The fourth edition of ProPymes was held in Neuquén and this year the focus was on finding parallels between open-wheel car racing and oil & gas. How the IndyCar formula complements Fortín de Piedra. With the green flag cutting through the air, let’s take a look at how this event started!

Tecpetrol welcomed the members of its value chain to its corporate building in Neuquén for the latest ProPymes Meeting, the Techint Group program that has been supporting both customers and suppliers for over twenty years. As is the case every year, there was also a special guest invited to take part. This time the keynote speaker was Ricardo Juncos, the owner of Juncos Hollinger Racing, a team competing in the IndyCar Series in the United States.

Ricardo Ferreiro, President E&P, opened the meeting and addressed those gathered: “You and the interest that Vaca Muerta arouses are living proof of this amazing growth achievement. Fortín de Piedra was a turning point—a vast challenge that demonstrated some truly significant capabilities. The fact that a project of this scale has received such strong support from the ProPymes Program is what makes our path all the more fascinating and underscores its importance.” The numbers speak for themselves: last year alone, 274 SMEs received support from the program.

In fact, this is what Luis Lanziani, Supplier Development Sr. Manager, talked about when he highlighted the dedication and passion of everyone involved in ProPymes. He emphasized the critical role played in helping these 274 companies to improve and gain a greater foothold in the market, thanks to training, consulting and a full range of different initiatives—all accomplished within such a limited timeframe.

Right afterwards, Guillermo Murphy, Vice President Supply Chain, and Ricardo Juncos, commandeered the podium. Ricardo had visited Fortín de Piedra the day before, and was extremely impressed by what he saw. “It was extraordinary. I didn't know what to expect,” he shared, reflecting on the experience. “You could feel the pride and passion radiating from the entire team. I saw decision-making in action, the sacrifices they made, and how people work tirelessly to minimize risks. It was a unique experience.” He went on to recall a great milestone in his world, the stunning victory his team pulled off in the 2011 Indianapolis 500 race, triumphing over competitors like Fernando Alonso. But as he pointed out, the real stars of that achievement weren’t the driver, the technology or even the track—it was the team. “They worked through the night to ensure the car was in top condition.”

And on points like that Guillermo is in full agreement, as he also spoke about teams and passion. Because a race at 300 kilometers per hour has quite a lot in common with a project launched from scratch less than seven years ago, that is today delivering over 15% of a nation’s gas. And this is combined with training, learning and confidence: “Our activity involves a great deal of risk, but we dedicate countless hours to ensuring quality and safety,” he explained. “We don’t take these risks for granted. It’s like a race—risks are always present, but the key is knowing how to manage them effectively.”

For Ricardo, whether on the track or in the field, attitude and constant learning are non-negotiable: “I work to achieve continuous improvement because we’re always under a great deal of pressure. There are new goals every day,” he shared. Guillermo echoed this sentiment, adding, “There’s a lot of planning, knowledge and supplier development that support our efforts. That’s why this parallel fits together so well: the size of the challenge that Vaca Muerta presents over the next two or three years is a new race in the making.”

Ricardo Markous, CEO of Tecpetrol, wrapped up the meeting with an open conversation with Rolo Figueroa, Governor of Neuquén. He spoke about aiming high, combining passion with teamwork, and the drive to reach ambitious objectives and projects. Reflecting on the achievements, he highlighted the numbers: “We broke all of Fortín de Piedra’s records thanks to our suppliers. I’m so proud to have developed the site with companies from all over the country as I know we have the best supplier program here. It’s in the Techint Group’s DNA.”

“Now the strategy is about oil,” continued Ricardo, under the watchful eyes of Rolo, Gustavo Medele, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Neuquén, and Andrea Confini, Secretary of Energy and Environment of Río Negro. “This is quite a different project, one that will be the same size as Fortín de Piedra. Once again, we’ll do this thanks to our relationship with the SMEs in our value chain, whether it involves new drilling, the areas to be developed, conventional areas, or transportation.” And, as Rolo said, the team is definitely on the right track: “We’re going to do everything together: government, institutions, companies. The future is like the Indy 500: to get there we need to move fast—but above all, we need to move together as a team.”