SAN MARTÍN
International expansion on back burner after growth levels soar at home

Top Peruvian companies are being called abroad but right now Peru is the place to be, according to mining service provider and Peru-based San Martín

Julián Siucho President of San Martín

With a 2006 turnover of over $100 million, Peru’s San Martín is a prime example of a new breed of capable Peruvian companies that are growing alongside the country. Established in the 1970s as a rental company for heavy machinery, today San Martín is a full service provider to both the mining and construction industries with activities in prospecting, surface and underground mining, construction, transport and geotechnical engineering.

One of the company’s strengths is its large fleet. With more than 380 units of the latest generation of heavy equipment at its disposal, San Martín is able to effectively reduce operating times for its clients. The company has capacity to move 50,000mt of limestone per day, and is active in a number of quarries and surface mines throughout the country, where it also performs drilling and blasting and constructs access roads and platforms.

In underground mining, San Martín’s services include excavation, construction and support maintenance. Its construction business is concentrated in public works and road building as well as in the provision of concrete waterways and culverts. Prospecting services include geological evaluation and diamond and geotechnical drilling.
CEO Julián Siucho (INTERVIEW) says that while the company is interested in moving into new markets, having received invitations for projects in Chile, Colombia, Central America and the Caribbean, both the Peruvian mining and construction sectors are registering such growth that expansion plans have had to be postponed.

“The fact that more American and Canadian companies are investing in Peru is a good sign that the country is on the right track,” observes Mr Siucho, adding that Peru has initiated conversations with Canada for a FTA, and will begin talks for a commercial agreement with China in September. “The Chinese are in search of raw materials for their industries and are watching Peru with a lot of interest so we must be prepared for this incoming export wave to China, and invest in highways, docks, airports, transport services and logistics, in general,” he states.