Ternium's Propymes Program seeks to work for SMEs and help them achieve their most significant potential.
The importance that micro, small and medium enterprises have to move the economy and how they participate in sustainability development objectives has made the UN define, since 2017, that June 27th would be International SME Day.
Ternium created a unique program that develops its value chain, mainly to promote cooperation and complementation between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), suppliers, and customers, named ProPymes.
The purpose of this program is to work with SMEs and help them achieve their most significant potential, improve their professional skills and their management and financial capabilities, and boost those who are more competitive in national and international markets.
ProPymes was launched for the first time in Argentina in the year 2002, and Mexico began operating four years after, in 2006.
This program has helped to create an industrial network that fosters professionalization, the search for excellence, the interchange of experiences, as well as reciprocal learning. Its main goal is to implement the best practices applied in the industry, along the value chain.
Participants
Participating SMEs in the program possess an industrial and development calling. They are selected according to their exporting profile potential, production quality, idle capacity, and fundamentally, the mid-term and long-term vision of their management.
SMEs as value multipliers
To fortify its value chain, Propymes implements specific actions such as: improving maintenance management of the attached SMEs, boosting productive investment, promoting its exporting capacity, encouraging national content integration, and channeling the transference of learning.
The program consists of four pillars:
- Training
- Assistance (commercial, industrial, and institutional)
- Financing
- Competitiveness (based on a unique model)
At the Propymes Event.
Propymes has institutionalized its event “Encuentro Ternium Propymes”, where balances of results are shown. This event takes place every two years and gathers all companies attached to the program.
All principal actors linked to SMEs development assist in this event as well as government entities, chambers, clusters, clients, and suppliers. During the ceremony, a summary of the best projects and practices is presented, and the participation of the companies within the model is also recognized. Likewise, some of the most outstanding projects of the last two years are awarded.
Ternium builds valuable relationships because it has the conviction that any MSME can grow, given proper impulse and necessary support.
According to information from the Small Enterprise International Council (Consejo Internacional para la Pequeña Empresa), micro, small and mid-sized enterprises (MSMEs) represent more than 90% of the registered companies all over the world, generating more than 60 and 70% of employment. Mexico is no exception to the rule, contributing to 50% of the National Gross Domestic Product (PIB).