Construction and infrastructure development in Honduras has an important ally in Santos Industria for concrete, precast structures, blocks and aggregates. Quality from the foundations to the top
Santos Industria was created in 1996 as a building materials supplier, starting with crushed rock and asphalt concrete production. The company derived from the Santos & Cía. group -with more than 60 years in business- and became independent afterwards.
From the ADM 1 model asphalt concrete plant and the first Nordberg crusher to the different creations from its production plants, it didn’t take long for Santos Industria to earn a place in Honduras’ construction sector. The company is certified under local regulations and global standards, such as ISO:9001, besides receiving accolades from efforts in social and environmental matters.
The company operates mainly from its headquarters in Tegucigalpa, and also has locations in Choloma, Choluteca, San Lorenzo and San Pedro Sula.
Through the years, Santos Industria has taken part in very important infrastructure projects in Honduras, including bridges and tunnels nationwide and in the Canal Seco highway, where 162 prestressed concrete beams were deployed, resisting recent hurricanes in Honduran territory. The company contributes to the country’s development through an innovative approach, creating a wide array of options to go beyond any limit, led by a resourceful team and supported by the latest technology in the industry.
“Honduras needs support in road infrastructure and Santos Industria relies on the best available technology,” Delmy Romero, commented. Romero is the CEO for Santos Industria.
Romero graduated in accounting from the National Autonomous University of Honduras and is currently taking her MBA. Romero has also worked in the telecommunications sector for the Millicom multinational company, where she held different positions in the finance department and led the ERP (enterprise resource planning) design and implementation. She also accomplished successful mergers and IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) deployments, having completed courses for purposes of the latter as well as for KPI (key performance indicator) implementations during an internship in Europe. Romero also qualified for the highest honors in the Human Relations course from Dale Carnegie Academy (Australia). Romero enjoys working at Santos Industria as well as sharing the company’s vision, where it didn’t take her long to learn all that is related to the business.
“We are in constant motion, we must possess flexibility and adaptability. I’ve had to learn from basic principles to complex subjects,” the executive explained.
Production lines Santos Industria main production lines include:
• Grinding. Processing of volcanic rocks, such as basalt, through different cycles with cutting-edge technology. Minimal capacity is approx. 3500 ft3 per hour. This area produces gravels, granules, sand and other mixing materials.
• Hydraulic concrete. Produced through a hi-tech, computerized process under strict quality standards.
• Asphalt concrete. A 100 ton per hour latest-generation continuous flow production plant delivers the best concrete in the region, processed in laboratories for quality control before distribution.
• Small precast units. The latest technology in the region relies on a minimum capacity of 3,000 units per hour for production of cinder blocks, cobblestone, split-face block, filler slabs, floor tiles and retaining wall block.
• Precast structures. This flexible production line creates large items for different uses, mainly in infrastructure, such as catch basins, manholes, prestressed columns of any size, column capitals, panels, and ready to use prefab sheds.
All of these products undergo strict testing in a laboratory equipped with the necessary technology to control and validate production processes before being approved by quality control management.
Growth demands met with investment
Honduras’ infrastructure development demands companies which are up to the task, Santos Industria has timely foreseen this and is currently working on increasing its production. In 2019, the company opened its fourth block factory in Tegucigalpa, whose minimum capacity is 3,000 units per hour. In 2020 -and surpassing the consequences derived from the global pandemic-, the company managed to finish a second concrete plant, located also in the country’s capital, relying on a minimum capacity of approx. 1236 ft3 per hour.
“We’ve been updating our machinery and specialized equipment in order to create any product our clients need, thus adding value to our company,” Romero remarked.
Support from technology
Both operational and management processes in Santos Industria are supported by reliable tech resources.
The customized ERP for this segment speeds cost, inventory and invoicing processes, besides offering up to date financial information, which results in better decision-making.
In the production areas, machinery is computer-controlled and constantly updated, it receives remote support from Europe.
On its behalf, the design and development department upgrades construction and production processes, reducing costs and time, a benefit for clients.
New product development
Among the newest additions to the Santos Industria catalogue, prefab underpasses stand out during difficult weather conditions; these units possess high capacity for stormwater flow, making them more convenient over traditional sewage works, having proved their functionality in infrastructure projects.
Column capitals for girder support have been included recently into the product portfolio as well as prefab sheds, a storage solution created with wall panels, prefab beams and columns. Santos Industria is a trend-setter in this time and cost-reducing option.
Supply chain: focus on quality
Santos Industria’s value chain is formed by strategic partners and purveyors capable of meeting quality standards, policies and procedures in a number of operations, making quality the cornerstone from raw material to finished product. These guidelines result in the “intimacy with the client” value proposition.
“What matters the most is making our clients feel supported, that they are not alone, allowing them to have a satisfactory experience with our products and services,” the CEO explained.
Beyond the global pandemic As it happened with businesses worldwide, consequences from COVID19 brought Santos Industria a series of challenges which have been surpassed through intelligence and creativity. The company reinvented itself and was reorganized from restrictions set by incumbent agencies, achieving continuity in projects and client relationships.
“We’ve learned a lot across the pandemic, we discovered new markets and ways to reach them with the products we’ve been developing and looking to launch during 2021,” Romero commented.
Inclusion environment
The human element at work in Santos Industria flourishes in an open communication environment of collaboration, which allows easy detection for areas of improvement, new ideas and carrying these out with a sum of efforts.
Staff development is a key aspect, achieved through training, access to postgraduate studies, specialization courses and certification.
“The internal motto for Santos Industria is ‘materializing human inventiveness’. Our company’s main trait is our innovation culture, with young, dynamic, skilled talent, ready for multitasking with the idea that anything can be done,” the executive explained.
Links with the community
The solid relationship between Santos Industria and surrounding communities through neighborhood associations and churches has resulted in benefits for these populations in the receiving end of building materials donations, logistic support, street maintenance, reforestation and environmental workshops. The state of public school facilities within these communities reflect the valuable help received from Santos Industria.
Support provided by Santos Industria in these areas is not limited to material goods, but also through the company’s architects’ and engineers’ knowledge.
New horizons
Next steps for Santos Industria will increase the company’s distribution reach nationwide through strategic partnerships. New plans are currently in the works with Construmarket, the official distributor.
Other plans include strengthening the market in Southern Honduras, reaching a new customer tier with a new “VIP” product line from the precast production plant, and increasing sales by 20%. These goals are foreseen to be accomplished during 2021.
“We don’t stop dreaming. Part of our vision is to expand across Honduras’ borders,” concluded Delmy Romero, CEO for Santos Industria.