At Grupo Arcor we believe in pursuing dreams and making them come true. All the milestones in the history of Arcor show that it is people, their entrepreneurial spirit and team work are the engine towards achieving our goals. The challenge of opening Angola´s largest chocolate, candy and biscuit factory was no exception.

“Crossing Borders: From Argentina to Angola” is a documentary short film showcasing this great milestone through the testimony of its protagonists. This innovative format allows you to put focus on people, their stories, feelings and expectations:

“This great milestone needed to be told differently. We set out to innovate from a new format to tell the behind-the-scenes story of a project of such magnitude. A documentary short film highlighting the stories of the real protagonists, the great challenge of building a factory in a totally different country and culture", explains Lázaro Quintín Corporate Manager of Institutional Communication and Marketing Services.

For some Arcor collaborators, this challenge involved crossing 8,300 kilometers, leaving their country for the first time, arriving in Angola and facing a totally different culture. For others, those born in Angola, taking the lead as hosts and, in parallel, learn new skills. It is in the combination of knowledge and experience that the collaborators of Arcor, from different parts of the world, meet up and enrich their eyes from diversity.

In the words of Fernando A. Di Giusto, Angola Business Manager, “The documentary shows how a dream emerged from the entrepreneurial spirit of Arcor becomes a reality, an achievement that is perceived as extraordinary just by seeing it, where all those who accepted the challenge of being part of the project lived the transformation of the reality of that place, of people and in turn, their own transformation.”

Grupo Arcor has a transformative power in the communities where it develops. As a company we seek to encourage the creation of economic, social and environmental value, understanding the importance of generating spaces for collaboration and rooting with the communities in which we are set up. The collaborators who come from Córdoba and San Luis know very well this characteristic of the company, so the challenge was to transmit this same spirit in Angola:

"In the documentary it becomes very clear that the vision and shared values are not a simple statement, but the determining factor on whether a project can be carried out or not. The value of the documentary as a means of recognizing these people is fundamental because it is inspiring for everyone and because it helps to build that competitive advantage that is their human capital, showing the real experience of their values: entrepreneurial spirit, human bonds, diversity, quality and achieving results."; Add Di Giusto.

How did we create this documentary?

The documentary short film had more than 6 months of production and was filmed in Luanda, Angola and in Argentina in the provinces of San Luis and Córdoba. During its development stage, more than 40 testimonies were filmed, some of which were part of a research work prior to the recording of the documentary. The short film was directed by Ernesto Kullock, audiovisual director, graduate in Communication Sciences (UBA) and author. The production of the documentary was carried out by the Arcor Group´s Institutional Communications and Marketing Services Management, while the creativity was in charge of Kahlo Ad Agency and produced by Virgen Films. 

For this documentary to be carried out, more than 25 people participated and all those involved convey the passion for entrepreneurship and the diversity that is lived within Grupo Arcor. In the words of Ernesto Kullock: “Arcor is a huge family made up of thousands of very different people, but sharing a common goal. In the cohesion that this diversity achieves, lies its main strategic power.”

The factory in Angola

“Dulcería Nacional” is the largest industrial plant in Luanda, Angola, specializing in the production of chocolates, sweets and cookies. The factory is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and meets the quality standards that characterize the Arcor Group.

The project for the execution of the work, including the civil construction and assembly of equipment, took more than three years, in a process considered highly complex. In Luanda 150 employees from Argentina, Brazil, Italy and Angola work daily; and we plan to continue growing and incorporate more collaborators.

Currently, the production of bon o bon - an iconic product, widely recognized in the region - has a capacity of 3,700 tons per year. The Bon o Bon line wrapper operates at a speed of 850 chocolates per minute, i.e., 14 bonbons per second. In addition, we recently incorporated the production of sweet and savory cookies, with a capacity of 7,000 tons per year.

The inauguration of the plant in Angola reflects that Grupo Arcor can export a way of being and doing. An entrepreneurial DNA that crosses borders and feeds on the best of each culture to look to the future as a team.