A story based on experience

By: Ana María Restrepo

To begin to tell the story of Ruben Wolozny we could talk about his father, and his 30 years of experience in the industry, who was, to a large extent, who led Rubén to be part of the air conditioning and refrigeration sector, because this young electrical engineer was trained with the help of his father in Friopartes, S. A.

This story begins in 1962, in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, when our professional of the month was born.

Until ninth grade, Wolozny studied in his country, but then moved to the United States where he finished his baccalaureate and entered the University of Miami, Coral Gables, to pursue a career in Electrical Engineering, which culminated successfully and with the degree of honor Laude in 1982.

His working life in the air conditioning and refrigeration industry began after graduating from Miami, where he worked for a year in the repair and rewinding of electric motors, using electrical calculations and specialized machinery for that purpose. But this was not a common job, during the time that Rubén worked there he did not receive a salary, but for him it was an important learning in his new path as a professional.

From such a stick such a splinter
In 1983 our professional returned to Honduras with the idea of starting a business similar to the work he had done in the last 12 months, but due to the crisis of the time his idea was not concluded.

As mentioned above, Rubén's father influenced his connection to the CVACR sector, since he lent him the money to start his company with two other friends, with whom he began to visit the workshops on a motorcycle that he rented from one of his brothers. "The company grew and we now have nine stores throughout the north and west of the country. We are more than 200 employees, we started small and I consider that we still are, but this allows me to have control of the company in my hands and see my work and my life with humility so as not to get away from my collaborators and friends, to whom I owe much of my achievements, "says Wolozny.

Rubén says, with grace, that before starting the prosperous company of which he is proud today, he had the possibility of getting a job in another company: "Recently graduated and back in my country I received the opportunity to work as a manager for a plastics company. I came home and told my dad of the offer, who thoughtfully replied, 'So you'd rather be the lion's tail and not the mouse's head.' This made me reflect and I ventured into the unknown. Very soon after this plastics company closed operations, while mine continues to grow."

The manager, the human being
Although some people are born with the vocation to lead and be leaders, life poses at every moment new adventures that test that ability, which in the case of Rubén has improved throughout these 36 years of work in Friopartes S.A.

Every day, Wolozny plays a game of tennis at 6:00 a.m. or goes to the gym, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays she takes her children to school and upstairs at the office a little before 9 am. Your workday begins by visiting key positions to hear the news from the previous day, then checking your emails and making a few phone calls. Ruben's days are spent checking purchase orders and inventories, and during lunch hours he spends himself working on more sensitive matters.

He stands out with joy, but at the same time with a shyness of the one who does things for the first time, who is in the stage of delegating and considers that this is something necessary for every organization.

As president of Friopartes, Rubén faces challenges in technology, as well as in the relationship with his collaborators. Faced with this point, the professional explains: "I try to keep abreast of everything that happens internationally and that I can link with the company. Now that there is so much talk about global warming and the greenhouse effect, I conducted and taught seminars between customers and employees that were a success. As for the relationship with my subordinates, I try to put myself on the same level in order to understand their needs. I like to be seen as a friend to trust and not just as the boss."

In his business life, Rubén cares about providing his employees with a good work environment and his clients with the attention they require, so he is always informed of everything that happens in the company, in the industry and in the world. For him, the customer should feel at home when he goes to one of the company's establishments.

Family man
Apart from being an entrepreneur and an entrepreneurial professional, Rubén is the father of three young people and the happy husband of Ana Cecilia.

For him, his family is the greatest blessing God could have given him. His wife, who works with him in finance and has a degree in accounting, impresses him with her ability to number.

"My three children are my inspiration. I enjoy being with them, traveling together, and listening to their exploits and adventures. I love to enjoy their trust and be told everything. The eldest is named Daniel and studies Biochemical and Molecular Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. The second one is called Ivan and he is in tenth grade and the little one is Liam and he studies the fifth grade," he says.

The favorite sport of our professional of the month is tennis and he has practiced it all his life. He also likes football and is a fan of the Honduran team Real España, and Barcelona, from Spain.

But he also has other hobbies: he likes to design, build and decorate. "All my stores are installed in my own buildings that I myself help design, build and decorate," he says.

An industry that moves well in Honduras
Although in some countries of Central and South America the economic crisis is still strong and in others such as Venezuela they regulated the use of air conditioners, in Honduras the use of these systems, as well as refrigeration systems are necessary due to the warm climate of the country.

Rubén believes that both the financial situation and the political crisis in the country affect them, however the company continues to move forward, he also believes that when the situation in Honduras is resolved and the world economy begins to change, the reality of the company will also improve.

As for the industry as such in the country, Wolozny says that it has been affected every day by the short operating budgets that are available, both in companies and in customers in general. "Honduras is a low-income country and that affects us a lot. However, economic growth has been noticed and refrigeration has to be part of that growth," he clarifies.

Education and training are the key
As in any industry, continuing education is the key to being up-to-date and giving good support to customers.

In the HVAC/R sector there are cases of updates as in any industry, however Rubén mentions that some changes in this niche modify several structures and make the industry different, as is the case of the elimination and replacement of flurocarbon refrigerants and experimentation with new ones, which are totally different.

"The equipment with this new refrigerant is so expensive that a small mistake can have serious consequences. Therefore, it is essential to be informed and trained in the matter. In addition, the cost of operating the equipment is fundamental so you have to be aware of the alternatives that exist, such as the use of equipment with greater efficiency, etc, "he explains.
With care, dedication and above all responsibility, Rubén Wolozny together with his collaborators has brought forward Friopartes S.A, the gift of people of its staff, as he mentions, as well as the mutual support of the members of the company, education and training, as well as contact with the client are the success factors of his company.