Cienaga, July 3, 2018
As part of its social commitment, Drummond makes an effort to strengthen its relationships with communities, educational institutions, the government, and other groups of interest. To achieve this objective, Drummond’s doors are always open to visitors who wish to learn from the company’s operations.
Therefore, Puerto Drummond welcomed 31 students from the Universidad del Magdalena, and a few days later, hosted 10 students from the Universidad Catolica of Pereira from the International Business Program. Both groups had the opportunity to learn about the operation in each of the areas within the marine terminal.
Before the walk-through of the operations, the students were introduced to the Corporate Social Responsibility Programs at Drummond, which are based on four pillars: Peace and Human Rights, Governance for Development, Environmental Performance, and Comprehensive Development. They also observed the Environmental Management Plan that the company adheres to in its areas of influence for the port, implementing processes that are environmentally friendly from the physical, biotic, social, and compensation standpoints.
During the visits, the Imports Manager, Beatriz Riveros educated the students on how operations related to foreign trade, exchange regime, and imports are managed at Drummond Ltd.
Liliana Rojas, Academic Coordinator for the International Business Program at the Universidad del Magdalena, expressed the importance of this visit for the professional education process: “The idea is for students to have direct contact with the operational part of companies like Drummond, including foreign trade, as this is a subject that they are studying and in this way they can observe the logistics, operational, and administrative processes that take place.”
On the other hand, students from the Universidad Catolica of Pereira visited Drummond’s coal port to understand the practical side of the theories they have studied in their Colombian Regime – Foreign Trade class.
“In Pereira, we don’t have access to a port due to the city’s location, so we have to travel to the Caribbean logistical center to observe what the import and export processes are,” declared Ivan Buitrago Marquez, professor at the Universidad Catolica of Pereira.
The areas the students toured, such as the Observation Patio, the Fresh Water Reservoir, the Dock, and the Aquarium, made a positive and lasting impact due to their size, the variety of protected species, and the nature that grows around the operation.
“I really thought that I didn’t like hydrocarbons and mining companies because I am very fond of protecting the environment, but I see that they do care about protecting the environment and they have programs that help in this process. My perception has totally changed about these companies,” stated Johana Gomez Parra, third semester International Business student at the Universidad del Magdalena.
Due to the importance of coal in the Colombian trade balance, the interest for students in careers such as International Business to visit the Drummond Port has increased significantly. These tours allow the students to have direct contact with the port operation, its functionality, and the processes that are carried out to mitigate any impact that may be generated, working everyday towards a responsible and sustainable business.
