COVERING every surface in the paints and coatings industry

From Guatemala, where it all began, Grupo Solid is taking over Latin America, growing its presence through different brands and strategies covering every aspect in paints, coatings and their application

Produced by Jassen Pintado

Written by Mateo Rafael Tablado

Creative Direction Omar Rodríguez

Interviewee

Ariel Koll-Nescher, Executive President of Grupo Solid

Grupo Solid Solid is the leading manufacturer in Central America for paint, coatings and accessories, operating more than 15 brands in the entire Central America territory through its own brands, a partnership with a global brand and also running franchises and stores where painting services are also offered.

Grupo Solid’s origins date back to 1955, when the first Pinturas Paleta store opened in Guatemala offering imported paints. During the early 1980s, Paleta acquired assets from different companies in Central America, as this marked the beginning of its expansion abroad. Soon after, Pinturas Corona was acquired, which back then was only a local, independent paint factory. Thus, the company became its own paint manufacturer within the same territory. The brands, franchises and companies comprising Grupo Solid are run by more than 2,000 workers, resulting in the creation of more than 50,000 jobs in the region.

“We are based as a family business; actually, family members are shareholders and are only involved in the Board. We have transitioned into them being engaged in such a level as the company is run by a board in which shareholders and external directors take part, to the extent that the chairman is an external director with wide global experience in the paints and coatings business,” commented Ariel Koll-Nescher, Executive President of Grupo Solid.

Accomplished And Recognized Leadership

Panama-born Ariel Koll-Nescher relocated to Guatemala more than 30 years ago. He graduated as an industrial engineer at the Rafael Landívar University (in Guatemala); afterwards, Koll-Nescher earned an MBA from the INCAE Business School (Central American Institute of Business Administration).

After a five-year tenure at Banco Uno, where he was hired during college, he received a proposal to join Grupo Solid as a junior manager for the Paintbrush and Resale Products line; afterwards, he was named purchase manager, a position in which he lasted for a year, before taking over as CFO. In each of these positions, Koll-Nescher became familiar with the market, clients, the industry and each of the countries in which Grupo Solid had presence back then.

In 2005, Koll-Nescher became executive vice-president, holding this position for eleven years, contributing to the group’s growth and expansion. His tenure as executive president began in 2016, and during this time he has led an aggressive expansion plan, increased points of purchase and acquired two new production facilities -in the Dominican Republic and Paraguay- aiming at growth in the Caribbean and South America, respectively.

Koll-Nescher has earned praise from different publications for being one of the most efficient executives in the region. Other accomplishments during his time at the head of Grupo Solid include the Superbia production plant being certified under the ISO 9001:2015 standard for resins and paint, as well as the Farbe paint accessories production plant; during his tenure, the group also transitioned from an ERP platform to an ERP SAP leaders in tin plate cans for the food and paint markets. Our constant improvement and renewal of equipment to the latest technology guarantees the quality of our products.

The tin can has a long history and its versatility and confidence have transcended the years.

The good quality with which it preserves the products and its environmental friendliness have made it the preferred packaging for generations.

Grupo Comeca and its 42 years of history guarantee the supply of high-quality products. With plants from Canada to Argentina, it has operations in strategic points of the American continent, which give our clients confidence and certainty of a timely supply.

Hana system; heaters now run on biomass; the Pinturas Paleta retail chain has grown more than 50%, surpassing the 100-location mark in Guatemala, besides taking part in the high performance and marine coating business lines -the latter by partnering with the Transocean Coatings global brand- and also taking part in the automotive paint business along with Automotive Art. Other major feats include the Pinturas Modelo brand and franchises being taken to El Salvador and Panama, besides optimizing its branding in Nicaragua; and the automation of the Farbe production plant, increasing its productivity ten- fold, among other goals.

SUPERBIA: A SUM OF EFFORTS BRINGING COLOR TO THE REGION

The Superbia paint factory, located just outside Escuintla (Guatemala), is the largest paint production facility in the Mesoamerican region, with an output of more than 45-million gallons, certified under ISO 9001:2105 standards for quality control processes.

The 2008 global crisis affected the financing for its final phase of construction. Fortunately, this was reverted when financing was obtained through the IFC.

We are a non-metallic mineral processing and micronizing company. We manufacture and supply raw materials for different industries, drilling fluids and radiological protection. 50 years of experience are the best guarantee of our products, services and technical advice to more than 400 clients in the region.

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COVERING 360º IN PAINTS, COATINGS AND THEIR APPLICATION

Throughout its evolution, Grupo Solid has grouped everything paint-related, including waterproofing, coating, finishes, sealants, application and accessories such as brushes, appliers, adhesives, abrasives, masking tape, sprayers, thinners and diluents, etc., serving different sectors such as architectural and construction, high-performance, industrial, automotive, marine, and sprays and finishes for wood through different brands and franchises:

• Pinturas Paleta. The retail giant with more than 100 locations in Guatemala and other countries in Central America and the Dominican Republic. Besides paints and accessories, Paleta’s outstanding innovation is offering the paint application service, undoubtedly a key differentiator.

• Pinturas Corona. The brand’s target is hardware and large department stores, besides relying on more than 300 franchise stores in all of Central America. Corona products are the top choice for painters, blacksmiths and other specialists. Including its franchise stores, Corona has added up to more than 10,000 points of purchase for its products, including the new territories in the Dominican Republic and Paraguay.

• Modelo. Leading paint brand in Nicaragua, with presence in the most important cities in the country.

• The Sytec line is engaged in the B2B segment, catering for different industries.

• The Transocean Coatings brand is operated through different manufacturing partners worldwide, leading the marine paint business as well as the industrial high-performance paint sector. Transocean is produced in 22 facilities worldwide, shipped to 60 countries.

• Farbe Internacional. The only brush and applicator manufacturer in Central America and the Caribbean, offering a wide array of brushes, applicators, handles and other accessories.

• Grupo Solid also caters to the

B2B segment through turnkey projects for different industries, manufacturing store brands for retailers, including Color Place, for Walmart; National (Puerto Rico); Suprema, for EPA and El Fuerte, in Panama.

“Currently, our only imports are products from Automotive Art, a specialty brand from Europe,” Koll-Nescher added.

A WORLD-CLASS COMPANY BEING OPTIMIZED

In order to face its brands’ steady growth, Grupo Solid has optimized its facilities and operations in every market, enabling the company to increase its efficiency in every front:

• Acquisition of two production facilities in the Dominican Republic and Paraguay, to strengthen the group’s venture into the Caribbean and Mercosur (Southern Common Market), respectively

• Expansion and automation in the Farbe Brushes and Applicators Plant

• Expansion and automation in

SUPRA® is a range of aqueous pigment preparations manufactured in Mexico, designed for in-plant tinting of water-based coatings. Best in class tinting strength. Binder-free formulation, with polymeric dispersing and wetting agents, that are compatible with any water-based coating system. Zero VOC and APEO free. Wide range of highly chromatic tones www.pyosa.com | info@pyosa.com

SPECIALISING IN PAINTS FOR THE MARINE, OFFSHORE AND PROTECTIVE COATINGS MARKET

• Worldwide network of independent paint producers

• Representation in more than 60 countries

Check www.transocean-coatings.com for information on our products or how to become a network partner.

Follow us the Resins and Emulsions Plant

• New spray paint production facilities

• Ongoing expansion process at distribution centers in Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Nicaragua

• Migration of ERP to SAP S/4

Hana via Cloud

• Deployment of SalesForce CRM

THE BEST FROM EACH MARKET’S SUPPLIER POOL

The development of a wide product portfolio to offer is a contribution shared by the company’s suppliers, considering the importance of global players in the chemical industry. That’s why Grupo Solid maintains intensive work plans with suppliers, engaging in two yearly evaluations and delivering feedback to develop support plans or suppliers’ growth.

During the group’s expansion, suppliers have joined the company in new territories in the same way in which new markets have led Grupo Solid to find new partners whose quality and performance earn them the opportunity of joining the company also in previously established territories.

Grupo Solid works consistently on the development of new products with suppliers whose contributions result in innovation.

“Without good suppliers, good product manufacturing isn’t possible. We open the doors to suppliers, turning our laboratories into their launching point to the market,” the executive explained.

COMPANY CULTURE: HAVING PRESENCE

Grupo Solid’s presence reaches beyond a commercial transaction by HAVING PRESENCE at critical times in the market.

During Nicaragua’s crisis in 2018, many companies cut the country’s credit line, limiting countrywide product supply. This prompted KollNescher to travel to Nicaragua, HAVING PRESENCE among clients just to let them know that Grupo Solid was extending their credit line and delivering its products. In more recent years, as Honduras was torn apart by hurricanes, Koll-Nescher traveled to the country, HAVING PRESENCE with clients and establishing the company’s contributions to recovery, after its own warehouses were flooded, too.

Everything that was experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic led to another critical moment in which the company announced there were not going to be any dismissals among its staff, HAVING PRESENCE along with its workforce during challenging times, as the group’s partners stepped up to keep paying workers’ salaries.

Grupo Solid is always HAVING

PRESENCE in the workforce’s wellbeing also by stimulating good results and adding an extra wages payment to staff members from countries in which sales targets are surpassed.

Territorial Growth And Increased Value For Clients

Grupo Solid looks forward to becoming one of the largest Muti-

Latin private companies in the paint industry. Each market is subject to an aggressive growth plan, increasing product portfolio and taking part in every segment in which paint and coating are required.

The company is involved in continuous endeavors to deliver new services and increasing value to its clients to differentiate from its competition, besides ensuring professional and economic development to its personnel.

Territorial growth is a permanent topic that has met success, with the goal to paint from Mexico to Patagonia.

“We strive to inspire passion and excitement among our team. We try to be close to our staff and clients,” finalized Ariel Koll-Nescher, Executive President of Grupo Solid.

FOUNDED: 1955

INDUSTRY: Manufacturing

CONTACT: ariel.koll@gsolid.com

Consubanco undergoes a digital transformation to offer customer-centered financial services as part of its competitive strategy

Consubanco becomes a financial environment growing its customer base and offering value through a better use of its tech resources and its strategic partners network displaying strength in the loan and credit segment. Through its digital transformation strategy, the bank seeks to maintain its leadership and conquer other segments

Produced by Jassen Pintado

Creative Direction Omar Rodríguez

Interviewees

Alfredo Flores, CEO for Grupo Consupago; Ing. Fidel Vargas Londoño, Associate Executive Director of Digital Transformation for Consubanco

PURCHASES AND TRANSACTIONS MADE EASY, TO THE BEAT OF THE 21ST CENTURY

Consubanco’s story is related to the Grupo Comercial Chedraui corporation -which also owns the Chedraui retail chain operating in Mexico-, dating back with the Sherman Financial Group, the private equity global firm, whose affiliate companies enabled Consupago to operate in a large scale in the consumer financial industry, also creating Banco Fácil, which began operations in 2007, when Consupago was authorized to work as a Limited Purpose Financial Society (SOFOL, under Mexican regulations). to 2001, when Sergio Chedraui created Consupago, with the purpose of being closer to customers, offering them retail financing, creating the “Paguitos” (small payments) credit system, and afterwards -thanks to his vision and understanding of the Mexican working class- he also began offering payrolldeductible loans with delegated collection, thus starting an industry that has contributed significantly to financial inclusion in Mexico.

In 2006, a partnership was struck

In 2012, Grupo Consupago (in charge of Consupago and Banco Fácil) acquired OPCIPRES (a SOFOM ENR, a Multiple Purpose Financial Society - Non-regulated Entity), an important player in the payroll loan business; and Banco Fácil became Consubanco, capitalizing Consupago’s assets, which consolidated and boosted both companies.

Consubanco became one of Mexico’s 500 most important companies in 2014, according to Expansión, an established Mexican business magazine and website. In

2017, Consubanco reached no. 13 among the “46 best banks”, from the Mundo Ejecutivo magazine. In 2019, the Bankaya platform was developed along with a group of successful entrepreneurs, aligned with the company’s efforts in digitization and growing its engagement products portfolio; and in 2020, Grupo Consupago started its inorganic growth strategy by acquiring part of FAMSA bank’s liquidated portfolio, which was Financiera Independencia’s payroll loan operation as well as the beginning of apex financing to other qualified financial entities.

“The successful development of Grupo Consupago has been achieved as a result of a permanent surveillance of the market’s opportunities, driven to develop a high-value bond for our customers,” commented Alfredo Flores Ibarrola, CEO for Grupo Consupago.

Wide Experience In The Financial And Credit Services Industry

Flores Ibarrola graduated as an Industrial and Systems Engineer from ITESM (Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, in Mexico), and afterwards he earned an MBA from IPADE (PanAmerican Institute for High Business Management, also in Mexico).

He has led Grupo Consupago for more than ten years and also takes part in the board of directors. He is in charge of a bank and three other financial institutions, all of them among the leaders in the payroll loan industry in Mexico.

Flores Ibarrola has been around for more than 25 years creating enterprises and holding C-level positions in finance. In 2008 he created OPCIPRES, acquired by Grupo Consupago in 2012, and has since been in charge of the latter.

Flores Ibarrola is also a shareholder of other successful companies in the financial and insurance sector, as well as in the real estate business.

Significant Achievements In A Short Time

In a short period of time, Consubanco has positioned itself as a solid, efficient entity towards its customership, after accomplishing synergies which have set a clear difference:

• Consubanco is the leading financial institution in the payroll loan business under the delegated collection scheme for retirees, pensioners and employees both in the public and private sectors, guaranteeing access and