Refinería del centro is a food company dedicated to tallow processing and crude vegetable oils for the production of: refined bovine fats (oleomargarines and stearines), and margarines (vegetable, animal and a combination of them), emulsions, deodorized and refined vegetable oils, hydrogenated vegetable oils, interestified vegetable oils and, as a sub product unfit for human consumption, makes meat and bone meal, nutritional baseline for monogastric animals.
Since its foundation in 1971 and until now, Refinería del centro has been constantly growing, innovating and improving its processes, products and services to satisfy consumer needs throughout the length and breadth of the whole argentinian territory and to all its export destination. For this reason, today it is the unique industry in the area that integrates in a same plant all productive processes and they keep certified to ISO 22000 Standards (Product harmlessness).
REFINERÍA DEL CENTRO S.A. begins in 1995 the construction of a new and modern plant that opens back in the year 1996, with 4000 m2 covered, settled in an industrial zone of the Ferreyra district, especially designed and built for its activity and equipped with the latest technology machines.
Today, with more than 14.000 m2 covered, it has the highest technology in the area in equipment and automatisms coming from Italy, Germany, the United States of America, Brazil, Denmark and Belgium. A staff of more than 200 employees selected by their competence, high professionalism and commitment, make daily contributions to reach the food safety standards and satisfaction of the prearranged customers.
Our company has a wide range of products that adapt to consumers’ needs. Unlike other companies of the area, in Refinería del centro, 80% of raw material is produced for the manufacturing of the final product. In that manner, we ensure the supply and the quality, offering added value to customers and consumers.
The production area has all the necessary support areas: process engineering, technical office and maintenance, purchasing and supply, PCP and a quality control department which through a modern laboratory and a management and a process audit area, allow it to ensure the food safety and quality of the final product.
MISSION
To be referring in the industrialization of food products assuming the quality and safety as an intrinsic condition of all the processes in the framework of the protection and care of the environment, looking for the permanent integration of the value chain, accompanied by a constant technological update, the continuous training of our collaborators, the generation of creative solutions together with our Clients, to achieve a sustainable management.
VISION
Consolidate ourselves as leaders in the national market, achieving a leading role in South America, within a framework of continuous growth characterized by innovation, efficiency, excellence in our quality standards and the pride of belonging of our people.
VALUES
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Excellence
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Team spirit
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Responsibility
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Austerity
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Pride of belonging
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Dynamism
RSE
Corporate Social Responsibility (From the abrebviattion in Spanish) is a commitment acquired by companies generally engaged in the pursuit of economic or commercial purposes. This commitment is voluntary and seeks the social, economic and environmental improvement of society.
From the year 2014 the company Refinería del Centro incorporated within its mission the social development and the preservation of the natural resources as fundamental elements for the economic growth of the organization.
This led to the declaration of a RSE policy to define the guidelines that allow our company to achieve its economic objectives, generating a positive impact on the social environment directly or indirectly affected by our activity, and beginning to emphasize the development of good practices regarding the care of the environment forging the foundations of our environmental management system.
From this, in 2016, the environmental policy was defined and the training of the environmental team and the process of certification of the ISO 14001 standard took place.
Similarly, the company decided to promote the development of the Department of Occupational Safety and Health, incorporating professionals and instruments and promoting a management system.
The provisions of this policy are minimum but not maximum, since its purpose is to offer workers the greatest possible protection, to minimize environmental impact and to contribute to sustainability through ethical and transparent conduct.
REFINERIA del CENTRO SA is committed to sustainability through the following principles in order to put them into practice and promote their application in their sphere of influence:
a) Regarding respect for human rights and fundamental rights at work:
1. EMPLOYMENT WILL BE SELECTED FREE
1.1 There will be no work in involuntary, forced or bonded prison (reduction to servitude).
1.2 Workers shall not be required to leave 'deposits' or identity documents in the custody of the employer and shall be free to leave their employment.
2. THE FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION AND THE RIGHT TO COLLECTIVE NEGOTIATIONS SHALL BE RESPECTED
2.1 Workers without any distinction have the right to join or form trade unions of their own choosing, as well as to negotiate jointly in accordance with the provisions of the Trade Union Associations Act.
2.2 The employer shall adopt an open attitude towards the activities of the trade unions as well as their organizational activities.
2.3 Workers' representatives shall not be discriminated against and shall have access to perform their representative functions in the workplace.
3. WORKING CONDITIONS WILL BE SAFE AND HYGIENIC
3.1 A safe and hygienic working environment shall be provided, taking into account the prevailing knowledge of the industry as well as any specific hazards. The necessary measures will be taken to avoid accidents and health damages that may arise, or be associated, or that occur in the course of work, by reducing, as far as reasonably, the causes of the inherent hazards to the environment labor.
3.2 Workers will receive training regularly and in writing on health and hygiene, which will be repeated for new or designated workers.
3.3 Access to clean services and potable water and, if necessary, sanitary facilities for food storage
4. NO CHILD LABOR WILL BE USED
4.1 There will be no contracting of child labor, in compliance with Law 26,847
4.2 Children and young people under the age of 18 shall not be employed.
5. A WAGE WAGE WILL BE PAID
5.1 The wages and benefits paid for a week of normal work shall comply with at least the national legal norms or industrial norms of reference, or whichever is higher.
5.2 All workers shall be given written and understandable information on their working conditions in relation to wages before accepting employment and on the details of their wages during the pay period in question each time they receive the wages.
5.3 Deductions from wages as a disciplinary measure shall not be permitted nor shall any deductions be provided by national law and all disciplinary measures shall be recorded.
6. HOURS OF WORK WILL NOT BE EXCESSIVE
6.1 Working hours shall comply with Law 20.744 and its amendments.
6.2 In any case, workers will not work regularly for more than 48 hours per week and will have at least one day off every 7 days. Overtime will be voluntary, and will not exceed 12 hours per week, 30 per month or 200 hours per year and will not require regular
7. NO DISCRIMINATION
7.1 There shall be no discrimination in recruiting, compensating, forming, promoting, extinguishing or retiring on grounds of race, caste, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, status, sexual orientation, union membership or policy.
8. A REGULAR WORK WILL BE PROVIDED
8.1 In all respects, the work performed must be based on recognized labor relations established through national legislation and practice.
8.2 Obligations for employees subject to labor or social security legislation and regulations deriving from regular employment relationships shall not be circumvented through the abusive use of labor contracts, subcontracts or contracts to work at home, or through of internship programs where they do not intend to impart skills or provide employment, nor will they avoid those obligations through the excessive use of fixed-term contracts.
9. INHUMAN OR SEVERE TREATMENT WILL NOT BE ALLOWED
9.1 Physical abuse or punishment, physical, sexual or other harassment, verbal abuse or other forms of intimidation are prohibited.
b) Regarding respect for the environment:
1. LOCAL AND NATIONAL LAW RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS
1.1 The legal requirements in environmental matters will be analyzed periodically to ensure compliance.
1.2 Permits related to the use and disposal of natural resources must be in force.
1.3 In aspects of the operation that may imply some environmental impact, mechanisms for monitoring and continuous improvement will be established.
c) Regarding business ethics:
1. LOCAL AND NATIONAL LAW RELATED TO ETHICAL ASPECTS WILL BE RESPECTED
1.1 The legal requirements regarding ethical issues will be analyzed periodically to ensure compliance.
1.2 In aspects of the operation that may imply some ethical risk, training instances and control mechanisms will be promoted to prevent their non-existence.
The Management of the company assumes responsibility for the management of Occupational Health and Safety, for this, it undertakes to:
Provide technical, economic and human resources to achieve the policy outlined here.
Comply with the legal requirements and other applicable regulations in order to avoid or minimize personal or material damages that could be caused by the activities carried out in Refinería del Centro S.A.
To have permanent and effective internal and external communication channels that allow changes in health and safety to be properly transmitted, implemented and verified.
Establish in each of the activities, effective controls, in order to ensure the safety and health of all members of the organization.
To adapt the competencies of our employees through training standards that aspire to the excellence of our human resources, ensuring that all activities are carried out with sufficient suitability and awareness of their importance.
Annually review our Occupational Health and Safety policy ensuring that it always reflects the company's aspirations for continuous improvement to ensure the safeguard and health care of our employees and the company's responsibility to society.
REFINERIA DEL CENTRO SA, a company specialized in the elaboration of refined bovine fats, margarines, emulsions, refined vegetable oils, hydrogenated vegetable oils, interesterified oils or 'Low Trans' and as a non-edible sub product, meat and bone meal for animal feed, whose ultimate objective is to establish programs to prevent and minimize environmental impacts, optimizing the human / technological resources, fomenting within the organization a culture of environmental responsibility, being the fundamental pillar the environmental policy exposed here
Provide technical, economic and human resources for the achievement of the policy outlined here
2) MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE THE SYSTEM OF MANAGEMENT, MINIMIZING AND / OR AVOIDING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF OUR ACTIVITY.
3) To comply with the legal and regulatory requirements applicable to THE ACTIVITY, in addition to ALL REQUIREMENTS THAT REFINERED FROM THE SUBSCRIBER CENTER, IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT
4) EVALUATING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF ALL THE ACTIVITIES THAT THE COMPANY DOES
5) ADAPT THE FORMATION OF OUR CONTRIBUTORS, INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL, ENSURING THAT ANY ACTIVITY THAT MAY AFFECT THE ENVIRONMENT IS PERFORMED WITH SUFFICIENT FITNESS AND CONSCIOUSNESS OF THEIR IMPORTANCE.