Angel Proaño

TBY talks to Angel Proaño, Sales & Marketing Director of the Western States Machine Company, about over six decades in Colombia, sustainability, and priorities for the coming years.

Western States’ main product is centrifuges. What main industries does it serve in Colombia?

Western States has been in Colombia for over 60 years commercially. It has mostly served the sugar industry, especially in Colombia, though it offers various types of products. In addition to the sugar industry, Western States’ centrifuges can also be found in other sectors such as chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and food processing. Since 2017, we have been in the cannabis industry as well, having sold several centrifuges in the US as well as in Bogotá for the extraction of oil and cannabinoids. In the chemical industry, we are working to increase our exposure in Latin America. Colombia is particularly interesting for us because it offers various opportunities for Western States in the chemical and mining sectors.

What is Western States’ approach in terms of R&D and technology to better distinguish itself from its competitors?

We have been consistently increasing our R&D projects, allocating a specific budget to help the company develop new equipment and work directly with customers to provide a customized solution for centrifuges based on our expertise. In the chemical industry, every process is different because there are a variety of final products. We understand this and can customize our centrifuges based on a customer’s needs. Our engineering team works closely with our customers to develop the desired results. We have spent hundreds of hours on different projects, which is something we continue to prioritize and take great pride in. Having been in the market for over 100 years, the company has gone through various paths and transformations to optimize our centrifuges, and the customer always remains at the center of our efforts.

How do you help companies become more efficient and minimize waste in line with the current themes surrounding sustainability?

Every single country is heavily focused on the environment especially in terms of power consumption or emissions. This is an important area for us, and we work closely with our partners and different vendors around the world to develop more efficient equipment with a lower carbon impact. We always strive to be on top of new technology and incorporate new innovations in our equipment as well.

What are some of the challenges facing the industry in Colombia, and how do you deal with the challenges?

One of the biggest concerns in Colombia is the supply chain issue. This is an important issue to Western States, and we continue to work on ensuring our relationships with our vendors are solid, developing strategic plans with them, and stocking programs based on our pipeline of projects. This is extremely important today because clients need to be assured that we are ready for this new reality. With the current economic situation, things might not return to normal for a while yet. We want to assure our customers that we are ready to support them and have solutions in place to meet their needs.

What are your priorities for Colombia for 2023?

One of our main priorities is to increase awareness of the company and the solutions we offer in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and botanical sectors. It takes time to engage with new companies, and our next priority is to connect with different industries. For example, we have worked with customers on pilot projects that do not require large investments or budget approvals before they move forward. We do not just provide industrial-sized equipment; we have lab-sized centrifuges as well. We offer different options and work closely with our customers to ensure they receive the right solution that best fits their needs in the market. Finding new clients can take time, though we are patient. We never rush our customers and allow them to decide when they are ready to conquer the market with our solutions.