The Techint Group’s state-of-the-art corporate HQ was the scene for Tecpetrol’s annual ProPymes event for its representatives from its value chain in Neuquen.

Tecpetrol played host to representatives from local SMEs making up its value chain at the headquarters of the Techint Group in Neuquen. The occasion was the annual launch of its ProPymes Program, also an opportunity to commemorate the 20^th anniversary of the initiative at corporate level.

Guillermo Murphy, director of Tecpetrol's Supply Chain, Fernando Estrada, Global Supply Chain Manager, and Luis Lanziani, Head of Supplier Management, took to the stage to talk about the Program’s past, present and future. This was followed with a motivational talk given by Sergio Oveja Hernández, the former coach of the Argentine national basketball team, on how to build resilient and impactful teams. The closing words came from Martín Bengochea, Regional Director of the Neuquen  Basin and Vaca Muerta of Tecpetrol, and Marcos Koopman, Deputy Governor of Neuquen.

It was striking to hear how each speaker talked about the idea of a "team", the spirit driving the ProPymes Program. It’s all about forging bonds and growing together: Fortín de Piedra, the Group's flagship project in Vaca Muerta, was only possible thanks to the synergy achieved between Tenaris, Techint and Tecpetrol as leaders, and the 1,000 companies from 15 provinces throughout the country which supplied them with products and services.

Guillermo Murphy summarized the Program’s corporate values: “After the 2001 crisis, the company made a deep-seated commitment to its value chain, setting five objectives designed to strengthen those SMEs providing it with services. The Program works by articulating four aspects: the company, the business association, SMEs and government entities. The core of the initiative is about developing a strong and varied portfolio of suppliers, based on safe operations, quality, and as little impact as possible on the environment.”

Fernando Estrada brought up the more technical aspects of the Program: “We work all the way through the cycle, right from the moment a company contacts us to be part of Tecpetrol’s chain: we are involved in the pre-selection and evaluation, in developing and improving efficiency and performance levels, and finally in monitoring their performance to help them grow.”

Luis Lanziani, supported by Marcelo Guszul from behind the scenes, talked in terms of the future as he looked towards the horizon of growth: “During the next phase of this Program, we’ll be developing five key areas. The first is the implementation of processes and controls to strengthen the safety culture. The second, to establish traceability and maintenance processes for equipment and tools. The third is about streamlining task and resources management to improve productivity. The fourth concerns the competence of company personnel as regards carrying out more qualified tasks. The last point is diversity and inclusion, an issue where we are already investing considerable efforts with the intention of deepening our action.”

Teamwork. Synergy. In line with the spirit of the meeting, the evening’s guest speaker, Sergio Hernández, gave a talk about the importance of bonding, cooperation and processes: “If I put my ego at the service of the team, and everyone else does the same, the team improves, and I benefit tenfold. Why is Messi performing so well on the national team? Because recently, he’s been playing as part of a supportive and orderly team. And creativity is enhanced by order, not chaos.”

Martín Bengochea and Marcos Koopman closed the event, sharing the podium to discuss their views on the global context, the challenges facing the industry, the future of the company’s activity and the conditions needed to reach the next few years in the best possible way. Above all, they agreed on the critical role played by the value chain, a synergy that Koopman described as essential for growth. “Vaca Muerta is not just an opportunity, it’s a responsibility. Helping small and medium-sized companies in Neuquen to develop and grow is integral to the social contract established, and which must continue. These companies provide employment, expand the productive matrix and drive the development of the province.”

Bengochea agreed with Koopman as he shared his analysis, underlining that this responsibility is tantamount to a mandate: “Today Argentina has the chance, with Vaca Muerta, to be a world supplier. We have a commitment to step up to the plate.” To close, unifying the spirit expressed by all the speakers, he concluded that, “Our value chain is the ability to execute, to fulfill our projects and objectives. We develop them with technology, activities, human resources, and innovation. Twenty years ago, the Techint Group launched ProPymes with twenty-six companies: now there are more than a thousand involved in the Program throughout the country. Of those thousand, we are proud to say that two hundred work with us, with Tecpetrol.”