Néstor Blanco, alias Pelín, cares for the Los Bastos warehouse just as he does his own home. An attitude of service that he learned as a Boy Scout, and is today his hallmark. It’s about his approach to work and life in general. Although the color he’s adopted to mark out his territory doesn’t change everything…

Everyone knows him as Pelín. And he knows that he’s the boss at the warehouse in Los Bastos, Neuquén. Néstor Blanco, Warehouse Lead Supervisor, may have only been with Tecpetrol for just over a decade but he’s been working in the oil industry for more than 30 years. His razor-sharp memory enables him to pinpoint just how much practices and customs, rules both written and unwritten, have changed. When it comes to safety, environment and diversity, he’s quick to observe things that the "big oilmen" of the past wouldn’t understand.

As the warehouse manager, his attitude speaks volumes: “The warehouse is a service unit, a vital part of the operation. We’re rarely the client—95% of the time, we’re the suppliers, which means we’re fully integrated with all sectors,” he says from his office, which he keeps clean and fresh.

But he confirms that the customer is always right. "If one day someone asks you for something you don't have, all the other 999 times you did have what they wanted don’t count," he admits. However, it’s highly unusual for them to be unable to respond: thanks to support from the entire Supply Chain team, added to the network of personal relationships forged over many years in the area, they never fail to step up, even in extreme situations. “The point is to work together; I always joke that I run the solutions office.”

Change in the industry

The vehicles driving through the oilfield, the safety footwear that’s evolved from sturdy leather boots to ultra-light trainers with aluminum toe caps; sat phones and barcodes replacing the old Kardex system—so many resources have been modernized over the years. "I always tell newcomers that I started with the Kardex system—it was like a doctor’s chart—used to track each piece of material in stock,” he recalls. Technology has drastically cut down on human error, though, of course, there's always the chance the signal could cut out...

One of the things he notes is the shift in people’s personal commitment to safety and environmental responsibility, now evident in everyone's behavior—from wearing seatbelts to storing garbage in vehicles and properly disposing of it in bins at a suitable point.

As for Pelín himself, there are all kinds of projects he’s running which go far beyond his remit. At his home, he’s growing eucalyptus, cherry tree and ash seedlings as part of a reforestation effort designed around the warehouse, a plan that will offer shade for generations to come. Another initiative is a photo album he’s putting together that documents the land’s transformation over the years, which he proudly calls “a personal triumph.”

But for him, if anything has transformed the industrial landscape, it’s the visible shift towards gender parity. “This is one of the great lessons the company has learned about diversity. Today, we’re men and women of all ages working together. But I remember a time when a young man wasn’t allowed to work simply because he showed up wearing an earring.”

Back then, in a bold move, Pelín embraced the color pink for his pens, coffee cups, t-shirts—anything to make them stand out—and hang on to them! “I like pink, and I don’t care what others think,” he says with a smile. Now, it’s become a bit of a trademark: “Whenever someone goes on a trip, they always bring me back something pink as a gift.”

A story with a lesson

The key word is collaboration. "Work teams—whether from the company, suppliers, or transporters—are all equal because we all rely on each other,” he explains.

These values were instilled in him early on, back when he was a Boy Scout, doing things like helping elderly women in his neighborhood by sweeping the sidewalk or running their errands, always refusing any form of payment.

His family has always been by his side. His wife even joined him during night shifts. “We used to visit more work sites than tourist spots,” he admits. The spirit of service runs deep at home too. Today, it’s his 14-year-old daughter who invites the neighbors over for tea when she knows they’re feeling lonely.

Selene was born after many years of treatments for his wife, including numerous surgeries, sustained by a deep-felt devotion to St. Expeditus. “We tried for 13 years, did everything we were told, and just when they said no more doctors, it happened,” he says, still emotional about the experience.

Pelín believes his personal style has left its mark. "Over time, you notice that those people moving to work in another sector take something with them—whether it’s how they work or how they treat others. They stand out because of that attitude." He believes it’s contagious: "It’s about more than just money, as when you have that positive outlook on life, the rewards are immediate. I think that’s the best way to work.”