We are very pleased to report what for us represents a very important milestone in the evolution and development of VOGT, the beginning of the process of change from our current offices in San Miguel, to our new production, commercial and administrative facilities in the commune of Quilicura.
We had the good fortune to operate for more than 65 years in the same place since our foundation, in the south-central area of Santiago, and where originally many small and medium-sized companies were located, coexisting with low-density housing. With time and a lot of effort, we adapted to the changes that the market demanded with the incorporation of adjoining properties during the last 30 years, which allowed us to increase the surface of the company, to cover an approximate area of 5,200 m2, which, even so, today are insufficient for what our current operation requires.
At the same time, during the last few years there has been an accelerated development of housing construction and repeated changes in the territorial urban planning of the sector, where we foresee that the situation will become unsustainable in the short term, when the construction of high-rise buildings surrounding the access streets to the company is completed. This situation poses a high risk to the continuity of the company and constitutes a very serious intimidation for the current operation, being also our duty to respect the surroundings with our neighbors and the environment.
For this reason, in the last few years we have focused on finding a definitive solution to this threat, looking for a new property that would also allow us to carry out the transformation of the company, from the standardized manufacture of centrifugal pumps to the manufacture of fluid management systems with larger equipment, weight, and integration of high-tech components.
This search allowed us to find a property located in a consolidated industrial sector of the municipality of Quilicura, as the most suitable for VOGT, since it meets the essential requirements in terms of size, road connectivity, industrial qualification and locomotion.
Our new facilities located at Ojos del Salado 0851 in Quilicura, will have an infrastructure and a much higher standard, which will allow us to work in a modern company with a layout adequate to the demands of the XXI century industry.
Testing Bench
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Capacity and Test Circuit
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If there are no unforeseen events, we estimate that this change process will take a couple of months, which will mean that during some months of this year we will have to keep both the San Miguel and Quilicura plants operational. This is with the purpose of altering as little as possible the commitments acquired with our customers. We would also like to point out that from March onwards, all equipment and spare parts pick-ups will be carried out at our new branch in Quilicura.
We are proud that in years as difficult as the ones we have experienced, VOGT is carrying out a project of this magnitude, betting on our people and our country. We are sure that this great effort will allow us to sustain the pillars of the company's growth for the coming years and also give continuity to the labor source of our employees.
