In line with its objective to offer services adjusted to the specificities of each sector and concrete answers to the needs that arise along with new projects and challenges, Montecon invited last November 8th, 2019, the main actors linked to the forest industry to share a new breakfast of ideas.

This initiative began with a meeting dedicated to the pharmaceutical sector and is part of a strategy that the main operator of public areas, both for containers and general cargo and project cargo, is carrying out to always be close to its customers. This was explained by Juan Olascoaga, Montecon's General Manager and Director of NODUS.

"Grupo NODUS has always been closely linked to the forest area. Montecon has a profile of always trying to be very close to the customers, trying to understand their needs and satisfy them. That's why we started to implement these instances. With the forest industry we want to accompany a sector that is relevant for the country's economy, since it represents 20% of exports, and in particular for the movement of the Port of Montevideo," he said.

During the meeting, Montecon's Commercial Manager, Julio Branda, presented the main advances in technology, infrastructure and innovation that the company has had to join the transformation of the digital era.

The platforms that provide customer service, 24 hours a day, from different devices and Blockchain technology were some of the examples mentioned by Branda during the day.

In reference to the forestry sector especially, the Commercial Manager pointed out several features of the service Montecon provides to its customers for the benefit of the companies with which it operates, such as web and online payments, commercial flexibility, an executive line of personalized attention and the possibility of making night-time entries to the port with preferential authorization, which can mean an important solution to avoid overlapping schedules for cargo deliveries.

The president of the Society of Forest Producers (SPF), Carlos Faroppa, who was specially invited to this event, thanked the opportunity and highlighted the importance of the instance to reflect and exchange ideas on the challenges and opportunities presented by the sector.

"Uruguay has two important characteristics: all the forests that are in the export are certified and as far as the pine is concerned, all the forests are pruned, a characteristic not less worldwide. No country in the world has its pine forests as managed or pruned as ours, and that opens up markets to the world," said Faroppa.

According to him, the forestry industry in 2018 represented the country's first export item and has managed to attract "very interesting" investments. It has gone from being "almost non-existent" to having a current projection "of 9 billion dollars with the new projects" and the jobs have accompanied the growth.

"We have export percentages typical of a forest country, similar to Finland. Although we are still lacking, it is possible that in 2035 we will be doubling the volume of exports without increasing the areas of work, simply by added value. The key is to add value and better distribute the basket of products," he concluded.