Protec reached its first 35 years of life. Beyond being a simple celebration, the cruise that this company made on the occasion of its anniversary was a stage in which old bonds of brotherhood and work were revalidated.
by Julián Arcila
On April 26, the ship Liberty of the Seas, as usual, sailed from the port of Miami to make a new tour between the capital of the sun and several paradisiacal places such as Puerto Rico, St. Marteen and Haiti. However, this was not just another trip; inside there was a new meeting between friends whose bond was born and strengthened in the midst of projects, specifications and cooling towers over the last 35 years.
There, in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, was Protec, the institution that chose this scenario to celebrate its coral weddings. The situation invited us to think of a company that reaches its maturity and meets with many of its peers who have been part of its growth during the last seven decades.
But ultimately the companies are the men and women who make them up and have led them to the distinction. Therefore, this article is nothing more than an account of what happened in those seven days in which the renowned hosts Alfredo Sotolongo and his son, Alfredo Manuel, together with a distinguished group of colleagues and friends commemorated and remembered the comings and goings that led Protec, in its two divisions, to be what it is today: a company loved, respected and recognized by anyone who has some medium knowledge of the history of CVAC in our continent.
There were also the wives of such illustrious people. And as behind every great man there is always a great woman, there they were, fresh and radiant, claiming their place for having been that beacon that guides in the dark nights, that firm structure on which men lean when something trembles, that rational voice that drives us to succeed.
Day 1. Miami, United States.
Saturday's morning light broke the darkness of Friday, April 25. There, imposing, was the sun king, who invited to imagine what those seven days aboard the Liberty of the Seas would be. On the way to the port, the majesty of the ship chosen for the new agape between brothers was already noticed, after the last one that was made 10 years ago. That meeting held a decade ago was a recurring theme every time there was dinner, meeting or entertainment. At the entrance of the ship was the Protec staff, who with pinpoint precision took care that everything went as planned; simultaneously, Gloria Sotolongo Abinader welcomed all participants.
Day 2. Caribbean Sea.
On Sunday, April 27, the first common activity was held. At 7 p.m. The Catacombs nightclub was closed to host the welcome cocktail. Throughout the celebration the hosts, that is, Alfredo Sotolongo and Gloria, Alfredo Manuel and Michelle, and in general the entire Protec team, invited each of the attendees to feel like architects of the achievement that was being celebrated. After a few minutes in which friendly hands were shaken and experiences of past years were revived, a new meeting was held in the assigned restaurant, where the first gala dinner was held.
Day 5. Caribbean Sea.
Between 10 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon the training day was held. Some of the participants shared their knowledge related to different areas within HVAC. It was a space in which the Protec team presented a review of the company, but also of the solutions they have for different applications; the common denominator was the generation of awareness about the importance of energy efficiency and the benefits it brings to projects, companies, customers and the environment in general.
Day 6. Labadee Beach, Haiti.
On this day the activities began early in the morning, all on the occasion of the Protec Olympics, which, if you start from the results and performance of the athletes, were far from what will surely be seen in Beijing 2008. But despite the above, the competition was never the central element of the day. It was the camaraderie, the sharing in other scenarios with whom day by day you have contact to talk about temperatures, efficiencies, yields and new projects. Thus concluded this day; to highlight, the fact that, by pure coincidence, the team in which the editor of AC/R LATINOAMÉRICA was lost all the tests.
Day 7. Caribbean Sea.
Again the disco The Catacombs was the scene for a new meeting. Unlike the previous one, in the last cocktail there was space for thanks, for the recognition of friends who have dedicated a lifetime to support the growth of the family that today is Protec, which, as the hosts made it feel, has members in most latin American countries.
There were also poignant moments. Don Alfredo Sotolongo took the opportunity to recognize and thank Enrique Sabater and René Pérez, the two oldest employees of the firm, all the loyalty they have had during the 33 years they have been part of the Protec team. The applause was not enough to express the value and strength that companies get when they are built on loyalties, affections, respect and commitment.
Several people took the floor. Alfredo Sotolongo did it to thank his collaborators, family and friends; recalled the origins of the company when it started a long time ago with a lot of knowledge and desire; the anecdote could not be missed and Don Alfredo recalled how the yellow pages were his main market research tool at the beginning. Many of the relationships that were woven in this way still exist and the cruise of the 35 years of Protec was the occasion to reaffirm the ties.
Alfredo Manuel took the opportunity to thank his father for the knowledge and teachings he has given him, but he also thanked his wife for the enormous effort involved in accompanying a man who day by day has to forge his destiny in the consolidation of his own project.
Another participant who took the voice was Don Alvaro Tapias. He congratulated the entire company and its managers for such an important event, but also thanked them for allowing everyone present to be part of the celebration.
The evening closed with the celebration at the last gala dinner, in which there were whistles, shouts of joy, handshakes, birthday cake and a photo for posterity. The eyes closed and when they opened again, on Saturday, May 3, there was Miami again, the city that has seen Protec flourish.
In AC/R LATINOAMÉRICA we wanted to take advantage of this space to produce a different note, a material that was far from the technicalities that always accompany us. It is also the opportunity in which our team thanks Protec for having called us to be part of this celebration and for qualifying us as part of the industry in Latin America. We end the note by congratulating the entire host team for their first 35 years of life, wishing them to continue being an example for all entrepreneurs in the region and to continue being the reflection of what is achieved with love, respect and conviction.
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