Committed and competitive
GREAT EXPECTATIONS The CEO of the SK GROUP believes chile is on the path to a bright future

WIDE RANGING The Sigdo Koppers group operates in trade, services, manufacturing, and power

PRODUCTIVITY, diversification, and competitiveness are the trends that have come to characterize Chile’s economic development, and these are exemplified by the Sigdo Koppers group (SK).
Rámon Aboitiz, the group’s Chairman and CEO, believes that Chileans have the right attitude to business. “We have developed a similar way of doing business to that of Americans and Europeans, which makes us different from other Latin American countries.”

He says Chile should be regarded as “the best business doorway to Latin America,” and highlights the country’s political and economic stability, and developing infrastructure as advantages that make it a safe and attractive destination for foreign investment.

“We are a growing nation, we have the necessary potential and are on the right path,” he says.
Mr. Aboitiz’s confidence characterizes SK’s own dynamic attitude. “Our expectations for the future are positive,” he says. “As a company, we must always face new challenges.”

RÁMON ABOITIZ Chairman and CEO of Sigdo Koppers

Comprising more than 25 national companies, the SK group operates in four main areas of business: trade, services, manufacturing, and power. It employs more than 8,000 people and boasts consolidated sales of approximately $1.2 billion.

The group originated with the foundation in 1960 of Ingeniería y Construcción Sigdo Koppers, a company specializing in industrial construction using the most advanced technology available at the time.
Strongly committed to playing a significant role in Chile’s development, the company has participated in some of the most significant industrial, mining, and energy projects in the country over the past forty years.
SK Comercial was created in 1975 and dedicated to the import and marketing of internationally recognized brands of goods for the mining industry, agriculture, and construction.

Increasing expansion and diversification led to the creation of Sigdo Koppers S.A. in 1987. Today, the holding includes: Enaex, South America’s leading producer of explosives for use in mining and civil engineering; CTI, Chile’s main manufacturer of household appliances; and Sigdopack, a polypropylene film producer that provides containers for the food industry.

Sigdo Koppers is the official representative in Chile of automobile brands ranging from Chrysler, Daewoo, and Fiat to Mitsubishi, and of heavy machinery manufacturers Ingersoll Rand and Timbco.

“We are also present in the service industry with Puerto Ventanas, a general cargo port terminal which, among other services, is one of the main loading facilities for bulk copper concentrate,” says Mr. Aboitiz.
A significant example of the company’s willingness to form strategic alliances with other firms is its construction joint venture with Bechtel, one of the world’s largest engineering-construction firms, in order to pursue opportunities in the mining sector.

When Minera Escondida Limitada, owners of the world’s largest copper mine, announced a $400 million Phase IV expansion aimed at doubling throughput capacity, the obvious choice for the project was Bechtel Sigdo Koppers (BSK), whose joint venture had successfully completed an earlier expansion phase.
Sigdo Koppers is proud of the quality of its employees, and invests in training and risk prevention to improve and enhance their efficiency.

Mr. Aboitiz believes the company’s future rests on solid foundations that will enable it to meet fresh challenges, both locally and in neighboring countries.
“We are constantly searching for new markets and continuously analyzing possibilities of expansion.”