Volume 14 | Issue 1
More than 40 years ago, Silos y Camiones (SYCSA) began operations to offer clients in the construction industry a better solution. “At that time, cement for the construction industry in Mexico was distributed in paper bags,” notes Romualdo Tellería Gómez, director of strategic planning at the company. “The bags broke easily, the workers suffered from all the powder that escaped, and it was difficult to store.”
The company began building silos to store raw material for the construction industry. Today SYCSA provides integral transportation and storage solutions for clients across the board.
“While some companies focus on just one industry, we cover them all,” says Tellería. “We have specialists that can work with nearly any industry that needs this type of turnkey solution.” The company provides solutions for customers in industries such as construction, plastic, glass, food products, petroleum, water, and mining, among others.
Headquarters for SYCSA, as well as its main production plant, are located in the city of Pachuca, approximately 100 kilometers outside of Mexico City. The company’s second production plant is in the city of Sahagún, located in the center of the country.
A PIONEER COMPANY
In Mexico, SYCSA is part of a group called Grupo Industrial Tellería, which was founded in 1914. In its early years, Grupo Industrial Tellerría focused on the hardware industry. Later on, the company formed additional divisions. In the 1960s, it began distributing cement to different areas of Mexico. After searching for a better way to transport and store the raw materials needed to make cement, the group decided to form a new company called SYCSA.
SYCSA began operations in 1968, with a focus on improving distribution methods for cement. “We were the first company in Mexico to manufacture silos,” says Tellería. Storing the materials needed for cement in silos proved to be a more efficient solution than keeping it in paper bags. It also allowed workers to keep better track of inventory levels and reduced waste.
From this starting point, SYCSA began developing other products and solutions that would benefit companies in industries that needed to transport and store bulk goods. “We now focus our business on providing solutions to specific problems that our clients have in the areas of controlling, storing, and transporting raw materials,” Tellería notes. “We can cover any industry, whether it involves flour, sugar, plastic, bottles, soft drinks, recycling, or petroleum, just to name a few examples.”
The solutions usually begin with transportation units. For this, SYCSA provides semi-trailers, hoppers, and systems for loading and unloading at railroad stations. Smaller companies, or businesses operating in industries that require lower quantities of raw materials, can take advantage of bulk bags that SYCSA offers.
For storing materials, the company offers a variety of silos made from different materials, including aluminum, carbon steel, and stainless steel. In addition to offering storage units, SYCSA also offers solutions to transport raw materials internally for the different needs of clients. If certain materials need to be mixed, the company produces solutions for measuring the correct dosage of materials and mixing them together. It also manufactures treatment, sorting, and, and sanitation systems.
“We take over the whole process, up to the machine where the final product is actually produced,” explains Tellería. “For instance, with glass, we do not manufacture the smelting furnaces; however, we take care of everything needed before that point.” The company provides equipment for receiving and unloading products, transporting raw materials, storing them, mixing and treating them, and taking them to the final stages of production.
INTEGRAL SOLUTIONS
Because SYCSA offers turnkey solutions for so many different industries, the company has become a well-recognized name in Mexico. “When clients come to us, they know we will be able to take on an entire project that meets their needs,” says Tellería. “By working with us, clients can have one provider that’s capable of creating a complete solution.”
Over the years, SYCSA has gathered together hundreds of success stories in Mexico, Central America, and South America. “We have success stories in nearly every country in these regions,” says Tellería. SYCSA has been named as a top company in its industry by both national and international magazines. It also continues to lead the market in Mexico, staying well ahead of competitors in the country.
Looking into the coming years, company officials plan to further expand operations in the United States. SYCSA also plans to develop systems that help clients become more eco-friendly. “We take social responsibility, and responsibility for the environment seriously,” says Tellería.
Overall, SYCSA will continue to operate under its main goals in the coming years. These include creating solutions that improve efficiency for customers and make their businesses more profitable. “We’re looking for the complete satisfaction of our clients,” concludes Tellería.
Patti Jo Rosenthal chats about her role as Manager of K-12 STEM Education Programs at ASME where she drives nationally scaled STEM education initiatives, building pathways that foster equitable access to engineering education assets and fosters curiosity vital to “thinking like an engineer.”