan Ernesto Guerrero,
35, who is now qualified as a boilermaker. “I’m
happy. A new door has opened,” says Yesenia
Estefania Figuereo, 24, who is now certified in
mechanical industrial assembly. ]
π Guatemala City: the capital of the most populous nation in Central America
ANCIENT AND MODERN
ODEBRECHT MAKES ITS DEBUT IN GUATEMALA, THE CRADLE OF MAYAN
CIVILIZATION AND NOW CENTRAL AMERICA’S LEADING ECONOMIC POWER
Written by Bruno Galba | Photos by Johan Ordanez - AFP
“Para servirlo” (“At your service”). That is what
Guatemalans say whenever someone thanks them
for their work. The culture of the ethos of service,
expressed as an everyday utterance, is evident in the
Odebrecht Group’s work in Guatemala. The most populous nation in Central America, with approximately
15 million inhabitants in an area that covers 109,000
square kilometers, Guatemala is the latest country on
the map of Odebrecht’s international presence.
Begun in June 2013, the Group’s debut project in
Guatemala is the rehabilitation and widening of a 140km stretch of the 300-km Central American Highway
2 (CA-2). This route runs through southern Guatemala
and plays a key role in national logistics. It traverses
the country’s breadbasket, which contains large farms
producing sugarcane, rubber and cattle, facilitates the
flow of imported goods arriving through the Port of
Quetzal, and serves as the main foreign trade channel between Guatemala, Mexico and El Salvador.
According to the Federal Government, the equivalent
of 65% of GDP flows through the CA-2.
Despite its importance as an artery for urban development, the CA-2 is clogged. An average of 13,000
vehicles now travel on it per day, at an average speed of
17 km per hour. It is the scene of nearly one thousand
accidents per year. “When we arrived, we evaluated the
priority projects being assessed by the Government,
and the CA-2 attracted our attention due to its strategic
importance to the country,” explains Marcos Machado,
Odebrecht’s Managing Director in Guatemala. “We
took the initiative and consulted several political and
business leaders. They were
young
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π Technical challenges: the scope of Odebrecht’s work on this project includes building 76 bridges
people as well as seasoned professionals. Mechanical
engineer Jaime Escobar, who has over 20 years’ experience at crushing plants, left his job as a technical advisor and his entire client portfolio to join Odebrecht.
“I was very motivated by the challenge of leading large
industrial plants and the possibility of growing within
the company. Of course, I also weighed the possibility
of inscribing my name in the history of my country’s
development through this important project.” Jaime
started out as the officer Responsible for Asphalt
Industrial Plants.
Perla Ruiz and Jacobo Ortiz, who are among the
venture’s 21 Young Partners (interns), have great expectations about the development of their careers.
16
“Now that I’m familiar with the company and the
opportunities it offers, I am very excited at the prospect of leading a large project one day, whether here or
abroad,” says Jacobo. In contrast, Perla does not see herself working as an expat, but her plans are equally ambitious. “I would like to attain a leadership role in social
outreach projects that really make a difference to people’s lives. I hope to help see my country change,” she
says.
Building trust
Satisfaction with the relationship between the
organization and the Guatemalan people is a
two-way street. The client, which keeps a close
Technology and productivity
The Central American Highway (CA-2) project is divided into three 45-km sections involving 18 simultaneous work fronts, including
earthmoving, bridge building and paving. The asphalt concrete used for paving is being produced in two industrial plants installed on the
banks of the Nahualate and Ocosito rivers, with capacity to produce up to 130 metric tons per hour. They have been set up in strategic
locations to facilitate logistics and bolster the paving team’s productivity.
Making the most of the nearby rubber farms, the CA-2 team has developed a project that uses natural latex as an additive when manufacturing asphalt emulsion used to seal the surface of the highway. In addition to producing material with better quality and traction,
this innovation has reduced production costs by 3.65% and established a closer relationship between the company and local producers.
Odebrecht’s proactivity has also helped change the way cement is made in Guatemala. After concluding that the concrete structures in the
country showed poor durability, the project team suggested that Cementos Progreso, the nation’s leading cement manufacturer, begin
using low alkali cement, creating a new product that was both durable and more economical to produce. “This provided a better cement
option not only for the CA-2, but for the country,” says Project Director Carlos Eduardo Rosa.
π Better-quality paving at a lower cost
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eye on the performance of the contract (worth
USD 384 million, one of the largest investments
ever made in that country), is happy with the
progress of the work. “Odebrecht was the company that presented the best physical, technical and financial infrastructure of all the businesses I have kept track of. We have formed a
very good impression, and so have the workers,” says Jaime Laj, Director of Supervision at
the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure
and Housing, who is responsible for overseeing
the project. According to Carlos Eduardo Rosa,
this is due to transparency in the relationship
between Odebrecht and the client. “He trusts
π Marcos Machado: dialogue with political and
business leaders
us to deliver an outstanding product,” says the
Project Director.
THE CULTURE OF DEVELOPMENT
GUATEMALA VALUES THE PAST TO GROW WISELY
OCEANO
ATLÂNTICO
CIDADE DA
GUATEMALA
OCEANO
PACÍFICO
L O C AT I O N
CRADLE
OF MAYAN
CIVILIZATION,
Guatemala offers some of
the most fascinating
archeological sites in the
Americas, including pyramids,
temples, ancient trading centers
and homes, and a rich collection
of sculptures from that period
GDP
US$ 50.3 billion
15 million
3.5 % per year
inhabitants
in an area of
109,000 km
Mountains and volcanic lakes
form part of the nation’s natural treasures
18
AV E R AG E E CO N O M I C G R OW T H
2
Spanish
is the official language, but
22 indigenous
languages
are spoken by communities
in the interior of the country
leading a large project one day, whether here or
abroad,” says Jacobo. In contrast, Perla does not see herself working as an expat, but her plans are equally ambitious. “I would like to attain a leadership role in social
outreach projects that really make a difference to people’s lives. I hope to help see my country change,” she
says.
Project Director.
the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure
and Housing, who is responsible for overseeing
the project. According to Carlos Eduardo Rosa,
this is due to transparency in the relationship
between Odebrecht and the client. “He trusts
us to deliver an outstanding product,” says the
As in all the countries where Odebrecht is
Building trust
present, the goal is being there to stay. “After
Satisfaction with the relationship between the
winning our first contract and experiencing
organization and the Guatemalan people is a
what it is like to work in Guatemala, we hope
two-way street. The client, which keeps a close
to be here for a long time, and the CA-2 will
eye on the performance of the contract (worth
be a benchmark for fresh achievements,” says
USD 384 million, one of the largest investments
Marcos Machado. “We are studying new proj-
ever made in that country), is happy with the
ects for the public sector, as well as through
progress of the work. “Odebrecht was the com-
public-private
pany that presented the best physical, techni-
roads, power plants, pipelines and urban mo-
cal and financial infrastructure of all the busi-
bility projects on our radar,” he adds. That’s
partnerships.
We
have
new
nesses I have kept track of. We have formed a
growth based on offering a qualified contribu-
very good impression, and so have the work-
tion to Guatemala “para servirla” - at the na-
ers,” says Jaime Laj, Director of Supervision at
tion’s service. ]
A partnership is born
π An association member in Nahualate: breaking paradigms
Refurbishing and widening a route means more safety,
productivity and business opportunities for the country.
However, other “pathways” for development are also being
created.
One of them is the Calzados Nahualate (Nahualate Footwear) project. Designed and led by Odebrecht, it offers
alternative work and income creation opportunities to the
community that gives the initiative its name. Today, 18
Nahualate residents are learning to make and sell footwear,
putting them in a position to break the local paradigm:
doing odd jobs for a living. The initial focus is on handmade
sandals to meet local demand. Later on, it will produce different types of footwear for schools and industry. In addition
to providing technical education, Odebrecht will build the
association’s headquarters and provide all the necessary
equipment.
“It’s a great opportunity for me and my co-workers, especially for us women, who generally only worked as housewives,” says Eugenia Garcia, 30. “We are here to become
entrepreneurs, God willing. We are not just working but
learning a lot, mainly because the people here have given us
their total support.”
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A GLOBAL COMPANY
ANGOLA, THE UNITED STATES, MEXICO, VENEZUELA: ODEBRECHT
INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING’S INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE IS GROWING
Written by Luiz Carlos Ramos
The 1980s were a decisive period in Odebrecht’s
drive to form a solid basis for what is now the
core of Odebrecht Industrial Engineering’s operations. The acquisition of Técnica Nacional de
Engenharia (Tenenge) in 1986 marked the beginning of a new growth cycle. That company already had an extensive portfolio of major projects, an established presence in Brazil’s industrial engineering sector, and huge potential for
carrying out the Odebrecht Group’s future ventures in that area.
From 1986 to 1991, Tenenge took on its first
major international challenge in the industrial
area as an Odebrecht company in Chile: it carried out several industrial projects during that
period in the fields of mining, steel, energy, oil,
and pulp and paper. The highlights included
projects for ENAP (the state oil company), such
as the construction of fixed offshore platforms
in Punta Arenas, at the southernmost tip of
South America, construction of the Quebrada
Blanca copper processing complex in the northern Chilean Andes, 4,500 meters above sea
level, and construction of a new pulp production plant for a private-sector client, Celulosa
Arauco y Construcción in Carampague, in the
Concepción region.
Diversification and crosscutting
In 1979, Odebrecht broke ground for the
Charcani V hydroelectric plant in Arequipa,
Peru, and entered the oil & gas sector by creating
Odebrecht Perfurações Ltda. (OPL), and petrochemicals, through the acquisition of one-third
of Companhia Petroquímica Camaçari (CPC), in
Bahia, Brazil. New paths were emerging. Then,
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in the early 1990s, Odebrecht acquired control
of Poliolefinas and helped expand the Copesul
naphtha cracker at the Triunfo Petrochemical
Complex in the southern Brazilian state of Rio
Grande do Sul.
These projects put Odebrecht on track to become a leading chemicals and petrochemicals
company. Those achievements were consolidated with the experience and knowledge the Group
used in the process of creating Braskem in 2002.
Odebrecht Industrial Engineering played a key
role in this transformation. Today the company
is helping Mexico realize the dream of developing
the Braskem Idesa - Ethylene XXI petrochemical
complex in the state of Veracruz, an investment
that resulted from Braskem’s joint venture with
the Mexican company, Idesa.
The biggest challenge during this current period of increasing international expansion for
Odebrecht Industrial Engineering is grooming
people and integrating them into the company.
Internationalization involves increasingly complex circumstances, such as the need to educate
a new generation of people who are qualified
for international operations, and local leaders
in the countries where it is present, planning
the preparation of substitutes, and transferring
knowledge.
Challenges in Latin America
With this in mind, the leaders of Odebrecht
Industrial Engineering went out into the field.
Latin America has become an environment that
offers major opportunities for the company. In
Argentina, a massive natural gas pipeline expansion project is underway nationwide, involving
π Quebrada Blanca in Chile: this copper processing complex played a key role in the development of Industrial Engineering at Odebrecht
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the installation of more than 2,100 km of pipes
and 25 compressor plants. A new contract is
making the expansion of trunk pipelines a reality in Argentina.
The company’s teams will contribute their
expertise and share their knowledge. Diego
Casarín, 41, is an Argentine engineer from
Córdoba who joined Odebrecht seven years
ago. He has worked in western Argentina, on
the Río Colorado potassium plant project, with
the Brazilian engineer Carlos Nascimento, who
was then Project Director. Today, Casarín is in
Ecuador, as Production Manager of the terminal stations for the Pascuales-Cuenca polyduct,
a 210-km system of pipelines, five stations and
the La Troncal terminal. “I’ve learned to adapt to
change,” says Diego.
Nascimento is now in Peru, where he
is Project Director for the 1,132-km South
Peruvian pipeline, which will carry natural gas
from the Camisea reserves in Las Malvinas, on
the Amazon Plain, through the Andes and the
cities of Cuzco and Arequipa, to reach three
Pacific ports. He underscores the implementation of the Creer Peru program, which is based
on the Acreditar Ongoing Professional Education
Program (Creer and Acreditar mean “believe” in
Spanish and Portuguese). “We will go from the
π Construction of the Puerto La Cruz Refinery in Venezuela: a strategic project for PDVSA
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π Expanding gas pipelines in Argentina; installing over 2,100 km of pipe and 25 compression plants
current number of 380 members to reach 7,000,”
he says. “Odebrecht is the leader of the joint venture, with a 75% stake, and Enagás, from Spain,
has 25% of the 34-year concession for the pipeline. Odebrecht Industrial Engineering is working
synergistically with Odebrecht Infrastructure and
the Latinvest, the Group’s arm for investments in
Latin America.
Odebrecht Industrial Engineering is also
present in Venezuela, where it has completed
the first stage of construction of the Puerto La
Cruz refinery for the state oil company Petroleo
de Venezuela (PDVSA), and is retrofitting the
Central Guanare sugar and ethanol plant, in addition to building a new sugar and ethanol plant
for PDVSA Agrícola. Its next mission in that
country: the Anaco Gas project, including plants
that will recycle, compress and transfer gas produced in five Venezuelan cities. In the Caribbean,
the Punta Catalina Thermal Power Plant (see article on that project in this issue), will generate
more 720 MW of electricity for the Dominican
Republic.
New projects are also on the horizon in Angola
and the United States. Angola is one of Africa’s
largest oil producers, but needs a large refinery to produce more affordable gasoline and diesel. Odebrecht Industrial Engineering’s teams are
ready and motivated to help their clients achieve
these goals. ]
Odebrecht informa
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I N T E R V I E W
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THE BEGINNING OF A NEW
AND INTENSE JOURNEY
MIGUEL PERES, DS OF ODEBRECHT ENVIRONMENTAL
Written by Bruna Paulino | Photo by Guilherme Afonso
“The opportunity to keep on learning makes my eyes light up,” says Miguel Peres. After 31 years with
the Group, he has arrived at Odebrecht Environmental with the challenge of translating excellence in
service delivery and the commitment to improving the Business’s quality of life into a universal language.
The International Managing Director (DS) will have a key ally: his own experience. Miguel has spent 28
years abroad, working in countries like Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, the United States and Mozambique. Now back in Brazil, he says, “I’m adapting again, but I have experience in this area, and that
makes me feel right at home.”
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π Considering your 28 years of experience as an
expat, what was the most challenging thing about
living outside your home country?
There are many challenges, including the language,
the specifics of the local culture and personal and
family adaptation. But when you deal with them
properly, all these factors lead to knowledge of the
idiosyncrasies and assimilation with the local culture
of each country.
π What were the most memorable lessons you
learned during your time outside of Brazil? What
country had the biggest impact on you?
Two countries had a huge impact on my career, and
perhaps not coincidentally, they were the first and
the last ones where I lived. Peru was remarkable, not
only for being my first expat experience but mainly
because of the professional and personal challenges
I faced there. It was a difficult period for the country. It was going through a serious economic crisis,
and that was also a sensitive time in terms of public
policy, when the guerrilla movements were still
going strong. I found important opportunities for
career growth in the midst of that situation, and at
the same time, my family adapted very well. So well,
in fact, that my wife and I decided to have two of
our three children in that country. My most recent
experience in Mozambique was also striking. It was
my first time in Africa, working in a market that, in
terms of challenges, was similar to my initial experiences in Peru.
π You took on the action program of International
Managing Director at Odebrecht Environmental in
August 2014. How do you view this challenge?
Being at Odebrecht Environmental, which is a new
Business in my career within the Group, is highly
motivating. Besides being able to rely on a strong
team of entrepreneur-partners, there are prospects
for the company’s operations in countries that I
already know well, having lived or done business
there. This will be an intense and certainly rewarding
journey!
π What is your analysis of internationalization within
Odebrecht Environmental’s growth process?
As with Odebrecht in the past 35 years, the internationalization of Odebrecht Environmental is a natural
path for growth. The company has developed successful business models in Brazil, and we see interesting
opportunities for replicating those models in other
countries.
π In this context, what are the main challenges
for Odebrecht Environmental, as a relatively new
company?
We are at the stage of developing new businesses and
tackling the major challenge of identifying outstanding
opportunities in each market through which we can contribute the experience the company has built up since its
inception. Despite its “youth,” the company has gained a
great deal of experience over the past few years that qualifies us to develop outstanding businesses in Brazil and
abroad.
π How will your experience in the development and
implementation of new businesses in other countries
contribute to Odebrecht Environmental’s internationalization process?
My main role is working with entrepreneur-partners
who are active in the countries where we have business prospects, always working with the pedagogy of
presence, contributing the knowledge acquired in the
many countries where I have lived and worked, coordinating the necessary support for the corporate areas
of the company and seeking to promote internal and
external synergies positively.
“WE FACE THE MAJOR
CHALLENGE OF IDENTIFYING
OUTSTANDING OPPORTUNITIES
IN EACH MARKET”
π What are the chief differences in doing business
in Brazil and other countries, mainly in Odebrecht
Environmental’s operating areas (Water & Sewer,
Waste Management and Utilities)?
It is hard to generalize because each country brings
its own challenges. There are extremely developed
markets such as the United States, and others in
the initial stage of institutionalization, with respect to our business, as in the case of Angola. In
Brazil, we have developed business models and
acquired knowledge that can be perfectly adapted
to each of the international markets, always taking
into account the required adaptations to local
legislation and the needs of the communities,
clients and user-clients that benefit from our projects. That is our challenge.
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Juca Varella
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π Luanda, Angola: the focus in that country is on technical assistance and training projects
π Do synergies with other Businesses help when
taking Odebrecht Environmental to countries
where the Group is already active? How does that
exchange of knowledge occur?
Synergies with the Group’s other Businesses play
a key role in our internationalization strategy. We
have identified markets in countries where Odebrecht has already established operations. The
exchange of knowledge basically occurs on a daily
basis, through the presence and actions of our
entrepreneur-partners.
π Odebrecht Environmental is analyzing business opportunities in Angola, Mexico, the United
States and Peru. How do you assess these possibilities?
Each market has its own specifics, but we have
well-developed opportunities in each of them. In
Angola, we are focusing on contracts for technical
assistance and educational services. In Peru, in
addition to the synergy opportunities with Odebrecht Infrastructure, we are developing some
delegated management programs for water and
sewer services. In Mexico, we have opportunities
in municipal water and sewer concessions, and in
the Utilities segment, we are working with partners like [the state oil and gas company] Pemex
26
and Braskem. In the United States, we are developing a private-sector water recycling venture
in Texas and participating in synergy with Odebrecht Infrastructure in a water and sewer program
through a Public-Private Partnership in Florida.
π How can Odebrecht Environmental bolster its
commitment to the development of local team
members and improving people’s quality of life
in the countries where it is beginning operations?
We are confident that the development of local
team members is essential to our growth process
and assimilation of the culture of each country.
We are now working to identify local professionals, making the most of programs that already
exist within the organization, such as Young Partners, to recruit young people with growth potential. We are also using the networks of knowledgeable
people that the company has developed over the
years through its presence in each market. By
their very nature, our services aim to improve
people’s quality of life, mainly through efficient and high-quality treatment and/or recycling
of water and sewage, activities that are closely
related to public well-being. It is a pleasure to
work in this sector. ]
The first TEO eBook
is now available
in Spanish!
After being released in Portuguese, the digital version of
Survive, Grow and Perpetuate was also released in Spanish.
The book written by Norberto Odebrecht can be read in your computer,
tablet or smartphone. You can get your TEO eBooks at:
WWW.FUNDACAOODEBRECHT.ORG.BR/TEO/LIVROS
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PROJECT FOR NEW ENERGY
THE NATION’S FIRST BIOENERGY PLANT, FOR MANY ANGOLANS, BIOCOM
PRESENTS THEIR FIRST WORK OPPORTUNITY
Written by Guilherme Bourroul | Photo by Juca Varella
π Biocom, in Cacuso, Malanje province: part of the Capanda Industrial Complex
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Using his truck radio, Virgílio Manuel gives instructions to an Angolan co-worker. “Dênis, you read me?
I just drove by Farm number 1 and there’s an uncoupled outlet in the water system. Take two team
members with you and go fix it, please.”
Virgílio leads a team of 51 people (including his
two brothers) who work shift A in Biocom’s irrigation area in Angola. He was one of the first Angolans
to join the project nearly three years ago. He had learned what little he knew about irrigation from a technical course in agronomy. “I knew the basics, but
this is where I’ve gained all my practical experience.”
Many Angolans have found their first professional work opportunities at Biocom. “When I returned
to my hometown, instead of giving money to the
people who needed it and asked me for it, I offered
them work. Biocom accepts people without technical knowledge and empowers them with professional skills. It’s one big school,” he says.
Biocom makes up the Capanda Agroindustrial
Complex, which is part of the Angolan government’s plan to develop agriculture and improve the
local economy. It has set aside 400,000 hectares in
the north of the country for the project, of which
37,000 will be planted with Biocom sugarcane, with
the possibility of further expansion.
First bioenergy plant
Biocom is located in Cacuso, 400 km from Luanda.
A modern, automated plant equipped with the latest technology for agricultural processes, it resulted
π Virgílio Manuel: “Biocom is one big school”
30
from a USD 750-million investment. Angola’s first
bioenergy factory, it is also one of the main business
ventures in that country.
Being first has its price. To update the country’s
farming structure, for example, Biocom had to set
up a weather station inside the unit to provide daily
data on temperatures, wind and rain. Other essential services for the completion of the operation are
in their final stages, such as a limestone plant and a
soil analysis laboratory.
The pre-sprouted seedlings (PSS) system, a method that accelerates the development of new varieties of sugarcane, is one of the phases of the project
that are at a more advanced stage of development.
Gabriela Hilário, who was Virgílio’s classmate in
agronomy school, leads the day-to-day work.
She and her team of 25 people are responsible for
planting more than 3,300 seedlings daily. After all
that practical experience, Gabriela can easily recognize the different varieties of sugarcane. “I can tell
them apart based on their leaves, color and internodes. They each have their own characteristics,” she
says.
Her team’s work involves testing these new varieties,
monitoring their growth, multiplying them quickly and
testing them in the project’s soil and climate. “We have a
growth curve that indicates how competitive each variety is,” says Gabriela. Currently, 98% of Biocom’s varietal census is concentrated in just five varieties produced
on a commercial scale. Twenty-seven new varieties are
currently being multiplied and tested in the field.
π Biocom will have 37,000 hectares of cane fields
Gabriela’s dreams go even further: “Everyone
here is willing to learn and grow. I intend to stay at
Biocom and further my education by going to agricultural college,” she explains.
Professional education
Phosphating, liming, clarifying. José Kissambo
Junior has all the industrial processes on the tip of
his tongue. He reports accurately and proudly on
what happens to the cane from the time the raw
material reaches the plant until it leaves in bags
of sugar. He had never heard those terms before
he joined Biocom. “I’ve learned everything I know
about the industry right here. I had always done
office work before.”
He was one of 317 Angolans who took the industrial training course developed by Biocom in
partnership with the National Industrial Education
Service (SENAI) to produce skilled industrial operators and maintenance professionals. “The company is making a major contribution to local development, especially for young people. We have jobs
that provide us with knowledge and growth opportunities. I believe that in the coming harvests, I will
retain more and more of what I’m learning,” he says.
In a process of knowledge and technology
transfer, each area of the plant has a Brazilian leader and an Angolan leader who is being groomed
to take on new responsibilities. Junior is a leader
in the sugar factory. “In the coming years, there
will be more industries in Angola, and we will be
prepared to pass on the knowledge we’ve acquired,” he observes.
Esperança da Silva is another SENAI graduate.
She was already working in the agricultural area of
Biocom when she took the course, but saw that improving her qualification would create fresh opportunities. That realization motivated her to take the
industrial laboratory analyst course. Now responsible for analyzing fermentation samples, Esperança
says, “I check the percentage of alcohol, pH, productivity, acidity. I am very grateful for the opportunity
Biocom has given me. I want to grow even further.”
There are currently 16 analysts at the industrial
lab, all Angolans trained by SENAI, under the leadership of two Brazilians with experience in that
area. “When we have any questions, they are always
available to guide us,” says Esperança.
“This project is helping many people from several different provinces in Angola,” observes Virgílio
Manuel. “It would be good to invest in other projects
like this, because the country is growing structurally,” he adds. Until a few years ago, there were no
banks in Cacuso. Today there are more than five.
“We are born with the aim of making a contribution
and leaving a better world. I’m very happy about
Biocom. Anyone who comes into the world tomorrow will be born in a more advanced country.” ]
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PUTTING THE “SUPER”
IN SUPERMARKET
THE NOSSOSUPER SUPERMARKET CHAIN CREATES
WORK OPPORTUNITIES AND PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN BOOSTING
ANGOLAN FARM PRODUCTION
Written by Guilherme Bourroul | Photos by Kamene Traça
π Jaime Mendonza (left) and Aristides Chicomo: investing in professional education
32
The eldest of eight children, Aristides Chicomo
began his career at nossosuper in February 2008
as an administrative assistant. It was his first
opportunity to work in the formal job market.
Before long, he was promoted to store manager, and today he is responsible for purchasing equipment and setting up outlets for the
entire Angolan supermarket chain run by the
Odebrecht Africa Fund. The chain includes a total of 34 outlets - 15 in the capital, Luanda, and
19 in Angola’s other provinces.
“Growth came quickly and naturally.
Nossosuper was the first to enter the retail sector [in Angola], so we grew together. I am a lucky man. I feel privileged and proud to work here,” says Aristides.
The supermarket chain is one of the main
sources of work opportunities in Angola. It
directly employs 1,800 people, 98% of them
Angolan citizens. More than creating jobs, nossosuper offers growth opportunities. All store
managers are Angolan, and so are some regional
managers. One of Aristides’ brothers is the manager of the Lauca supermarket, which is near
the Lauca Dam, an Odebrecht construction project. “My mother is a widow. I had to support
my seven brothers on my own, in addition to my
three children. Since I recommended my brother for a job at nossosuper, he has shared the
family’s expenses with me,” says Aristides. “I’m
glad to see him growing in a company that invests and believes in people,” he adds. Aristides
also intends to recommend his younger siblings
for jobs when they have the right qualifications.
“Nossosuper is one big family. We can only
show you what we know when we have a chance to do so. That’s what happened with me,” he
says.
According to Jaime Mendoza, Commercial
Director of nossosuper, one of the biggest challenges is enabling people to acquire job skills.
“We want to provide a solid basis for Angolans
to fill strategic jobs and replace the expats,” he
says.
To meet the challenge, the chain introduced
the Odebrecht Group’s Young Partner internship program in 2013. Kitoco Bengui holds a
BA in business management. He works at one of
the Luanda outlets and enrolled in the first class
to take the Young Partner course. “I started out
at the company’s headquarters and worked in
every area of the chain. Now I’m working in all
the different sectors of the store. I am in charge
of groceries,” he explains proudly. “I have to be
thoroughly familiar with all the processes because I am being groomed to become a store
manager,” he adds.
Commitment to local production
In addition to generating work opportunities,
nossosuper is playing an important role in increasing agricultural production in the country.
According to Jaime Mendoza, encouraging “domestic production” is part of the supermarket
chain’s business strategy. “We are working on
two fronts: with small farmers who supply products to their own provinces, and the largest
farms, which provide most of the fresh food,” he
says. The main products include greens, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers,
squash and bananas. “We want to change their
reality and strengthen the local economy. We
offer technical support and everything else that
they need,” adds Mendoza.
Farmers participating in the Kukula Ku Moxi
family farming project supply one of the supermarkets, in the city of Ndalatando. Introduced
by Odebrecht in 2009, the program brings together about 800 small farmers from Malanje
Province.
The Ndalatando nossosuper outlet purchases
an average of USD 2,000 worth of Kukula Ku
Moxi products monthly. The project supplies
nossosuper with a varied range of products. In
2014 alone, the supermarket sold 18 different
items.
According to Lauren Pereira, the officer
Responsible for the Kukula Ku Moxi program,
farmers use a standardized seed kit, which qualifies them as nossosuper suppliers. “Since nossosuper is a client that will resell the product,
we conduct strict quality control of the aesthetic presentation when filling their orders. It’s
different from clients that are cafeterias,” he
says. Each product is weighed and documented
within the community and then sent on to the
clients, who deposit payments in one of Kukula
Ku Moxi’s bank accounts. The program deducts
ten percent to cover logistical costs and technical assistance.
Prospects
Nossosuper has ambitious goals for 2015. In
addition to opening eight more outlets and expand some existing supermarkets, the expectation is to open an industrial bakery to supply
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π Nossosuper: stimulating domestic farm production is a priority in the supermarket chain’s business strategy
the entire chain. “It will be a very challenging
year. We want to establish a closer relationship
with consumers and, therefore, we will open
outlets in locations that enable them to become
a part of traditional neighborhoods,” predicts
Jaime Mendoza. Most outlets will be located in
Luanda. After all, 8 million of the Angolan population of more than 20 million people live in
the nation’s capital.
Another focus for nossosuper is its own
34
brand of products. Consumers will have access
to many different kinds of food, such as sausages, dairy products and pasta, as well as beverages and bulk sales of products like beans, rice,
flour and sugar. This is a result of the synergy
between nossosuper and Biocom (see article on
Biocom in this issue). A new area of operations
for the Odebrecht Group, this growing supermarket chain is committed to providing quality
food to the Angolan people. ]
A R G U M E N T
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THE FORCE THAT DRIVES US
M A R C E L O
“WE HAVE ACHIEVED RESULTS THAT REFLECT
OUR COMMITMENT TO THE PROCESS OF
STRENGTHENING TEO”
In 2010, eight years after its inception, Braskem began
taking the first steps towards internationalizing its operations. In February of that year, we announced the acquisition
of Sunoco Chemicals’ polypropylene assets in the United
States, and the following year, the merger of Dow Chemical
plants, which also bolstered our presence in Europe.
These new frontiers have enabled us to consolidate a
stronger company, but this trajectory would not have been
successful without our main base of growth: the Odebrecht
Entrepreneurial Technology (TEO). Early on, we sought to
understand the culture of each company involved in the merger and realized that the concepts of TEO would win over our
new members. Because it is based on trust, which is cemented through decentralization and planned delegation, we needed to bolster the practice of partnership between leaders
and team members and the responsibilities of entrepreneur
-partners, not only to produce results but to groom knowledgeable people in each location.
We have learned from experience that we must always
A R A N T E S
carry out Education through Work and Education for Work
programs in order to disseminate TEO and integrate our
teams into the local culture. First, this requires an ongoing
process of education so team members can assimilate our
Culture while reinforcing these lessons in everyday life, ensuring that experienced people are available to share their
knowledge. Another very important point is the development of local team members so that they have opportunities to take on new challenges and put their knowledge into
practice. One example of this possibility was the choice of an
American to lead our business in Europe. His successor was
a leader from India.
After nearly five years of international expansion, we have
achieved a number of tangible and intangible results that reflect our commitment to the process of strengthening TEO.
However, our challenges do not stop there. The year 2015 will
be an important milestone in the history of Braskem, marked
by the beginning of operations of the Ethylene XXI project,
the largest private-sector investment in Mexico, carried out
in partnership with Idesa. By the start of operations, we will
have recruited and groomed some 700 team members, who
will work directly in meeting our clients’ needs. It is a vast
project where, once again, we are focusing on our main asset, people, and relying on them to continue writing a success story. ]
Marcelo Arantes is the Braskem officer Responsible for Entrepreneurship Support (RAE),
People & Organization, Information Technology and Procurement
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HELP WITH A NEW START
A PROFESSIONAL REHABILITATION PROGRAM GIVES PEOPLE A
CHANCE TO FIND A DIFFERENT PATH FOR THEIR LIVES AND WORK
Written by Thereza Martins | Photo by Holanda Cavalcanti
January 27, 2012. It is 4:00 on a rainy Friday afternoon. Edinaldo Lima, a former metalworker, now
an auxiliary warehouse clerk for the Corredor D.
Pedro I Consortium in Itatiba, São Paulo, was returning from work. That day changed his life.
“I was riding a motorbike and going into a
curve. Swerving to avoid another bike, I skidded
and fell. Because I had a [Industrial Automation]
college exam I got up and kept going, but I
couldn’t finish the test because I was in too
much pain. I was taken to hospital, and the doctors found fractures in my left knee. I had surgery and spent 10 months in therapy, living off of
Social Security.”
Edinaldo is 32 years old. He had been a metalworker since he was 14, until the day of the
accident. Without a salary, he could no longer
pay his college tuition, but he did not give up.
He enrolled in a free technical course, and when
the Corredor D. Pedro I Consortium launched a
vocational rehabilitation program in partnership
with the INSS (Brazilian Social Security) agency
in Itatiba, he saw an opportunity to get a fresh
start. “I had a career as a metalworker, but I had
to give it up because I couldn’t work standing up
all day on the production line, but life has given
me a second chance.”
Back to the job market
“The partnership with the Itatiba INSS has benefited everyone involved,” said João Roberto
Tavares, the officer Responsible for People &
Organization in the consortium run by Odebrecht
Infrastructure. “The company wins by fulfilling
the Disability Quota Law, and Social Security
wins by reintroducing professionals into the job
market. Above all, it’s a win for the professionals
36
themselves, through the chance to get back to
work.”
The consortium came up with this initiative
and sought out the the INSS agency in Itatiba
to propose a partnership. Twenty beneficiaries
were selected among the 150 who qualified for
vocational rehabilitation in the city, and seven
of them attended the first training session. “Our
goal is not only to fulfill the legal quota but to
plant a seed that is already bearing fruit," says
João Roberto. The consortium needs 16 people,
so more classes are being organized.
These are people who were unable to do their
previous jobs due disabilities caused by illness
or accidents. Rejoining the job market requires
training in the new skills, which can take 45 to
90 days. The seven participants in the first phase
of the program, all Itatiba residents, received certificates and found work opportunities at the
consortium in different roles: they are janitors,
general services assistants, drivers, production
assistants, quality laboratory assistants and general assistants.
According to Fabiola Furegatti, executive manager of the INSS agency in the city, one of the
greatest merits of the vocational rehabilitation
program is restoring the participants’ self-esteem. “They feel productive again.”
Andreia Aparecida da Costa, 41, agrees. She
got a job at the Corredor D. Pedro I Consortium
as a janitor. “I was a street sweeper for the public sanitation company in Itatiba, when I had to
leave my job after diagnosis of acute arthritis.”
The disease is incurable, but her new job has
different physical requirements and Andreia is
doing well. “I grabbed this opportunity. It was a
dream come true.” ]
π Edinaldo Lima: “Life has given me a second chance”
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F O L K S
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Written by Eliana Simonetti
Personal Archives
TRAVEL
The pleasure
of discovery
Many people have heard of Bonito,
in Brazil’s famous Pantanal wetlands.
What Saulo Carrijo Rezende, 33,
found in Costa Rica, Mato Grosso do
Sul, where he works as an agricultural
supervisor for cane straw baling at
the Odebrecht Agroindustrial Unit
in that town, is another heavenly
spot that is well worth visiting. It
is Salto do Sucuriu Nature Park,
whose attractions include a beautiful
waterfall and infrastructure for
ecological tourism. “If you like rafting
and zip lining, this park is just the
thing,” says Saulo. This unmarried
agronomist from Mineiros, Goiás, has
been with the Group for five years, all
of them at Odebrecht Agroindustrial.
“When I discover charming places
like that, I make the most of them,”
he adds.
π Saulo and family members: a passion for nature
FAMILY
Personal Archives
Openness
and caring
π Natalie: parental influence
38
Natalie Dowsley was born in Recife, Pernambuco.
Her father, Djalma, works for the Brazilian Social
Security institute, INSS, caring for the elderly. Her
mother, Edinar, is a pediatrician. Natalie holds a
degree in Psychology. “Possibly due to my parents’
influence, I’ve developed a strong concern for
people’s well-being,” she says. Natalie is the People
Coordinator at the Rota do Atlántico highway
concessionaire, where she has worked since June
2012. She has two people on her team, and they
provide support for the concessionaire’s 175
members - about 60% of whom are women. “We
spend more time at work than with our families.
So our main focus is developing a harmonious and
respectful corporate environment, just like we have
at home,” says Natalie.
SPORTS
ARTS & CULTURE
Passionate about
literature
Thrills until the last second
By the age of 4, Beatriz, the eldest
daughter of Elias Lages and his wife,
Danila, was already picking the books
she liked and the stories she wanted
to hear. Miguel is one year old, and
getting used to the world of fantasy.
Elias is a reading aficionado. When he
was the leader of the Group’s Rota dos
Coqueiros Project in 2012, he introduced
the Via School program to promote the
continuing education of teachers and
set up school libraries. There is one
moment he will never forget: at the
opening of the José Rodovalho school
library in Jaboatão dos Guararapes,
he was presented with a book of the
schoolchildren’s essays. Currently,
Elias is the Investment Director and
President and CEO of the Rota do
Atlântico highway concessionaire, where
he is implementing the Renewing Our
Schools Project with a long-term vision.
“We will be here for 30 years, and I
would like to see today’s 5-year-olds
being well prepared to join our team two
decades from now,” he says.
Personal Archives
Personal Archives
Rodney Carvalho has been with Odebrecht for 32 years. A native of
Rio, he now works in Peru, where he is the Director of the Gas Area of
Odebrecht Latinvest, acting as President and CEO of the South Peruvian
Gas Pipeline. Rodney loves basketball, particularly the NBA (National
Basketball Association). A huge fan of the Denver Nuggets, his secondfavorite team is the Miami Heat. Whenever possible, he goes to their
home games at the American Airlines Arena, built by Odebrecht.
Whether on TV or live, he watches all 82 games in the NBA’s regular
season. What is more, for over seven years he has attended the February
All-Star Games held in different US cities. “In basketball, the teams are
evenly matched, and two seconds before the end of the game, you still
don’t know who’s going to win. It’s always a thrill to watch.”
π Rodney: number-one basketball fan
πElias: a fan of reading
Odebrecht informa
39
N e w
F r o n t i e r s
DIVING INTO KNOWLEDGE
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER IS THE CORE OF THE PROSUB-EBN
PROJECT, WHICH WILL MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO BUILD THE FIRST
BRAZILIAN NUCLEAR SUBMARINE
Navy Archives
Written by João Marcondes
π ICN is building a conventional submarine in Itaguaí: scheduled for completion by 2017
40
In the 1980s, Brazil attempted to develop a
submarine manufacturing industry. Cléber
Siqueira, then 25, was a promising officer in
the Navy. A naval engineer, he supplemented his studies at the University of São Paulo
(USP). During a weekend of training in Rio de
Janeiro, he went down the hatch of a submarine for the first time in life. He was visiting
the Tonelero, a British-built sub.
His first feeling was of confinement. The
corridor was less than 1 meter wide (700 mm),
and the bed was less than half a meter off the
floor. It was a bunk bed. When he looked up,
his nose touched the upper bunk. In the narrow corridor, another crewman lay in a hammock that his mates had hung inside the cabin. The air smelled of cooking oil and diesel.
That claustrophobic atmosphere changed his
life: ever since, Cléber’s career has been permeated with the dream of helping build the
first Brazilian nuclear submarine.
Today, at 54, Cléber is Chief Operating
Officer of Itaguaí Construções Navais (ICN).
An affiliate of Odebrecht Defense and
Odebrecht informa
41
N e w
F r o n t i e r s
Technology (ODT), the shipbuilding company is responsible for the construction of
four conventional submarines (the French
Scorpene model) and the first Brazilian nuclear-propulsion submarine. “Being able to enter
that submarine one day will be the crowning
moment of my career,” says Siqueira.
Building a nuclear submarine is a giant
leap. It is the privilege of an exclusive club:
the United States, Russia, Britain, France and
China. For Brazil, it means gaining absolute
control over its “Blue Amazon,” 3.5 million
square kilometers of ocean, the route for 95%
of Brazilian exports and imports, fisheries and
the exploitation of biological and mineral resources (95% of domestic oil).
From the standpoint of sovereignty, control
means having the capacity to deter international threats. It should be recalled that the
nuclear submarine sent by Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher decided the Falklands
War in favor of the British. Until then, the
Argentine fleet had the advantage.
Because of this, the Brazilian Navy has
implemented the Submarine Development
Program (Prosub). ICN, which is based in
Itaguaí, Rio de Janeiro, is a Special Purpose
π UFEM: the site where subs are assembled with materials from France
π Cléber Siqueira: "the crowning moment of my career"
42
Company (SPC) formed by Odebrecht and
DCNS, a French firm with over 350 years of tradition in shipbuilding. The focus of this project
is on the transfer of technology.
In addition to submarines, Prosub includes
the construction of an infrastructure complex that houses the Shipyard and Naval Base
(EBN) and the Structural Steel Fabrication Unit
(UFEM, which is ready to assemble ships with
equipment imported from France). Odebrecht
Infrastructure – Brazil is responsible for both
projects.
Navy Archives
Autonomy and discretion
Why is it so important to have a nuclear submarine? Precisely because of its capacity for
autonomy and discretion (going undetected).
Conventional submarines, which are powered
by a combination of electricity and diesel, must
surface virtually every month to replenish
their air and recharge their batteries. Nuclear
subs can stay under water for six months. Or
more. They are bigger, faster, dive deeper and
are almost undetectable. The air is purified internally. “The only limit to this submarine is
the psychology of the crew,” explains Siqueira.
The development of the defense industry,
however, is not limited to military strategy.
“Knowledge is strategic in this sector,” explains
André Amaro, Entrepreneurial Leader (CEO) of
ODT. “The development of this industry right
here allows us to stop the brain drain and bring
in foreigners productively,” he adds. André observes, “We have to be designers, creators of
ideas, not just integrators of foreign technology.” In this respect, Brazil could become an exporter of defense technology to the region.
The first submarine ICN is building through
Prosub will be ready by the Fall of 2017. It will
be named the Riachuelo in honor of the battle
of the same name during the Triple Alliance
War. The nuclear sub should be completed between 2023 and 2025. By then, the process of
transferring DCNS’s expertise to the domestic
industry will have been completed.
“The conventional submarines already contain nuclear technology. Their construction
is a step towards reaching the nuclear model,” says the President of ICN, naval engineer
Pascal Le Roy, a Frenchman from Brittany, a region with a strong seafaring tradition. “Today
we are consolidating an identity here at ICN, a
company that combines the best of these cultures, from Brazil and France,” he says.
The technology transfer is conducted through a knowledge management model.
“DCNS’s method is being followed, recorded and multiplied step by step. The process is
something like Odebrecht knowledge communities, except that here, it is limited to ICN,
because this project is top secret,” explains
Managing Director Carlos Alberto Oliveira.
Training in France
About 150 company members went to France
for training - from engineers to welders. They
included Patrícia Leme da Silva, 34, a resident
of Campo Grande, in the West Zone of Rio de
Janeiro. A single mother, she worked as a waitress and sales clerk before learning to become
a welder at the National Industrial Education
Service (SENAI). She joined ICN and traveled
twice to Normandy. In addition to honing her
skills, she visited Paris and museums. “Focus,
precision and manual skill are characteristics
that help me in this work,” says Patrícia. “Today
I am a steward and multiplier of that knowledge,” she says. ]
Odebrecht informa
43
N e w
F r o n t i e r s
HIGH-PRECISION WORK
CREATED IN 1991, MECTRON IS AN ODEBRECHT DEFENSE AND
TECHNOLOGY AFFILIATE THAT MAKES MISSILES AND
RADAR EQUIPMENT
Written by Luiz Carlos Ramos | Photos by Fred Chalub
π MMA-1 Piranha missile: launch campaign involved tests conducted in Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul
44
The cheers echoing from a hangar at the Brazilian Air
Force (FAB) base in Canoas, in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, sound like
soccer fans celebrating one goal after another. Inside,
however, we see that the only similarity between this
jubilation and soccer is the joy of victory after a long
struggle. The euphoria near the end of 2014 marks the
success of another activity of the team testing defense
missiles developed for the FAB. They hit their targets
accurately. Mission accomplished.
Military and civilians hug each other. They are
part of the same team in the campaign to launch
10 third-generation MAA-1A Piranha missiles,
which also involved aircraft and modern equipment.
Meanwhile, 1,100 kilometers from Canoas, engineers
and technicians from Mectron share the celebrations. Mectron is an affiliate of Odebrecht Defense
and Technology (ODT), based at the Aerospace
Technology Complex in São José dos Campos, São
Paulo, where the missiles were manufactured.
“It involved extensive and careful teamwork
where no one can go wrong,” says the engineer Carlos
Alberto de Paiva Carvalho, from Mectron, a company
that makes missiles and radar. At the São José dos
Campos factory and when testing equipment at air
bases, he checks details and celebrates achievements.
“The moment when you test the product is critical to
leave it in good working order and deliver it to the client, the FAB. Before that, each and every component is
tested at the factory,” he explains to Odebrecht Informa
after returning from Canoas.
Mectron was established in 1991 by five newly graduated engineers from the Aeronautics
Technological Institute (ITA) in São José. The company grew, and turned 20 in 2011, the year Odebrecht
Defense and Technology (ODT) acquired controlling
interest. Its four founders stayed on after the acquisition of Mectron, and are now working on action programs at that company and ODT.
Taking off for Canoas
November 2, a Sunday morning. The FAB plane takes
off from São José dos Campos Airport, taking the
Mectron team to the Canoas Air Base for the MAA-1
tests. Projection: two weeks of exercises.
The two-hour flight to southern Brazil gives Carlos
Alberto time exchange ideas with engineer Michael
José Fonseca dos Santos, from São José, São Paulo, the
Leader of Mectron’s Engineering Department, who
is responsible for the team and the launch campaign.
Looking at his laptop, Michael goes over the previous
stages, the tests conducted for that lot of missiles at
the Santa Cruz Air Base in Rio de Janeiro in August,
until he reaches the final projection. “A-OK,” says
Michael. They also discuss the progress being made
in missile-producing countries. Brazil is now one of
those nations.
In Canoas, teams are assembling 10 MAA-1A
π From left, Michael dos Santos, Paulo Rogério Pereira, Paulo Morais, Felipe Fonseca, Wesley Barros, Julio César Lage
and Júlio Florêncio: a unified, motivated team whose operations require absolute precision
Odebrecht informa
45
N e w
F r o n t i e r s
Piranha missiles. The FAB equips its planes with these
missiles when patrolling the territory and borders of
Brazil.
The two weeks of testing are busy and tense. The
work sometimes goes on until midnight, without a
break. In addition to Carlos Alberto and Michael, the
Mectron team includes Julio César Lage, Paulo Rogério
Aparecido Pereira, Wesley Mendes da Silva Barros,
Paulo Alves de Morais, Felipe do Amaral Fonseca (the
program manager) and Júlio “Julinho” Florêncio from
Guaratinguetá, São Paulo, a former FAB sergeant who
has been with Mectron for 16 years. He has tested more
missiles at three other bases, in addition to Canoas:
Santa Cruz, Rio; Barreira do Inferno, Natal, and Serra
do Cachimbo, Pará. “The Piranha is making history,” he
says. The missiles are tested on an AMX aircraft.
Michael sums up their achievements by the end of
the Canoas mission on November 15th: “We had 14
takeoffs, 10 successful launches, and hit the target.
Now it’s time to go back to São José.” The team’s cheers
seem understandable, just as in soccer. Every target hit
is a goal scored.
International expansion
In practice, modern air-to-air missiles used by one plane
against another are not just hollow warheads fired at
random by the pilot. Technology has created supersonic
MAA-1A
PIRANHA
DEVELOPMENT RESULTED
FROM UPGRADING
FAB FIGHTER JET MISSILES
engines and a tip equipped with a “brain” that observes
the target to correct the missile’s trajectory and make it
more accurate. These developments allow the missile to
detect infrared radiation from the target – from the turbine exhaust of an enemy aircraft or the kinetic heating of
a structure - enabling accurate firing. The explosives are
housed in the central part of the missile.
The third-generation Piranha is part of the drive to
modernize the missiles mounted on FAB fighter jets,
but Mectron also produces other innovative versions,
such as the fourth-generation MAA-1B, the fifth-generation A-Darter, and SCP 01 radar, using Italian technology, which is multifunctional for AMX aircraft. For the
Brazilian Army, it produces the MSS-1.2 surface-to-surface missile, which is used against tanks on the ground.
The A-Darter, or Agile Darter, is a project involving the Brazilian firm Mectron and South Africa’s
Denel Aerospace. Begun in 2007, it is developing
new missiles for the FAB and the South African Air
Force. After undergoing tests in South Africa, which
also involved Michael Fonseca and the Mectron
team, the model is now being manufactured. The
A-Darter will be mounted on F-5 fighters, and the
FAB’s future Swedish Gripen aircraft. “Darter” is the
English name of a bird known in Brazil as the anhanga or carará. It is agile in flight and can dive into
water. ]
Mounting brackets (3)
Warhead
Canards
Rocket engine
Proximity
fuse
Control and
guidance section
46
Fins
In addition to third-generation Piranha
missiles, Mectron produces innovative versions
such as the fourth-generation MAA-1B and the
fifth-generation A-Darter. It also manufactures
M55-1.2 surface-to-surface (anti-tank)
missiles for the Army.
π Carlos Alberto de Paiva Carvalho with models for the A-Darter and MAA-1 missiles
A story that starts with ITA
In this interview, engineer Carlos Alberto de Paiva
Carvalho discusses the first 23 years of the factory in São
José dos Campos and Odebrecht’s arrival in 2011. He is part
of Corporate Engineering team at Mectron, the company he
helped to create in 1991, which now has André Amaro as its
President and CEO.
π What was the most favorable factor behind the creation of
Mectron?
It would all have been impossible without the ITA [Aeronautics Technological Institute], the higher education institution
of the Air Force Command, which is at the DCTA [Department of Aerospace Science and Technology], in São José
dos Campos, in the Paraíba Valley. That engineering school
was born in 1950, thanks to the idealism of Colonel-Engineer Casimiro Montenegro Filho [1904-2000], with the
support of Richard Smith, an American professor from MIT
[the Massachusetts Institute of Technology]. The ITA and
CTA, currently the DCTA, linked to the Air Force Command,
became the embryo of Embraer and other companies. I graduated from the ITA in 1985, made friends and had adventures
until we founded Mectron in 1991, a difficult time for technology in Brazil.
π How did you establish the friendship that enabled you
to start the company?
In the late 1980s, when Brazil and the United States
were still partners with Iraq, several ITA engineers
went to work there. I was one of them. The situation
was complicated by Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
With the threat of war, we Brazilians were removed in a
dramatic fashion. When we got back home, we created Mectron. There were five of us: Wagner Campos
do Amaral, from Pouso Alegre, Minas Gerais; Antonio
Rogerio Salvador, from Vitória; Azhaury da Cunha
Filho, from Recife; Renato Zanetta, from São Paulo, and
me, from Minas. Renato left the company a few years
ago. That small firm has grown and perfected missiles
for the FAB. Casimiro’s dream was to see military and
civilians working together.
π What did Odebrecht’s arrival signify for a Mectron pioneer?
Odebrecht’s controlling stake means progress. We needed a
major partner. And then Odebrecht came along - a Brazilian organization, which is just what we wanted. And the
Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technology [TEO] has strong
similarities with the culture we already practiced here.
Odebrecht informa
47
Different
but equal
Our teams are made up of people from 77 nationalities.
We work in the hot sands of the United Arab Emirates,
the heights of the Peruvian Andes, rural areas of Angola
and Portugal, downtown Miami and São Paulo,
and wherever else there is a challenge to overcome
in the 23 countries where we are active.
The Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technology offers
us they key touchstone for working in a global environment.
For us, people, no matter what their background or culture,
must always be the beginning, means, and end of everything we do.
N e w
F r o n t i e r s
THEY ARE BUILDERS TOO
YOUTHS FROM BRAZIL’S SOUTHERN BAHIA LOWLANDS SHARE THEIR
STORIES OF LIFE AND WORK AT SEMINARS IN COLOMBIA AND PERU
Written by Livia Montenegro | Photos by Edson Machado
π Quésia in Bogotá: recounting her experience as a farmer
50
π Marcelo in Lima: working in a cooperative
Quésia Santos, 18, and Marcelo Roma, 24, spent
unforgettable days in Colombia and Peru, where
they shared their stories of life and work through
the Young Builder Program Latin America (JCAL).
Organized by Odebrecht Infrastructure, this initiative
seeks to speed up the development process for Young
Partners (interns) by putting them in contact with
several of the Group’s Businesses with a focus on the
Entrepreneurial Task.
During the seminar in Bogotá, Colombia, Quésia
recounted her experience as a farmer. In 2014,
she graduated from the Agribusiness Professional
Technical Education course that is integrated into the High School Curriculum at the Igrapiúna
Rural Family House (CFR-I) in the Southern Bahia
Lowlands, in northeastern Brazil. That institution is
part of the Governance Pact and the Development
and Integrated Growth Program with Sustainability
for the Southern Bahia Lowlands Environmental
Protection Areas Mosaic (PDCIS). “When I started at
the CFR-I, I added new chapters to my story. Before
that, I didn’t even have any dreams. Today I am an
agent of change for my family, the community and
the place where I live,” she says.
One of the programs supported by the Odebrecht
Foundation and public and private partners, the
PDCIS promotes both high-quality rural education
and the creation of work and income opportunities
while fostering civic spirit and respect for the environment.
Marcelo Roma is a graduate of the Presidente
Tancredo Neves Rural Family House (CFR-PTN) and
a member of the Presidente Tancredo Neves Rural
Producers’ Cooperative (Coopatan), which are also PDCIS institutions. He participated in the JCAL
seminar held in Lima, Peru. “I want to show everyone that the countryside drives the city. It drives the
world. My focus is on the rural zone, and I own my
own business,” he says.
According to Carlos Lucena, JCAL’s Academic
Director, this exchange of experiences set the course
modules apart. “It is important for young people to
show what they do and explain how the sponsored
programs in the Southern Bahia Lowlands work, because it makes for more fluid interaction, brings people closer together and facilitates the participants’
understanding,” he says.
“We got a first-hand look at how the Odebrecht
Entrepreneurial Technology transcends the scope
of the Group and reaches people who are outside it,
changing their lives and fostering their development,”
says PJCAL participant Maria Alejandra Quintana,
from the Odebrecht Peru Legal Affairs Team.
Diego Zegarra, a Young Partner who is Responsible
for Equipment on Odebrecht Peru’s Costa Verde
Project, adds, “The most important lesson we learned
is that we can implement social outreach projects in
the communities near our jobsites that seek sustainable development, based on the example of projects
being implemented in the Southern Bahia Lowlands.”
Eduardo Queiroz, Vice Chair of the Foundation’s Board
of Trustees, points out that synergy with the Odebrecht
Group is essential for the organization’s members to understand the magnitude and potential of the program
underway in the Southern Bahia Lowlands. “Our commitment is to help build a sustainable society, and that is
what inspires and motivates us to grow,” he says.
Vera Gaspar, JCAL’s Corporate Coordinator and the
officer Responsible for Odebrecht Infrastructure’s
Latin American Development Programs, agrees
and believes that interaction with the Odebrecht
Foundation is critical. “JCAL participants will be the
leaders of tomorrow and, as entrepreneurs, their responsibilities to society will go beyond those related to material wealth. Therefore, they need to leave
a legacy of moral wealth in pursuit of sustainability.
The experience in the Southern Bahia Lowlands is an
example for everyone,” she observes. ]
Odebrecht informa
51
F I N A L
W O R D
N e w
F r o n t i e r s
THE ESSENTIAL ART OF DEALING
WITH DIFFERENCES
PAULO LEVITA, ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER FOR
THE ETHYLENE XXI JOINT VENTURE
A Group member since 1999, Paul Levita has worked in six
countries. In 2013 he arrived in Mexico to work as Administrative
Officer of the Ethylene XXI joint venture. Formed by Odebrecht
Industrial Engineering, Technip and ICAFluor, Ethylene XXI is
responsible for building one of the world’s largest petrochemical
complexes in Coatzacoalcos, in the state of Veracruz.
Written by Luiz Assumpção
π How did the process of forming
the Ethylene XXI joint venture go
about?
This is a Braskem project. Braskem
partnered with the Mexican firm
Idesa, and together they won a
tender held by Pemex [the state-owned company that controls
the oil and gas in the country] to
develop a polyethylene manufacturing complex. Odebrecht Industrial
engineering stepped in to lead the
EPC [Engineering, Procurement and
Construction] project in partnership
with ICAFluor and Technip. We
broke ground in 2010. The aim of
the complex is to meet about 70%
of Mexico’s domestic demand for
polyethylene. We’re talking about
one of the biggest investments in
Latin America at this time.
π What are the project’s biggest
challenges?
I think the biggest challenge is
managing cultural diversity, considering our client, partners, team
members and communities. We
52
have over 17,000 people working
at the construction site. The vast
majority of them are Mexican citizens, but there are also workers
from 22 other nationalities. The
partners’ corporate cultures are
very different. Respecting those
differences and dealing with them
is critical to the success of our
work.
π How have you managed the
daily routines of more than 17,000
workers in a region with infrastructure needs?
We’ve hired and groomed many
local professionals. Some of them
had never worked in construction
before. People brought in from
other regions and countries [totaling about 5,000], are housed in
Coatzacoalcos, a city larger than
Nanchital, where the complex is
being built. People management
is extremely complex, including
safety, security, transportation
logistics, food and payroll, which is
done weekly in Mexico.
π The project is one of the largest in the global petrochemical
industry. What does that mean
and what could its legacy be?
It is extremely gratifying to combine the client’s satisfaction and
results for shareholders with
the development of the project’s
neighboring communities. It is an
opportunity to carry out a venture
that changes the public’s socioeconomic condition, improving
their quality of life. This level of
investment translates, in effect,
into the dynamics of the region. For
example, new businesses are growing in these cities at a remarkable
rate. Subcontracts in the region are
valued at around USD 250 million.
That can bring about a major economic leap. ]
The Odebrecht Group is made up of:
Businesses
Odebrecht Engenharia Industrial
Odebrecht Infraestrutura – Brasil
Odebrecht Infraestrutura – África, Emirados Árabes
e Portugal
Odebrecht Infraestrutura – América Latina
Odebrecht Estados Unidos
Odebrecht Realizações Imobiliárias
Odebrecht Ambiental
Odebrecht Latinvest
Odebrecht Óleo e Gás
Odebrecht Properties
Odebrecht TransPort
Braskem
Odebrecht Agroindustrial
Enseada Indústria Naval
Odebrecht Defesa e Tecnologia
Solutions
everywhere
Investiments
Odebrecht Brazil Fund
Odebrecht Africa Fund
Odebrecht Latin Fund
Improving people’s quality of life, wherever they are, Support Companies
is one of the Odebrecht Group’s objectives. To achieve this,Odebrecht Export Services
Odebrecht Insurance broker
its teams are growing and expanding in 20 countries
Odebrecht Project Engineering
worldwide, taking with them modern technologies and theOdebrecht Retirement Fund
Odebrecht Energy Supplier
drive to meet the complex demands of a changing world.
Program
They are constantly developing new solutions to fresh Social
Odebrecht Foundation
challenges and helping nations and regions pursue their
greatest aspirations: a dignified life and prosperity.
RESPONSIBLE FOR CORPORATE
COMMUNICATION AT ODEBRECHT S.A
Sérgio Bourroul
RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTENT, BRAND
AND IN-HOUSE COMMUNICATION
Karolina Gutiez
EDITORIAL COORDINATION
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where you can access videos and other reports;
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App free of charge from the App Store.
New businesses, new places, new times. New frontiers. A highway in Guatemala. A bioenergy plant in Angola.
Submarines to monitor the Brazilian coast. Examples of invigorating news that there are new learning experiences ahead. In sync with a rapidly and profoundly changing world. An entrepreneurial trajectory that is renewing
itself, a Group that is rejuvenated by the challenges it faces and surmounts. Working capacity that is always
growing. An ethos of service that is stronger than ever.