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CHILE
INSAMAR Provides the Driving Force for Chilean Retread Sector
Inside the INSAMAR plant
Roberto Goldenberg and Anna Valls
The impetus behind much of the political and development work currently being carried out in the Chilean retreading industry can be found at INSAMAR, a family-owned retreading operation based in Curauma, a rapidly developing satellite town near to Valparaiso.
The second generation owner of INSAMAR, Dario Andreani, is also the owner of Sustrend (covered elsewhere in this feature) and has been the driving force behind the formation of ARNEC, whose offices are located in the same building as the INSAMAR retreading plant. INSAMAR was originally established in 1957. The retreading activity was begun in the 1970s by Dario’s
father, Angel Andreani, who operated the company under the name of Recapado en Frio. At one time the company manufactured 10,000 passenger retreads per month. However, the company now focuses on the manufacture of truck and bus retreads manufactured using Vipal rubber as well as the production of industrial solid tyres, manufactured using rubber waste supplied by Goodyear. The company also manufactures rubber safety matting for industrial use and for agriculture as well as offering a truck servicing business and passenger tyre
sales from servicing bays located in front of the tyre plant (the company sells Aeoulus brand new tyres for both cars and trucks). INSAMAR is strategically located on the main road from Valparaiso to Santiago. The company is among the largest retreaders in the country and claims to market its products at 10% above many other retreaders in the sector. Key customers include Wal-Mart, who have a 100% retread policy on their trailers.
The day to day running of the business is in the hands of Commercial Manager Roberto Goldenberg Pfeifer and Factory Manager Anna Valls Pinilla. Valls is an industrial engineer from Barcelona, Spain, and one of only a few female retread plant managers around the world.
Valls points out that good maintenance in the plant is of key importance for the company. Most of the equipment in the plant is not new, but the engineering capabilities within the company are excellent. So, for example, two of the company’s three curing chambers have been manufactured by INSAMAR themselves (the other is a Magnabosco). The plant’s building machine also includes an old Orbitread machine that has been
adapted for INSAMAR’s current building process.
INSAMAR uses the rim system for curing. Valls says the company has tried the O ring system but achieved less consistent quality in this way. Although the management team at INSAMAR is young, the company is able to draw on many years of experience in the factory, with many people being employed in the factory for more than 30 years. This is crucial as all inspection is currently carried out visually by highly experienced staff. The company, however, has invested in a computerised system to optimise the recording and flow of the tyres around the plant.
The company’s policy with regards to staff management is also central to the company’s development. Roberto Goldenberg explains; “People are important to our company, and it is our belief that a happy workforce makes for a good workforce. As part of this strategy we have been Certified by Benefit Corp (B Corp), the only retread plant to have this certification. B Corp, which has certified over 750 companies worldwide, aims at creating social
INSAMAR was certified to ISO 9001 in 2008 and has since also achieved 14001 and 18001 certification. According to Goldenberg, Dario Andreani’s belief that retreading is a green business was the impetus for 14001 certification. He hired Lorena Munoz (now Managing Director of Sustrend) to calculate the carbon footprint of the plant, realised the oil saving achieved by the retreading process and got Deloitte to certify it. Munoz calculated that if a plant produces 1,000 tyres a month the saving in CO2 emissions is 3,000 tonnes. As a result INSAMAR was able to started trading carbon assets. This system is now in place for other companies that need it via Sustrend. According to Goldenberg INSAMAR has an investment plan to modernise the retread plant and to grow. For example the company is currently investing in a new Akar extruder, which is expected to be in place by early next year.
“The first and most important step, though, is to standardise the retreading industry,” says Goldenberg. “If we can do this we can grow the business step by step. We have realised that if we
INSAMAR’s modern headquarters in Curauma
22 Retreading Business
and environmental solutions, reducing inequality and creating better work conditions. For example, we have one deaf and mute worker on the shop floor, who does an excellent job and is immensely happy here.”
standardise the industry here in Chile the whole industry could reduce its carbon footprint by 2%, which would be the most important reduction of any industry in Chile.”