The "Córdoba in the World" Awards Ceremony was held last Monday November 25. Present at the event were a large part of the business community and Governor Juan Schiaretti. The Awards are given each year by ProCórdoba Agency and the Córdoba Chamber of Foreign Trade (in Spanish, CaCEC).
In this new edition of the event born in 1988, the companies that took home the award honoring their internationalization efforts were ValorA, ECONOVO, Qplus Consultores SA, Oscar Peman y Asociados SA, EDGE SA, and PRODEMAN SA.
The ceremony took place at the Civic Center and was presided by Governor Juan Schiaretti, who was accompanied by Ministry of Industry, Trade and Mining Roberto Avalle, ProCórdoba Agency's President Jorge Marcotegui, and Córdoba Chamber of Foreign Trade President Marcelo Olmedo.
Before the awards were given, Governor Schiaretti praised Córdoba's export identity: "The Cordobese entrepreneur is not afraid of the international competence, but rather goes out into the world in search of new challenges. Córdoba has always striven for integration processes; that's the tradition of our entrepreneurs, who invest in Córdoba and worry about generating employment."
He added, "In spite of the cyclical crises of the Argentine economy, Córdoba is still exporting, and this is the best way to bring in the dollars that our economy needs. (...) Exporting more and generating more added value is part of making Córdoba bigger and bigger."
During his welcoming speech, CaCEC's President Marcelo Olmedo said, "We need many more exporters; not just in the most traditional sectors like the agroindustry, which is strongly positioned and widely recognized in the international market. Today, the knowledge industry offers multiple opportunities for our Province." He also stressed that the purpose of the Awards is to "encourage and motivate all those entrepreneurs that make their companies and Córdoba strong by promoting foreign trade. The goal is also to give you exposure so that the community learns about you and tries to emulate your behavior and actions."
Also present at the event were the authorities of ProCórdoba Agency, members of its board of directors, General Manager Roberto Rossotto, and all the Department Managers. Other attendees included Government officials, Customs Office representatives, presidents and authorities of business and educational institutions, journalists, entrepreneurs and renowned personalities of the foreign trade world.
The Awards went to:
"FULVIO PAGANI" EXPORT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD (created by the Government of the Province): PRODEMAN SA
Born inside a family and entirely owned by Cordobese entrepreneurs, it has a long export history in the agricultural sector. It grows, stores, processes and stores peanut. Its facilities now cover a total 92,000 sq. mt. and it has over 550 collaborators and an export capacity of 65,000 ton a year. Since the very beginning, it has exported confectionery peanut, but now it also sells foods with an added value to the world. It has enjoyed steady growth and is now present in the five continents and its exports represent 67 million US dollars in sales and 88% of the total business activities.
AGRI-BUSINESS Sector award: ValorA
Based in El Tío, the company adds value to primary products and uses by-products to produce textured soybean protein for human consumption, this being their springing board for export. Their products are certified to Good Agricultural Practices and other quality standards. Among their main export markets there are the Arab Emirates, the Philippines, Indonesia, Egypt, South Africa, Costa Rica, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and others.
INDUSTRIAL Sector award: ECONOVO
Based in Oncativo, with local labor and engineers, the company develops world-class state-of-the-art environmental technologies. It manufactures equipment for urban hygiene. Today it exports to South America, Central America and Mexico. It has set up an industrial plant covering 15,000 sq. mt. in India where it will manufacture all its products. This strategic location will allow it to source the Asian and African markets.
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT award: Qplus Consultores SA
The company is devoted to the creation of ICT-based products. These items bring together the knowledge acquired in the sectors it works on with new IoT, telemetrics and data science technologies. It exports its software products to Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay, Colombia, Mexico, Canada and Spain. It has a subsidiary in Chile.
INNOVATION award: EDGE SA
Its innovative IoT remotely-operated Solar Injection Pump contributes to optimizing and maximizing productions at gas and oil wells. Thanks to this equipment, the firm has opened up a market in Kuwait, achieving its complete internationalization in 2018.
INTERNATIONALIZATION award: Oscar Pemán y Asociados SA
Based in Sinsacate, the company is a prospective market leader in the tropical forage seeds market, given the excellent quality of its products and the great variety of species in its offer. It has conducted export activities since 2001 to countries in Latin America, South Africa and the Middle East. Its strategic vision led to its internationalization in Uruguay. The success of this undertaking is based on the know-how in seeds, genetics and innovation.
