What are the major milestones and achievements of the company?

EDWIN ROJAS TOLEDO IDOM started in Colombia in 2009 after it won the strategic Ayacucho Tram project in Medellí­n. Since then, we have worked on creating a local team to work closer with our customers in Colombia. IDOM has continued to grow steadily in the infrastructure sector, and we have participated in many of the projects that the government has approved to develop the country. We have three important business areas: engineering and infrastructure, architecture, and business consultancy. We have 120 professionals working in our three offices in Bogotá, Medellí­n, and Cali. Only 10% of the workforce was Colombian when our growth strategy started; today, however, Colombians make up the majority of our workforce.

CARLOS F. RAMIREZ HMV Ingenieros offers all kinds of services related to designs, studies, and consulting activities in several fields such as energy generation, oil and gas, industrial processes, roads, and ports. Based on the knowledge of these core activities, we have developed an important area that executes EPC projects of small hydropower plants, electrical substations, and transmission lines. Another important business line is the integral development of control and protection systems for power plants and substations. We have a group of around 1,700 employees, of which 1,500 are engineering-related professionals. The company also has offices in Lima and Santiago, an engineering office in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and an operation in the US.

What major projects are you working on currently?

ERT We have an interesting consultancy project to define the future of mobility in Bogotá and the surrounding region. The second is the transformation of the International Center Tequendama, which are two historical buildings that cannot change their facades, though they need to be refurbished to generate value in the area. The outcome of this latter study will significantly contribute to the regeneration of that area of Bogotá. There is also a third project that is the first of its kind in Latin America. We will modernize all the hydraulic systems in Medellí­n and Valle de Aburrá. This is a complex project to improve the aqueduct and services in this area. We also have conducted eight studies of climate change for eight mid-sized cities in Colombia as part of a sustainable cities program.

CFR We have worked in many fields. One of our strongest areas is transmission systems where we have participated in around 85% of all the high and extra-high voltage transmission systems in Colombia in various roles, doing design, supervision, commissioning, and so forth. We have partnered with the main players in Colombia, such as ISA and EPM. In terms of water and sanitation projects, we developed the design, in consortium with an important European engineering firm, of the Bello wastewater treatment plant for EPM, where we are currently developing the technical advisory. Other iconic projects include the supervision of the first and second stages of the Medellí­n Metro. At the moment, we are doing the supervision work for the Picacho Cable System that will be interconnected to the metro system.

What are your goals for the year ahead?

ERT We have an ambitious goal to double the revenue of the group and its subsidiaries in the next four years. Our revenue for professional services rendered in Colombia was EUR5.2 million in 2017, and the goal for the coming year is to increase it by 25%. We will purchase new equipment to cater to new projects in order to meet that target. Additionally, the government has to invest more in ports because of the logistics challenges that Colombia faces. We already have an area specialized in ports and have participated in an initiative for Antioquia.

CFR Our main commercial objective at HMV Ingenieros for 2018 and beyond is to consolidate our operations in the US market. There are many opportunities in transmission systems in the US because it has an old system that needs to be renewed. It also needs to be modernized to adapt to new concepts, such as sustainability, including electric cars and smart cities. The demand for electricity will also increase significantly. We have considerable capacity with our local engineers, and the idea is to use our experience and expertise in Colombia for projects in the US.