News

The agroindustrial group Los Grobo will invest US $ 100 million in a growth project for Argentina until 2022.

The company, chaired by producer Gustavo Grobocopatel and controlled since 2016 by an investment group headed by Victoria Capital Partners, plans to open more locations where it sells inputs and perform various operational improvements.

In this context, by June 2022 the company calculates to be double billing with respect to the volume of 2017: it will go from generating sales for 525 million dollars to approximately 1000 million dollars.

"We are very excited and my pulse does not tremble, it is an enthusiasm similar to the one I had 35 years ago when in 1984 we decided to found Los Grobo in a city in the interior of the province of Buenos Aires as Carlos Casares," said Grobocopatel at the presentation of the ad.

Jorge Arpi, CEO of the company, explained that the four-year strategic plan includes a strong territorial expansion with the opening of more branches, improvements in the Zárate plant (Agrofina agrochemical production), changes in the operation of the trading area, deep review of the portfolio and channels, prioritization of profitability over volume, strong improvements in management control processes, incorporation of legumes, a better financing strategy, among other points.

"When you move in a very volatile scenario, having clear strategies and plans helps a lot," said the CEO.

In a dialogue with LA NACION, Grobocopatel said: "These investment announcements come in the midst of a complicated situation: we have a lot of enthusiasm and commitment, the country can help or not, but we are very enthusiastic about the new period that is coming for the company, With the results that we are achieving and with the perspectives, one wants to progress and create a great multinational: sometimes the conditions are given or not, maybe it is not the time and we have to wait a little longer, they follow the same ideas and the same dreams , maybe a little delayed. "

In November 2016, Victoria Capital Partners led the capitalization of Los Grobo with a figure of US $ 100 million. Victoria Capital Partners - which also invested in other companies such as Grupo Santillana and Arcos Dorados - is the head of the investment group together with the International Finance Corporation (the World Bank arm for the private sector), the Dutch development bank FMO and the Utimco fund, from the University of Texas. They handle 76% of the company. Grobocopatel and his sister Matilde stayed with 24%.

Elections

Asked about the upcoming elections, Grobocopatel said: "One sees the concern of the impact of politics on the economy: it is not easy to make decisions in these turbulent scenarios, but the company's investments are beyond the policy or the President. In any case, what the current government does is accelerate or slow down many of those decisions, I see candidates who do not understand the sector or do not want to understand it, but, well, with Mauricio Macri we are paying a lot of taxes and we will continue paying them , whoever it".

On the dollar and country risk, which had a strong rise in recent days, the businessman said he is not interested in the financial market. "I'm not here and I try not to be bitter or make myself happy, I try to live in another dimension," he said.

Automatic translation from spanish.