The President of Ternium Brazil, Marcelo Chara, received on Tuesday, March 2, the highest honor of Rio de Janeiro's City Council when he was awarded the Pedro Ernesto Medal and received the title of Honorary Citizen of the city. The title was granted by Councilor Willian Coelho, who currently holds the position of the City's Science and Technology Secretary, and the medal is dedicated to those who stand out in the Brazilian or international society.
"It is of great pride to be here representing the 8,000 workers, men, and women, at Ternium's industrial center in Santa Cruz. I feel honored to receive the recognition for the work done by Ternium's employees," he said at the beginning of his speech as the honoree.
In his speech, Marcelo Chara reinforced his missions as the President of Ternium Brazil, such as the attention to the safety of employees, environmental issues, and being a good neighbor to the Santa Cruz community, among others. "And being a good neighbor means being transparent and working every day toward a safe operation with environmental control. The industrial center in Rio de Janeiro has already received BRL 500 million in environmental investment from the beginning of operations in 2010, and Ternium announced last week another BRL 500 million in environmental improvements in Brazil by 2030. Evolving in environmental performance is a daily task and we are committed to it," he emphasized.
The honoree also highlighted the social and educational investments made by the Company over the last two years. "Education transforms lives and we will continue to partner with the public power in Santa Cruz."
The Council had the chance to see first-hand the transforming power of Ternium's support to projects when students from the Orchestra in the Schools present at the homage played the national anthem of Brazil, and 'Cidade Maravilhosa', Rio de Janeiro's anthem.
Willian Coelho, a native of the West Area, also praised Ternium's actions, especially the Company's social responsibility and support to the city during the coronavirus pandemic. "I have been a critic of the company in the past, but I see how it has evolved in recent years with regards to environmental and social issues," he highlighted.
The President of the City Council, Carlo Caiado, valued the homage to the Ternium Brazil's President, and also highlighted the important role played by the Company with the Santa Cruz community. "The Pedro Ernesto Medal is the highest honor bestowed by the Council. Congratulations on the social work being done in the West Area. This fills us with pride," he said.
Finally, Marcelo Chara thanked the homage and extended an invitation. "I hope to be able to welcome you soon at our industrial center so that you can get a close look to our operations, our social projects, and the environmental monitoring center that we opened last year.
CHIQUINHA GONZAGA MEDAL
The night was also special for the Community Relations Manager, Fernanda Candeias. She was bestowed with the Chiquinha Gonzaga Medal, an honor granted to women who are recognized as outstanding in favor of democratic, humanitarian, artistic, and cultural causes at the Federal Union, State, and City levels.
"Winning this medal represents a struggle of many women. I feel honored to have accepted this challenge and to have results that allow me to be honored in this way. This medal gives me even more strength to work every day and make Ternium a company more valued by society. This is one of the most exciting days of my life," said Fernanda.
Congratulations to the honorees who make Ternium even stronger.