ARGENTINA: AMBASSADOR VISITS PRAXAIR AND GREIF IN TIGRE

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 001157 SIPDIS USDOC FOR 4322/ITA/MAC/OCAC/APEACHER USDOC FOR 3134/USFCS/OIO/WH/RD/BBRISSON STATE FOR ECON WHA/BSC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EINV BEXP AR SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: AMBASSADOR VISITS PRAXAIR AND GREIF IN TIGRE ¶1. SUMMARY: On July 31, Ambassador toured the facilities of two U.S. firms, Praxair and Greif, located in Tigre, in the Province of Buenos Aires. Both companies are thriving in Argentina. Praxair is a leading worldwide producer of industrial gases with nine plants in Argentina. Company priorities are focused on employee safety and supporting their local communities through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programs. Ambassador also visited the facilities of U.S. industrial packaging company Greif. Greif highlighted the company's commitment to its current CSR programs and to developing a student co-op program with a technical school. Following the plant tour, the Ambassador was accompanied by Greif Executives to the "Rincon de los Abuelos," a community food kitchen supported by Greif's daily food donations to 20 seniors. End summary. -------------- Ambassador Tours Praxair Argentina -------------- ¶2. Ambassador toured Praxair's facilities located in Tigre, Province of Buenos Aires. Praxair is a leading world producer of industrial gases, with nine plants in Argentina. Company officials reported that sales during 2007 reached USD 81.2 million and that the company had grown at 17 percent yearly since 2003. Praxair stated that they recently implemented the "Six Sigma method," with the objective of improving processes and productivity that has resulted in a 45 percent savings in costs for Praxair. ¶3. Company officials explained that one of their most important priorities is to guarantee employee safety and to support their local communities through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programs. One CSR initiative is to raise awareness on safety and environmental protection issues by offering instruction in this area. ¶4. Following the briefing and tour, Praxair officials asked the Ambassador to comment on the Argentine political and economic scenario. Praxair officials highlighted that although the current outlook seems complicated, Praxair is committed to expanding in the market and has successfully conveyed this need to their management team in the United States. -------------- Ambassador Visits Greif Argentina -------------- ¶5. Greif is a world leader in industrial packaging, with four plants in Argentina. The company has recently approved USD 2 million for technological refurbishment projects in Argentina. Greif's new General Manager, Eduardo Simoniello, stated that the Ambassador's visit was timely and extremely important as the company recently completely restructured in order to optimize performance. In fact, of the six company officials present, only one had more than one year of service at Greif. ¶6. Ambassador toured the metal and plastic packaging production areas. Company officials explained that while metal barrel packaging was decreasing, plastic packaging was growing considerably due to higher food exports, including grape juice, pulp, olive oil, and others. Plastic packaging is increasingly replacing metal barrel packaging in several industries. ¶7. Greif's newly appointed HR Manager, Debora Migoni, highlighted the company's commitment to their current CSR programs, and her desire to develop a student co-op program with a technical school in Tigre. Ms. Migoni had assumed this position three days prior to the visit but it was clear that she had already begun work on new CSR initiatives. -------------- Tour of Senior Dining Hall supported by Greif -------------- ¶8. At the conclusion of the visit, Ambassador and Greif Executives visited the "Rincon de los Abuelos," a community food kitchen established in 2002 supported entirely by Greif's daily food donations to 20 seniors daily. The Ambassador met with Comedor staff and toured their facilities, congratulating them on their efforts and commitment. Following the meeting, Simoniello commented to the Ambassador that this was his first visit to the kitchen and that Greif would do much more to further support their efforts. WAYNE