Ecuador: Three Projects, Three Days
In three days, we toured three very different but very informative projects within the city of Ambato. They highlighted many of the development efforts taking place within the country. The first was a tour of Plasticaucho, a large manufacturing company based in Ambato. Plasticaucho manufactures in affordable rain boots, tennis shoes, leather shoes, and other foot ware. Many of their products utilize PVC (polyvinyl chloride), a substance derived from petroleum, rather than natural rubber to keep costs down. But the products were not what stood out to me. Plasticaucho’s dedication to their community and workforce was impressive. The company provides its employees with numerous benefits and services in addition to playing an important role in the economic development of the city. Extensive medical benefits, employment for the disabled, an intra-company sports league, an employee financial services center, and a sincere appreciation for their employees set Plasticaucho apart from my preconceived ideas of how a large manufacturing company operates. While there are surely environmental costs to Plasticaucho’s expansive operations, their dedication to improving their community and the lives of their employees was impressive. With more emphasis on environmental sustainability, perhaps Plasticaucho could serve as a sustainable model for other Ecuadorian businesses.