Today, we’re crossing the Atlantic Ocean and heading straight for Brazil and our business unit RIP Serviços Industriais. RIP stands for ‘Refratário, Isolamento, Pintura’ – Refractory, Insulation, Painting. In Portuguese, it’s pronounced /rɪpi:/, so add the /iː/ sound at the end (like in tea), and you’re all set.
When we sat down with the board of directors a few weeks ago, we asked them which person or landmark in Brazil best compares to RIP and why. Three names came up: Cristo Redentor, Pelé and Ayrton Senna.
They are timeless symbols of the heart and spirit of Brazil, embodying modesty, dedication, resilience and an unwavering commitment to excellence. The iconic statue of Cristo Redentor in Rio de Janeiro, with his arms outstretched, stands as a symbol of openness, hope and unconditional support. Pelé, a legend on the soccer field, demonstrated the power of humility and dedication, captivating the world with his unparalleled skills and sportsmanship. Ayrton Senna, a titan of Formula 1 racing, showed us what resilience and dedication can achieve, inspiring millions with his tenacity and passion for excellence.
Cristhian Schwartzmann adds: “The spirit of Brazil’s best inspires us. Like Pelé, we approach our work with modesty, dedicating ourselves to mastering our craft for the benefit of our team and our clients. In the spirit of Ayrton Senna, we embrace challenges with resilience, pushing boundaries to achieve remarkable results. And as the Cristo Redentor, we strive to foster an environment of trust and support, welcoming all who join us on this journey.”
Cristo Redentor in Rio de Janeiro
Pelé stamp from Brazil
Ayrton Senna
Much like the stories of its icons, Brazil’s industrial landscape is one of enormous potential amidst challenges. Early this year, the country has launched the “Nova Indústria Brasil” policy to revitalise the industrial sector through innovation and sustainability by 2033. This strategy is aimed at reversing past deindustrialisation and increasing global industrial competitiveness by stimulating productive and technological development, making Brazil a growth market in terms of capital investment, green energy and digitalisation.
The policy has been developed mainly on the basis of the current ageing industrial infrastructure, which at the same time requires (and will continue to require) a lot of maintenance. This is where RIP comes in.
Américo:
The Brazilian market is very susceptible to internal and external fluctuations, and most sectors have old manufacturing facilities. There’s a need for ‘robust maintenance but with minimal equipment downtime’ to remain competitive. RIPs approach, which focuses on reducing maintenance times through strategic planning and operational excellence, directly addresses this need.
Cristhian:
Yes, I agree. On top, the professionalisation and growth of our clients has led to an ever-increasing demand for service providers who value safety and compliance.
Marcelo:
We find ourselves in an extremely competitive and fragmented market. Quality is a value that often must be recognised by our clients. Our commitment is to provide comprehensive solutions of high technical quality that meet our clients’ needs for safety, ethics, and efficiency.
The term ‘energy transition’ is hardly a buzzword in Brazil, a country that is already at the forefront of renewable energy adoption. With an impressive 92 per cent of its electricity generated from renewables in 2022 (60 per cent from hydropower), Brazil is a showcase for sustainable energy generation. (Source: Empresa de Pesquisa Energética 2023)
On the company’s side, ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) as a topic, is also high on the agenda. RIPs commitment to environmental sustainability, social responsibility and ethical governance is reflected in its innovative solutions and sustainable practices.
Marcelo:
RIP has a very comprehensive ESG strategy, with initiatives in all three pillars. We attach great importance to this issue because of the impact that these initiatives have on the transformation of society.
Américo:
We have been able to support our clients with initiatives that show results. Examples include the reduction of emissions from coke batteries because of our refurbishment and maintenance work. The switch to LED lighting in our on-site workshops is reducing energy consumption at the plants, and the various training and development programmes in the locations where we operate are raising the social level of the region.
Fabiana:
We focus on social initiatives that can make a difference in the communities around our branches and projects. For example, ‘Oficinas da Villa’, which offers ballet, capoeira, and volleyball classes to children in the Pecém/Ceará region during the school day. We are constantly working to ensure that our workforce is also involved in these actions and can actively contribute. This demonstrates our culture of serving with modesty and inspiring everyone in this chain of good.
With more than 9,000 employees based in 15 locations, RIP is the largest business unit in the KAEFER Group in terms of employees. How do you create a positive and productive working environment for such a large number of people?
Fabiana:
As a service company, our people are at the centre of everything we do – and we work for them to create a rewarding and inspiring environment. We promote professional development and training, communicate clearly at all levels, spread the concept of diversity and inclusion, and create an environment that respects differences and is based on ethics.
Johnny:
We’ve got a simple approach: create a healthy and collaborative environment. We have initiated formats such as Equilibrio, Celebra, Foca na Quarta, Café com RH, all with the aim of creating a strong bond with our employees.
Américo:
We always hear from employees that working at RIP is different and special because of the involvement at all levels of the company, the opportunities, and the personal growth stories within the company.
Cristhian:
The close-knit nature of our workforce and the collaboration between teams leads to incredible results, especially when goals are clear, and everyone understands the important role they play. This fosters pride in our collective achievements, such as our recent Pro Ethics Award from the Brazilian government for promoting integrity, ethics, and transparency – a testament to our teams’ commitment. The celebration of this award highlighted it as a victory for everyone.
2024 is already well underway, but we’re curious to know what the focus will be this year and what challenges you expect to face in the coming years.
Marcelo:
2023 has been a year of stabilization following changes in our Board and our way of doing business, with many projects and departments having to adjust their course. We consolidated our subsidiaries and achieved excellent results. With our investments in Brazil aligned and our structure consolidated, I’m confident that we are well placed to grow and continue our success story in the years ahead.
Américo:
This year will be challenging in many ways, with the renewal of several important contracts and the continuation of the company’s growth, creating opportunities at all levels, as we do every year.
Cristhian:
In the coming years we need to consolidate the strength of our brand in the market, expand our business and ensure the growth of the company by creating new opportunities for our teams.
Fabiana:
Not forgetting maintaining our quality and safety standards and ensuring that our customers receive excellent service.
Geographically, Brazil is a long way from any other KAEFER location, and it’s currently the only country in South America where we are active. Nevertheless, RIP is an important part of our global activities. What are some of the benefits of working closely with KAEFER’s business units around the world?
Cristhian:
Digitalisation initiatives (DPMS), which we are now deploying on several fronts, process automation (BLU empowered by KAEFER) and the various excellence groups help our technical teams to offer competitive advantages to our clients.
Marcelo:
The quality and governance standards required of a large group like KAEFER have contributed greatly to RIP’s development. In addition, the good alignment of values and objectives promotes joint growth.
Américo:
The diversification of our activities has contributed greatly to our growth over the years. Our experiences and lessons learned are of interest to other locations where KAEFER already operates.
Johnny:
Never underestimate the power of mutual support and the sharing of knowledge and experience. We may be thousands of miles apart, but the answer to a question is only a phone call away. I can contact anyone in any part of the KAEFER world and they will be right there to help. This attitude of “Sure, call me and let’s find a solution” is so valuable and typical of KAEFER.
We’ll end with these words. Thank you all for your time and insights.
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