Level UP

How does your experience inform the targets you have reached in the last year of operations?

GABRIEL SANABRIA CPM was founded in Puerto Rico in 1991, and the company started operations in Panama in 2008. CPM’s relationships with its clients are guided by its core values, including knowledge, ethics, drive, and transparency. We help our clients excel by transforming ideas and plans into tangible results. Thus, we have more than two decades of experience in technical advice, project management, and construction management. We actively advise our clients as they strive to reach their goals. Our commitment is to develop long-lasting and trust-based relationships as the cornerstone of our business; transparency with our clients is also essential. Additionally, we focus on the strategic drivers of our projects, as well as time, budget, quality, and compliance with regulations.

HECTOR RIVERA Our most valuable asset is our human resources. This is a key part of our success, and we take the hiring process seriously. We want people to develop their careers within our company.

Why did the company choose Panama, and how would you describe the Panama operations?

HR Panama has been a key destination for us, because it is a regional hub. Several of our clients are in other parts of Central and South America, and having a presence in Panama allows us to manage these projects. Over time, we have taken the developments we have made in Panama and expanded across the region. The position of Panama as a main hub has allowed us to expand across new markets. Panama is a key office for our operations.

GS Our operation in Puerto Rico is comprised of a diverse client portfolio, working mainly with pharmaceutical companies, infrastructure firms, the government, and so on. In Panama, we are focused only on the private sector, reaching the high-end and high-quality project niche. The added value of project managers is typically for those who are focused on quality. On top of this, we are planning to expand our presence in Latin America, such as Guatemala, El Salvador, and Colombia, to share our knowledge and expertise. We consider that these markets will allow us to continue to make developments as technical advisors in construction and project management and PPPs.

How have you managed to be successful with your PPPs?

GS We have a strong team that brought strong knowledge on PPPs as we started working on several procurement processes. We also participate in workshops to help governments understand how PPPs can be a tool to deliver a certain preferred outcome. Hence, we are currently advising the government of Puerto Rico, and we have participated in numerous projects.

What allows you to be one step ahead in the market?

GS We are focused on technology, including the way we handle and use it. As inspectors in the field, we used to require a great deal of technology, but now we rely totally on our mobile technology, such as cellular phones. We also utilize advanced software that allows us to track and maintain our projects in the most effective way. As well, we use 3D modeling for our projects, and these technologies are vital for our building and construction operations. Technologies help us to identify and address potential problems, especially those that arise across disciplines. We are also certified drone operators.

HR Technology is part of our culture. We manage our projects with myriad software and technological tools that make our operations much more efficient and effective. We keep moving forward and looking for the next cutting-edge technology.