Work, responsibility and innovation: Ruiz's trinity

by Héctor Gómez Pérez

José Manuel Ruiz, general manager of Asym Industrial, is the professional of the month of this edition representing Peru. A country of recognized importance not only because in its territory lived one of the most important cultures of the region: the Incas, but also for its deep-rooted fishing tradition, which in Ruiz's life has played a fundamental role. Not in vain is a fisheries engineer by profession.

The cold, a taste that came from the classroom

Ruiz was born in the District of Barranco in Lima, the Peruvian capital, in December 1957. He completed his secondary studies with the Marist Brothers of San Juan and the university students at the National University of Callao, where, as already mentioned, he obtained the degree of fisheries engineer; he also has specialization studies at the National University of Engineering and postgraduate courses at the PAD of the University of Piura.

Without an iota of doubt this man points out that his taste for refrigeration came from the classrooms of the National where the courses of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, refrigeration and plant design captured all his interest. This inclination for sub-zero temperatures took root in his skin, once and for all, after his pre-professional practices carried out at the Frigomar plant, located in the fishing port of Chimbote back in the 80s. "This interest was born after realizing the importance of refrigeration systems in fish production and the lack of knowledge in the operation and maintenance of refrigeration systems that existed during those years," ruiz recalls.

At a professional level he started in Agroempaques and then went on to the construction of these refrigerators. In 1987 he traveled to Brazil and trained at the Recrusul in Porto Alegre and at Mycom in Sao Paulo.

After this period of closer relationship with the industry, in 1989 he took over Sedeisa, a company dedicated to the installation and technical service of Recrusul and Mycom. Years later, and from the hand of his father, Asym Industrial was born, a company that has stood out as one of the most recognized in industrial refrigeration in the Peruvian territory.

The family and a country to visit

His wife Charo has been his companion on the road, which for that matter is not a simple phrase on the air, for twenty-one years. From this union were born Claudia, who is currently in the third year of administration and Ernesto, who leaned towards the law.

Ruiz declares himself a fan of Alianza Lima, one of the most popular teams in Peru, and a lover of travel, a hobby that has allowed him to know more than 25 countries. But if there is an activity that he is as passionate about as his work, it is the Off Road 4 x4, a motor sport that he has practiced for more than 10 years, with which he has traveled Peru and that describes him as the best of family hobbies. "As a family we have traveled almost all of Peru: dunes and endless deserts, the most beautiful beaches you can imagine on the coast, the beauty of the mountains cutting the white mountain range at more than 5000 meters high. The mountains of Huancabamba and hanging us to the central jungle in trails of pure mud in Pozuzo, Puerto Bermúdez and Kuelap, "said Ruiz.

"The goal of a CVAC/R company is to provide the best technical and economical solution to its customers. To them I say precisely that we are more than their suppliers, we consider ourselves part of their organization, we are their collaborators so that they can meet their goals and objectives, we are their partners", in this way the professional of the month defined the priority objective of a company that is dedicated to the cold industry.

As for the technological evolution of the industry, he recognizes that he has had to live it in his own flesh, with all the changes that have led to electronics, computer science and the transition from electromechanical controls to computer-governed systems. Although it also recognizes that there are only two paths that guarantee that all these transformations do not pass by in front of the eyes of professionals: training and participation in the different fairs worldwide.

"At Asym Industrial we always try to be one step ahead, attending specialized refrigeration fairs such as Ashrae, Ikk, Chillventa, Febrava, China Refrigeration Expo, among others. On the other hand, we send our engineers and technicians to courses taught locally and abroad taught by our suppliers in Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, the United States, Spain, Denmark and Germany," Ruiz said.

Is the region cooling?

A topic that was definitely part of the interview with Ruiz is the impact that the current economic crisis can have on the local industry. In this sense, he said that although the tailwinds have been felt in the region, Latin America is still a suitable area to do business within the refrigeration industry and even more so in certain areas in which there has traditionally been a low penetration. "There is no doubt that Latin America offers great possibilities for growth, investors and large corporations know this, however in the short term the situation is a bit complicated due to the global economic crisis," Ruiz said.

Very hand in hand with what was said above, he said that the negative effects began to be perceived in the cancellation of some export orders for fishery and agro-industrial products, but added that "foreign investment will continue to flow to Latin America and especially to Peru where opportunities for expansion of the industry will continue to appear in market niches with very low penetration such as retail chains, logistics chains, distribution centers and above all giving greater added value to our raw materials which leads to repowering or implementing new production plants, which are technologically advanced and comply with health regulations".

When talking about figures of the growth of the refrigeration industry in Peru, our Professional of the month said that it has been 20% per year in the last three years, but points out that for 2009 it will not be more than 5%.

Ruiz has it clear

Again without hesitation, and with three words, José Manuel Ruiz responded that the reason why he and the company he leads in the field of Peruvian refrigeration have achieved recognition is "work, responsibility and innovation". Although he delved a little deeper into those aspects that have made Asym Industrial a flagship company in this area. In his own words he mentioned that:

• Customer service is vital for the success of the company, that your client knows that he will count on you over time and especially when he needs it.

• Honesty, fulfilling what has been offered so means an additional cost for an error in our calculations.

• Being at the forefront of technological developments and providing that knowledge to your customers and technical staff, this leads to specialization and requires constant travel, research and visits to plants in all parts of the country and the world.

• Constant staff training and a culture of compliance with the deadlines of our projects.

• After-sales service.