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With 10,000 Employees, Chris Daes of Tecnoglass Explains Why Barranquilla, Colombia Is Ideal for International Business
Posted On July 5, 2023
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Tag: Arizona, barranquilla, bilingual, bilingualism, bogotá, California, cartagena, chris daes, christian daes, colombia, container, Environmental, es windows, esg, florida, governance, jose manuel daes, la playa, manhattan, nyse: tgls, palm beach glass specialties, puerto colombia, sabroso, santa marta, Santiago Giraldo, shipping cost, social, south carolina, south florida, technoglass, tecnoglass, texas, tgls, Ventana al mundo, Ventana de campeones, ventana de sueños, window of champions, window of dreams
The Colombian cities of Bogotá and Medellín are already renowned as international business destinations, but co-founder and COO of international architectural glass & aluminum products powerhouse Tecnoglass (NYSE: TGLS), Chris Daes has been a constant booster of his home city of Barranquilla, Colombia. Right on the Atlantic coast, and just two hours from the United States. Daes explains to Finance Colombia’s Loren Moss why Barranquilla is ideal for international business of all types.
Finance Colombia: One of the things I wanted to ask you, since we are on the theme of Barranquilla and the community, you guys have an advantage being here because it’s a port city, but like I said, not enough people outside of Colombia know about Barranquilla. I know that when you bring big customers and investors in here, I bet for a lot of them it’s the first time that they’ve ever been to the city.
Chris Daes: And they love it. You know, the first time they come scared.
Finance Colombia: [Laughs].
Chris Daes: And then they come alone…And they go visit Cartagena, and they come to Barranquilla, and they go to Santa Marta, and they love it. Because hey, you know, the coast of Colombia is a beautiful sight, it’s two hours away by plane from Miami for example. It’s close, it’s nice, I mean people are friendly. Obviously, we have problems, like in every city, but Barranquilla deserves better luck than we have had so far. Barranquilla, like you’ve said before, most people don’t talk about it, but having a company in Barranquilla, you export a container from here to Miami, all included, all included, from Tecnoglass’ door to Miami’s door for $1,600 a container.
Finance Colombia: Wow!
Chris Daes: $1600 a container! All included! The land and the freight. I don’t know where you can get it cheaper than that.
Finance Colombia: I know somebody that is getting shipments from Bogota to the US, and they are paying $3200 a pallet!
Chris Daes: That is simply too much, because they are located in the wrong place. That’s why locating the company in Barranquilla is so important, and that’s why Tecnoglass won’t move out of here. I have said that the day I have to move the company, I’d prefer to go.
Finance Colombia: I got you. You know, so just briefly to finish that theme up, when you talk to companies outside of Colombia, let’s say in the US, why should they consider Barranquilla for their base of operations, whether that’s manufacturing, logistics, I know that there are contact centers here, I know that you have bilingual people, I know that you have good universities…
Chris Daes: Here everything is made simple. We are not complicated people. We handle people right, we welcome the people from outside, the guys are good workers, they learn quickly, they are not complainers, they are happy, the help you out, they really love the company where they work, so it’s the perfect environment! Barranquilla is everything to us.
Finance Colombia: Wow. That’s great to know. Now, you guys are almost at your 40th anniversary, 40th birthday-
Chris Daes: Almost no, we are 40.
Finance Colombia: 40 years old, wow, wow, congratulations!
Chris Daes: 8th of March we were 40 years old.
Finance Colombia: Well, happy birthday to Tecnoglass!
Chris Daes: Thank you.
Finance Colombia: And you know, is there anything that you wanted to mention? You guys are moving so quickly, I told Santiago, it’s hard to report on Tecnoglass, because every time there’s a headline, it’s “Tecnoglass breaks new records,” I’m like, I need to, as an editor, come up with better headlines!
Chris Daes: I am sorry to tell you but you are going to keep being harassed by us!
Finance Colombia: [Laughs].
Chris Daes: And by what we do, because there are three or four things that you are going to find out soon that we are working on that will be game changers, like usual. I mean, we always try to make it good, make it right, go forward, and we will continue to work that path.
Finance Colombia: Wonderful, it’s always good to catch up with you, I know that you are a busy man. I feel honored you made time for me, thanks a lot.
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