News

The founder of Grupo Los Grobo, Gustavo Grobocopatel moved to Colonia, Uruguay in 2020: "A personal decision that I made several years ago and that the pandemic accelerated," he confesses. He resigned from the presidency of the holding company and, although he did not leave the day to day, today he is more focused on global business. The remoteness of the country now allows him to analyze reality from another perspective, always with a critical eye: "We keep repeating the same mistakes for decades and the results are what we have: more poverty, less hope, deterioration of public goods, greater isolation, "he laments.

Not without inconveniences and ups and downs, his business group did not stop growing and diversifying since its inception, although since 2016 76% is controlled by the investment fund Victoria Capital. In its last fiscal year, the year-on-year operating result grew 65% and the final before tax was positive, after a previous trend of negative results. Sales grew more than 40% and managed to reduce the financial burden (-25%) and bank debt (-30%).

The secret of its initial success was to take advantage of the soy boom but without owning land, its differential was to lease thousands of hectares in the country and the neighbors, provide services to third parties and apply technological packages in the crops with direct sowing techniques. and precision agriculture. Today it manages 261,000 hectares in Argentina alone, half with its own participation, 39% destined for soybeans, 31% corn, 16% wheat, 4% sunflower and the rest for other crops.

With his decades-long experience in agribusiness and a cutting-edge company in the sector, from his new place in the world, on the other side of the river, he answers iProfessional's questions with the clarity of always. Faced with the general elections in November, he says that he always has hope and, in a Solomonic way, sums up: "The way out is all together."

-What are the two or three issues that concern you most in Argentina today? Inflation, unemployment, exchange rate, level of activity, public debt, tax burden?

-I think the most important thing is to have a course that gives clear signals where we are going and how we are going. Obviously macroeconomic stability is an important issue but it is not enough, we need to recreate the growth feat, the Argentina of the immense middle class with upward mobility, with the strength of the creativity of their talents, integrated into the world, being part of it. But without sustained growth over time, and with firm foundations, it is impossible to start this process.

-If the pandemic had not erupted, do you think the country would be better off economically and socially than two years ago?

-I believe that the pandemic exacerbated the problems, exposed them more, accelerated processes that were to occur over time. Surely it would have been better, but with a tendency to deteriorate.

-From his vision as a businessman, what policies of the current government do you consider to be correct and in what others do you consider that the chosen path is not giving the expected results?

- I believe that the Government, consciously or unconsciously, found in the pandemic an "excuse" not to face the problems that we had, that we have and that have been systematically hiding under the rug. We have been making mistakes for decades, handling public issues badly and postponing the debates and actions necessary to turn the page. The results are what we have, more poverty, less hope, deterioration of public goods, greater isolation.

-What do companies in your sector need in the country to continue growing instead of being worried about the local situation all the time?

-In principle, macroeconomic stability. And that in order for it to be sustained over time, it must take place within the framework of transformations in the State, the tax, labor, educational, and social security system. Another not minor issue is the strategy of integration into the world: Mercosur 2.0 and its projection, the FTAs ​​with the whole world, the facilitation of the flow of knowledge, capital, goods and services. And in parallel, a State that guarantees that it is a process that integrates and includes. The deterioration in Argentina created a huge group of workers in the Popular Economy, who are not unionized, have an unstable social protection system and need to reintegrate into the world of formal work.

-With what other Argentine businessmen do you feel identified by your management capacity, shared values, business vision?

-It is unfair to say a name, but there are many who fight from different places and with different attributes. The big issue is that successive shocks have prepared us to resist and that has generally been the focus of our work. If we had had more stability, surely that focus would shift towards innovation, productivity, social integration and sustainability.

-Considering the activities of your business group and their relationship with the environment, how do you evaluate current and future performance in relation to impact?

-In Los Grobo we work on environmental issues on a daily basis because of our link with nature and we have been recognized a lot for that work. Agriculture with direct sowing, waste and packaging treatment, strict compliance with standards and processes, are some of them. Beyond that, the company in recent years, and despite restrictions, was able to grow its operating income (65% compared to the previous year), achieved the highest origination volumes in its history (2.1 million tn) and sales grew more than 40%.

-Taking into account your trajectory and that of the company you founded, what were the moments when business flowed and when others faced brakes on your capabilities?

-A book can be written about that… (laughs). In the last 40 years there have been moments of flow and slowdown. Sometimes I regret what we could not do and immediately think of all that we could do. I am bipolar. In the 80s it was very difficult with Alfonsín, low prices, withholdings, double exchange rates. Then with Menen, the high Argentine cost that forced deep reforms in our companies. Not to mention the crisis of 2001 and when everything seemed to be heading, the 125th and the beginning of a destructive relationship with the Government. In parallel, for each period, you could also count positive things.

-Seeing the evolution, what decisions would you not make again and which ones should you have faced and did not do in all these years?

-It is counterfactual to answer you, I try to look at what happened to learn and not to regret or congratulate myself. When you make decisions, you have to take into account the context and the limitations you have. I feel like I have nothing pending and at the same time I feel like doing new things.

-Is your change of country of residence just a personal choice or does it have other motivations?

-It is a personal choice that I made several years ago and the pandemic accelerated.

-At a political level, do you have expectations regarding the general elections in November?

-I always have hope, but the way out is all together. We must find a way for us to be all on the boat and transform the intense public debate into something positive, that does not paralyze us.

-In the medium and long term, what should the country do to unblock its fluctuating situation and move fully towards sustainable development?

- I believe that a series of transformations that I already mentioned before should be agreed and they should be done by a large majority, without speculation. We see that society is tired of empty speeches, officials who do not manage, organizations that do not transform and negative leaderships. → www.iprofesional.com

Automatic translation from spanish.