The design and construction of the plant was developed under the leadership of Construcciones en Zonas Francas, a company of Grupo ZFB, during the pandemic.

BOGOTá, COLOMBIA, August 17, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper has opened its first production plant in South America, located in Cartagena, Colombia; its main focus will be the production of cement sacks for the cement and building material industry, a sector that demands up to two billion bags per year in South America.

To enter the region, the company sought alternatives and found in Construcciones an integral strategic ally: "The cooperation with Construcciones en Zonas Francas, has been strategic for us. We did have many options, but in the end Construcciones had more experience, more scope and the professionalism of the people who helped us in the negotiation were very assertive. That was what we were looking for, a partner who could support us locally. I definitely think we made the right decision," says Carlos Martinez, Managing Director of Mondi Paper Bags for Mexico and Latin America.

Martinez highlights the professionalism and execution capacity reflected in the fulfilment of the construction phase despite the pandemic: "We started construction and six weeks later the pandemic started, so the monitoring was remote. For us it was very satisfying to find that the construction and control system was exceptional."

For Diego Calderón, Manager of Construcciones en Zonas Francas, the success of this project represents the consolidation of an efficient and effective specialised model, based on the best practices of PMI in the world; and of high added value, associated with cost control and customised design, personalised attention and comprehensive support, which results in job creation and greater investment opportunities for the country: "Mondi is a global company, and having selected Colombia as the location of its operation for the region and Construcciones as its ally, will accelerate the decision making process of other companies that are enthusiastic about investing in the country".

At a constructive level, a differential factor that stands out was the synchronisation with the latest technology equipment imported from Germany; as well as the design and construction of the plant required customised and highly specialised conditions (being vertically integrated) in order to guarantee a timely distribution service at a local and international level.

Another relevant factor was Colombia's strategic location. In fact, Colombia has a preferential location that allows it to import raw materials and meet the requirements and demand of all the countries of Central America, South America and the Caribbean in a timely manner. In addition, it is able to meet domestic demand in a sector that, despite the pandemic, is expected to grow by 8.6% in 2021. Martinez highlights the expertise of the technical workforce in Cartagena and Colombia, where they have found collaborators with extensive experience and technical, mechanical and electrical knowledge: "We were able to employ great people with a lot of knowledge in these areas and after internal training in our plant in Mexico as well as knowledge transfer with other plants in our global network, the local team is now operating the Cartagena plant".

After 4 months of operation, Mondi's experience in Colombia has been very positive. “We are delighted with the remarkable progress our new plant has made – despite the challenges posed by COVID-19. The new facility will enable Mondi to continue to take essential steps to better meet customer needs and we are prepared to expand the production capacity if needed,” concludes Martínez.

For his part, Calderón affirms: "Mondi's presence in the region represents excellent news for the country. As their allies, we will accompany them in the complete development of the projects, with differential assets in quality, cost and time".

Marine More Morera
FABIOLA MORERA COMUNICACIONES
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