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THE FUTURE OF AN INDUSTRY MAINSTAY RODRIGO LOBO CEO of Grupo Protexa
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Q: Given Grupo Protexa’s extensive history, how
computers for use in Mexico’s oil and gas sector, which
would you describe the state of the Mexican oil and
we started doing in 1974. We were also the first company
gas industry?
in Mexico, besides Telmex, to establish our own cellular
A: We’re living a challenging moment due to the decrease
phone network in the country’s northeastern region.
in oil prices and the change of government; which has a different vision. Our company and the rest of the
Q: What are the most important ways in which Grupo
companies in the sector must tackle challenges and let
Protexa has reacted to the decade of change in Mexico’s
the industry know that Mexican companies are capable
oil and gas industry?
of satisfying what the industry demands.
A: In 1981, oil prices began a decrease that took the price per barrel from US$36 to, eventually, almost US$7. This created
Q: What is Grupo Protexa’s contribution to the
an enormous crisis. It is all about understanding and adapting
development of the Mexican oil and gas industry?
to the market cycles. We have always managed to position
A: We made an arrangement with Grupo R involving
the company in a way that enabled us to maintain our market
the Tolteca vessel that got them started in the offshore
position throughout these times, and we have the resilience
industry. We contracted Grupo Diavaz to provide diving
to remain, or get back up, on our feet. We entered this last
services and helped them to develop the necessary
decade having just come out of one of these troublesome
capabilities through the Arctic Seal vessel that enabled
times, during which we had to reengineer a lot of our
them to handle this contract directly. Cotemar was started
processes. In 2014, we began reconstituting our corporate
by my brother in law, who worked at Grupo Protexa
governance, so that by 2015, when the oil price began its
before spinning off. Even Arendal and CCC Fabricación
downward trajectory, we were in a great position thanks to the
y Construcciones were created by former Grupo Protexa
many internal controls that we had developed. This allowed
employees who started working directly for PEMEX.
us to survive very well.
In short, most of the leading Mexican offshore service
It resulted in us going up while everybody was going down.
companies were either spin-offs from Grupo Protexa,
During the last five years, we have been delivering our projects
were created by former Grupo Protexa employees, or
not just in time but ahead of time, which nobody else in this
were started in partnership with Grupo Protexa. The
market has managed to do, at least not as far as I know. In
other main contribution is that we have always been
fact, on one occasion, one PEMEX executive explained that,
a frontrunner in bringing innovations to the Mexican
due to the fact that the project was delivered in advanced
market. We brought the first pipelaying vessel, the first
it generated enough extra profits for the entire cost of
jack-up drilling rig and the first dynamic positioning
the contract.
vessel to Mexico. We conducted the first offshore platform installation in Mexico and constructed the
Achieving this is not based on cutting corners but on investing
largest platforms in the country.
resources in order to anticipate our clients’ needs. This includes having detailed knowledge about the supply lines
Q: What is the secret to staying successful over so many
available to you. If you are going to need materials that are
decades while helping to set up your own competitors?
going to need a certain amount of time to ship or procure,
A: There are two major factors. First of all, forward thinking
you need to make sure to have that supply chain ready and its
to anticipate the needs and exceed the expectations of
timeframes taken into account by the time you are awarded
our clients through innovation. We were the first one to
the contract in question. If you start making these orders after
do many things which means that we are innovative. A
the contract is awarded, you are going to be late. We learned
good example is that we were the first company to build
that through experience.
