One more year, the Salvadoran Association of Industrialists (ASI) presented the ASI Awards, which constitute public recognition to representatives of the industrial sector, for promoting national social and economic development, according to the trade union.
The association awards three awards: the ASI Prize, Entrepreneur Prize and the Benefactor Entrepreneur Award. To date, the ISA Award has been received by more than 50 industrialists or companies.
This 2024, the award went to the company Alas Doradas, member of the corporation Grupo Coen. According to the union, this recognition is given to the company or entrepreneur who, with their work and dedication have left a mark on the history of the country.
Lic. Jorge Arriaza, president of ASI, during the ASI 2024 awards ceremony
“For us to receive this award is a pride, it is an award for effort and work and everything we have achieved in the last 14 years,” said Paul Ekman, CEO of Golden Wings.
Grupo Coen has operations in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Mexico. Its Business Units are developed in the financial services, agribusiness, real estate, identification solutions and paper industry.
The Entrepreneur Award awarded to the entrepreneur or company that will grow their business in a thriving and emblematic industry, despite adversities and challenges, said the ISA, was given to the company Vertex Studio.
Are we honored to receive this award. As we are in a globalized world, we cannot be left behind artificial intelligence, digital twins, widespread reality, among other technologies,” said Iliana Benítez, CEO of Vertex Studio.
Delivery of the ASI 2024 Award, of the Salvadoran Association of Industrialists of El Salvador, at the Sheraton President Hotel on the night of Wednesday, June 12, 2024. ASI award was awarded to the benefactor entrepreneur, Ing. Oscar René Toruño; to the entrepreneur of the year to Ileana Benítez, of VERTEX; and the Oscar 2024 Award to Carlos Jérez and Paul Ekman, director of engineering and general director of Alas Doradas, respectively. The awards were delivered by the Lic. Jorge Arriaza, president of ASI and Dr. Victor pulls out. Photos Francisco Alemán
Among the company’s services are realistic and advanced simulations for a wide range of applications, such as digital twins, artificial intelligence training for analysis and data collection, in any industry, experiences of widespread reality; generative artificial intelligence.
Since 2011, the ISA has awarded the Benefactor Entrepreneurship Award, to recognize the outstanding work and the spirit of solidarity of those who devote their time, effort and resources, to provide better opportunities and a better quality of life for Salvadorans. This 2024, was received by Oscar René Toruño, president of INDUFOAM.
Delivery of the ASI 2024 Award, of the Salvadoran Association of Industrialists of El Salvador, at the Sheraton President Hotel on the night of Wednesday, June 12, 2024. ASI award was awarded to the benefactor entrepreneur, Ing. Oscar René Toruño; to the entrepreneur of the year to Ileana Benítez, of VERTEX; and the Oscar 2024 Award to Carlos Jérez and Paul Ekman, director of engineering and general director of Alas Doradas, respectively. The awards were delivered by the Lic. Jorge Arriaza, president of ASI and Dr. Victor pulls out. Photos Francisco Alemán
Since 1999, his company has supported the education of young people through different social projects, such as the Toruño Steiner Foundation, which has to date awarded more than 4,000 scholarships. It also funds master’s studies at the Higher Institute of Economics and Business Administration, known as Iseade-Fepade.
Are we convinced that education is the key to the country’s development. Therefore, our contribution is for more young people to overcome, continuing their studies and in this way they can opt for better opportunities in their lives, the entrepreneur said.
Toruño said that one of his most important legacies is the creation of the Specialized Institute of Higher Education, to train technicians for tomorrow’s leading industries. According to the entrepreneur, he plans to leave the country with an investment of approximately $200 million for education.
Delivery of the ASI 2024 Award, of the Salvadoran Association of Industrialists of El Salvador, at the Sheraton President Hotel on the night of Wednesday, June 12, 2024. ASI award was awarded to the benefactor entrepreneur, Ing. Oscar René Toruño; to the entrepreneur of the year to Ileana Benítez, of VERTEX; and the Oscar 2024 Award to Carlos Jérez and Paul Ekman, director of engineering and general director of Alas Doradas, respectively. The awards were delivered by the Lic. Jorge Arriaza, president of ASI and Dr. Victor pulls out. Photos Francisco Alemán
The ISA estimates that the industry accounts for 95.7 per cent of El Salvador ' s total exports, and 19.3% of formal employment. In addition, the 26 industrial and agro-industrial sectors contribute 14 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) and 18 per cent of tax revenues, according to data from the Central Reserve Bank (BCR) and the Salvadoran Social Security Institute (ISSS) to 2023.
The industrialist knows that there are highs and lows, so despite the declines in some sectors, we believe that we will have positive growth at the end of this year,” said Jorge Arriaza, president of the ISA, on the low performance of the sector in the last five years.
This article has been translated after first appearing in La Prensa Grafica