By Escarlin Pozo
El Inmobiliario
SANTO DOMINGO - "125 years is not something you say easily," began José Raúl González, CEO of Cementos Progreso, as he spoke about the history of this Guatemalan cement company, which acquired CEMEX's operations in the country in February of this year.
In an interview on the program “La Ventana” on El Imobiliario, he highlighted that the company was born from a dream that germinated in the mind of a young man named Carlos Federico Novella, son of Italian and German immigrants, but born in Guatemala after his parents' search for a better life.
After studying engineering in Belgium, and after learning about the market, he returned to Guatemala in 1897, at the age of 21, with the idea of setting up a cement factory after discovering that the product was not commonly found in America.
“This is how the dream of Cementos Progreso began, and 125 years later, we have been blessed to be a company that operates in eight countries. Happily, we are here in the Dominican Republic, starting this year,” González stated.
He highlighted the founder's visionary thinking in various fields, such as economics and business, emphasizing his interest in the social and environmental fields.
José Raúl González and Enrique García. Elieser Tapia/El Inmobiliario.
“Long before the modern concepts of today existed, he provided health and education to his workers and had a particular interest in caring for the environment,” he specified.
The CEO of Cementos Progreso explained that this same philosophy, from more than 100 years ago, is what the company maintains, known as its "DNA of progress", in which a spirit of entrepreneurship, social and environmental value stands out.
We invite you to watch the full interview on our YouTube channel: El Inmobiliariodo.
For his part, the director of the Caribbean Region, Enrique García, highlighted that the Guatemalan company chose the Dominican Republic for its operations because it is a country with a "dynamic" and larger market in the Caribbean region.
"It is a market that has shown interesting growth in recent years, perhaps even today, as an economy second only to Guyana with levels of evolution and stable growth," he stated.
García highlighted that during the process of change and adaptation, in terms of branding, he recognizes that he "inherited" a team that knew the market, that was multidisciplinary, with which an "organic transition" was achieved and with the same values.
During the interview, conducted by the media group's director, Ana María Ramos, the topic of the possibility of entering the real estate sector, as developers, as they did in the country where the brand was created, was discussed.
CEO José Raúl González explained that they have only been in the Dominican Republic for almost four months, but that the idea of entering this market will remain a "future possibility".
“It’s still premature to say here; the real estate business and construction materials are very closely related, and there would be a business thesis to be able to look at one another,” he explained.
In that regard, he stressed that growth will occur in phases and that, although the real estate sector is related, it involves a "local intelligence" that requires time to get off the ground.
Visit our YouTube channel and learn how Cementos Progreso plans its growth in the Dominican Republic, as explained by its leaders.
