With an investment of US$ 4 million and the possibility of creating some 300 jobs, the San Telmo Refrigerator in the city of Mar del Plata, with the aim of exporting different products from the meat industry, as well as supplying the domestic market.
“I love Argentina, I love this country that has all the wealth like few in the world; that has everything to grow, with projects, investment, effort and work, Argentina will grow exponentially”the Italian-Argentine businessman told Télam Eugenio Sangregorioresponsible for the new venture from Mar del Plata.
The traditional San Telmo refrigerator -ex Sadowa, from Mar del Plata, which was dedicated solely to exporting meat- closed on March 15, 2001 as a result of the damages caused by the ban on the entry of Argentine products to international markets , leaving more than 300 workers on the street.
San Telmo, which today has an area of 35,000 square meters and 52 hectares of land, is located on Avenida Constitución at 10300 Mar del Plata.
-How was born the idea of investing in the reopening of the San Telmo Refrigerator in Mar del Plata?
-Actually, the idea of this investment was born back in 2011, when I bought that refrigerator in Mar del Plata in bankruptcy, but the province of Buenos Aires expropriated it and, after five years, the province could not pay me and then decided return it to me in 2016. Until then it had been occupied by a cooperative. From that moment I began to put it in conditions with all the facilities of the refrigerator, because it was destroyed, and with an investment of US$ 4 million I left it in conditions to start operating.
-After it started working?
-No, then came the pandemic that paralyzed everything in the world and we couldn’t start. At the same time, I held the position (as deputy) in the Italian Republic, I was not permanently in Argentina. But I bet a lot for this venture in the food industry, among other investments that I have in the country.
-Other investments, like which ones?
-Well, we also bet a lot on the real estate sector in different parts of the country, I am a real estate developer. I love Argentina, I love Argentina and I bet on Argentina; To give you an idea, I have 2,400 jobs that I give to people. I love Argentina, I love Argentina and I want its people to be well.
-And then came the possibility of buying the refrigerator in Mar del Plata?
-I set myself a challenge in the meat industry when I won in that auction. Now that the stoppage of the pandemic has passed, with an Argentina that has many problems but that has everything to grow. I have always been very optimistic about Argentina, I still am because they are just another Argentine; I love this country, like when in history they said ‘come to make America’. Yes, I came to make America, but America fell in love with me.
-Specifically, it is an investment of US$ 4 million to put the San Telmo Refrigerator into operation…
-Yes a little more too, between the purchase, the furniture, the investment in machinery, equipment, everything that had been broken in previous years with those who were in the cooperative, I put it in conditions again to put it to operate, but no we were able to start earlier due to the coronavirus pandemic.
-The idea with San Telmo is to export the production?
-The plant is ready and we just started a few days ago. In principle, the idea of the San Telmo refrigerator is purely export-oriented because the country needs the income of foreign currency. Due to my ties as a representative in Italy, I met a lot of people and with important ties abroad I can export everything we produce in Argentina, but without having to neglect the domestic market. I am going to attend to the Argentines and a part will go to export with the (resolution) 481 of the Hilton export quota so that profits enter the country.
-How many workers did you start the enterprise with?
-In the beginning there were almost 50 and for the future we estimate to have a total of 300 workers, with the plant operating at full capacity.
-Why do you invest in Argentina?
-Because I love Argentina, because Argentina is my family, because Argentina is part of my blood, because I have always invested in Argentina; I specialized in forming groups of investors for Argentina, my family is Argentine, I have Argentine children and grandchildren. I love Argentina, despite all the problems we have, this is a great country, a rich country, which sooner or later is going to come back.
-In that sense, how do you see the economic process of the country?
-Everything that is taking place between Mercosur and the European Community is very important, it is very important that the countries of the South American region see the growth process in Europe, which took 50 years and definitively seal the European Community (EC ) and its growth. That is what we have to do together in Mercosur, which is undoubtedly very important due to the natural wealth of the countries that make it up in the local market. But on time, Argentina is a rich country wherever you want to look at it, minerals, food, fuel, land, lithium, all of that is future work for export and growth. I warned many people, years ago, that the world was headed for a major food crisis and that is why I asked investors to strengthen projects with Argentine businessmen to grow together. According to our studies and our statistics, Argentina is in a position to produce food for 800 million people, look if Argentina cannot be a power, please!
-And do you think that more investments will come for the generation of Argentine work?
-EN: Of that I have no doubts. I have spoken and I speak permanently with investments from Europe, representatives of capitals have come to me to invest in Argentina while I was in the Italian Parliament until last year and everyone asks me in which area to invest and where to invest, always with clear accounts and measures that protect the foreign investor. I have asked my friend Sergio Massa (Minister of Economy) for a long time that there be a law in Congress that protects the investment of foreign capital, because without investment the growth of a country, our country, cannot be promoted.
