Aceros de Guatemala
Development and Growth
In its origins, ACEROS DE GUATEMALA was born in 1953 under the name of Distribuidora Universal, only devoted to the importation and distribution of construction materials. In 1963 it started the manufacturing of nails, subsequently adding several other steel products. In 1971 the company began the production of raw steel (steel mill), which was expanded in 1980. 1994 was the year of the creation of Siderurgica Guatemala (SIDEGUA), manufacturing steel from scrap, therefore integrating all production steps. There was a further expansion in capacity in 2005, taking the raw steel output to 420.000 tonnes per year. In 2010 the mother company, Corporacion ACEROS DE GUATEMALA, formed a strategic partnership with GERDAU Group from Brazil in order to be able to produce and sell all around Central America.
The industrial site SIDEGUA accounts for 800 workers; inside it there is the drawing area, which comprises nail manufacturing with 160 people. Personnel working in the processes are very experienced, some of them with over twenty years working for the company. SIDEGUA includes the following operational units:
a) Steel Mill Plant
b) Steel Press Plant
c) Electro Welded Mesh Plant
d) Wire Drawing Plant
e) Steel Press Plant
Staying competitive with new technology
From the mere distribution of nails imported, ACEROS DE GUATEMALA has been developing a more complex, quality-oriented market, which is continuously expanding and requires the company to grow accordingly to follow the pace. In order to stay competitive, the company is continuously investing in new technology, giving training to its personnel, centralizing processes in the same location, and keeping the quality of its products.
In 2011 ACEROS DE GUATEMALA decided to acquire ENKOTEC rotary nail machines for a project devised to increase the production capacity by 35 %. The range of product of this section nails goes from ½” to 8” and it has evolved from a mere 1½” to 2½, as it was 20 years ago. The decision to initiate a business relationship with ENKOTEC was made following a reference from the company’s partner GERDAU in 2010, when a project for investment and expansion of the operations at SIDEGUA Plant was developed.
Additional benefits for improved work environment
ACEROS DE GUATEMALA sees the ENKOTEC rotary nail machine as a high productivity machine, with good quality products, compact, with the additional benefit in terms of work environment due to reduced noise. Therefore, the company considers ENKOTEC a very good alternative for investing in machinery for nail manufacturing. Among the great benefits in the cooperation with ENKOTEC are a completely trouble-free experience at start up and the efficient support and technical service provided right from the beginning.
This positive experience means that ACEROS DE GUATEMALA sees ENKOTEC as an important part in its future projects of development and investment, since it intends to continue increasing its productivity, substituting old machines by new ones, to be able to produce high quality with technology and efficiency.