His motivation shines through in his voice, eyes and every gesture. At 33, the Colombian-American Jorge Enrique Mendoza is the construction manager for one of five Odebrecht projects currently underway in the United States: The Airport Link Metrorail Connector, a 4-km elevated section that will connect the metro network with Miami International Airport. “When they invited me to take up the position in April 2009, I thought, They’re crazy!” But Jorge knew there was nothing crazy about it. The idea was to ramp up the challenges offered to one of the young members responsible for maintaining Odebrecht’s continued growth in the United States, where the company arrived exactly 20 years ago.

Jorge is helping design the contemporary face of Odebrecht’s presence in the world’s largest economy. “We need to launch young people by continually giving them challenges. The company’s future is in their hands,” says Gilberto Neves, President and CEO of Odebrecht USA. He has had first-hand experience of that process. He was a 31-year-old engineer when he went from Peru to the United States in January 1991 to help Odebrecht establish a presence in that country. He was supposed to spend three months there, but he has been there ever since. His first job as Project Director was the construction of the Cargo Building for American Airlines, Odebrecht’s first project at Miami International Airport, built for Miami-Dade County. Odebrecht’s operations at Miami Airport symbolize the company’s track record in the United States. So far, it has worked on 13 projects at the airport, including the construction of the South Terminal and the expansion of the North Terminal, which is currently being completed. “We’ve worked on as many as seven projects at once at the airport,” recalls Gilberto, who became President and CEO of the company in 2005, replacing Luiz Rocha, now Entrepreneurial Leader (CEO) of Odebrecht International.

It was therefore an understandably moved Gilberto Neves who took the stage at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts on the evening of October 13 to thank everyone who has played a part in Odebrecht’s two-decade trajectory in the United States. There, at the arts complex the company built in downtown Miami, the anniversary celebrations included a show by local artists, with clients, partners and company members in the audience, among them Marcelo Odebrecht, President and CEO of Odebrecht S.A., Bernardo Gradin, Entrepreneurial Leader of Braskem, and members of the Board of Odebrecht S.A. “Arriving at this 20-year milestone just means we have reached a new height as we continue to grow,” says Gilberto.

Luis Oswaldo Leite arrived in the USA 20 years ago with the mission of planting the first seeds for Odebrecht in that country. After working at the Organization for three decades, he left in 2002 to devote himself to running his own business. Luis Oswaldo recalls: “For Odebrecht, going to the United States was the result of an entrepreneurial decision taken at the right time. We were there to learn, but to learn by doing. The spirit was to make Odebrecht’s presence in that country work out as a long-term project. I’m very happy to see the company in such excellent shape today.”

Now firmly established as a local company, Odebrecht is garnering more recognition and growing deeper roots every day. For two consecutive years, in 2009 and 2010, Florida Trend magazine has hailed it as one of the best companies to work for in Florida. And the local company is expanding. Taking the next steps in its growth strategy, it has increased its presence in Louisiana (see chart on ongoing projects) and is considering the possibility of working on projects in Texas. Another important factor is gaining recognition in the field of quality, health, workplace safety and environment, such as Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) certification, OSHA’s highest safety recognition.

“We have always sought natural growth by winning over new clients who allow us to add value to their projects, and grooming new entrepreneurs who are well-prepared, motivated and integrated with the company,” says Luiz Rocha, the Entrepreneurial Leader (CEO) of Odebrecht International, the leading company for Odebrecht United States. For Luiz, the 20th anniversary celebration in Miami was a very special occasion. He first arrived in the US in 1996 and started out by heading Odebrecht’s operations in California, which were then the responsibility of CBPO of America. Odebrecht went on to build the Seven Oaks Dam in San Bernardino County for the US Army Corps of Engineers. Two years later, Luiz moved to Miami, where Odebrecht Contractors of Florida (OFL) was based. He led the process of merging the two Construtora Norberto Odebrecht subsidiaries. “We always strove to gain our clients’ trust. We were persistent about it,” he observes, referring to the factor that, in his analysis, has been the main reason for Odebrecht’s growth in the United States. “We overcame the obstacles we faced by adding value for clients and communities, applying the principles of the Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technology (TEO), which is what sets us apart.”

Paulo Suffredini, another Odebrecht trailblazer in the United States, also worked in California and Florida from 1992 to 2008. Today he is in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. Paulo was one of the main drivers of the relationship between Odebrecht and the US Army Corps of Engineers, which began with the construction of Seven Oaks and later took the company to New Orleans, Louisiana, where it is still active today, building and rebuilding the vast and vital levee system that protects the city from floods. It also led to Odebrecht’s operations in Iraq. “Our relationship with the US Army and all of our clients has always been one of deep respect for them, based on the achievement of quality services within the agreed deadlines and with complete safety and security,” says Paulo. “We want to share our clients’ dreams and give them the best possible service, and we achieve that through the application of TEO.”

In 20 years of activity in the United States, Odebrecht has built projects in the following states: Florida, California, Louisiana, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Since the completion of the company’s first project in the United States – building a stretch of Metromover, Miami’s people mover, begun in 1991 – Odebrecht’s pioneers have focused on laying the foundations for Odebrecht’s growth and ongoing presence in the most competitive market on the planet. Marcos Tepedino arrived in the United States in 1991, participated in the Metromover project and several others in Florida, went on to work in Djibouti, Venezuela and Libya, and returned to Miami in August 2009. Now responsible for Odebrecht’s infrastructure projects in the United States, he recalls: “We had a strong will to succeed. We had come to stay, which is always Odebrecht’s goal. Our clients soon realized that the application of TEO sets us apart. The relationship we build makes a lasting impression. That relationship makes the difference. Our image is of a company that partners with its clients. Odebrecht has built a reputation in the United States.”

Daphne Di Pasquale has observed the development of that reputation very closely, from the standpoint of a local Odebrecht member. And for a long time. She was one of the first American professionals to join Odebrecht. In June 1991, Gilberto Neves hired her as a receptionist at the Miami office. Today she is the company’s Human Resources Manager. “Odebrecht has brought the Brazilian culture with it and embraced the United States, which makes us even better,” says Daphne. “It’s a privilege for me to be part of this company.”

Current projects in the USA

Carlos Nuñez shares that feeling. The 31-year-old engineer works as a superintendent on the MIA Mover project, which will take the metro system right into Miami International Airport through its connection to the Airport Link project. Born in Tampa, Florida, Carlos first came into contact with Odebrecht when he was 16. His father, Charlie Nuñez, now a senior project engineer in New Orleans, introduced him to the company, and while still a teen, Carlos became an intern, assisting carpenters, bricklayers and other professionals at the airport jobsites. In 2005 he worked on his first project as an engineer – the Performing Arts Center. “Dedication to young people’s development, offering them opportunities for growth and putting their trust in young people are the main reasons for Odebrecht’s growth in the United States,” says Carlos, in perfect Portuguese. “We take on challenges and our leaders have our back,” he adds, with hard hat in hand and a smile.