Dreaming of having his own company one day, local entrepreneur Juan Camilo Londoño quit his family business in 1998 to start a new venture called Energia & Potencia S.A., and his market and technical knowledge allowed him to form a partnership with Honda Motor Co. to distribute power products in the Colombian market.
“When an energy crisis hit Colombia in 1992, it was the big opportunity to supply Honda generator sets. We also started assembling generators powered by Honda engines under our own brand Enermax, which has since become a leading supplier of power generators,” recalled Londoño.
That faith in Japanese expertise has grown into a thriving business across the country and the region.
At the start, the company had about 12 employees. Today, it employs almost 200 people at the headquarters and in eight company-owned stores in Colombia.
It also has more than 200 dealers nationwide and expanded its business to Central America and some Caribbean islands. As a distributor of Japanese diesel engine maker Yanmar for more than 17 years, E&P holds the largest share of the Colombian market for both gasoline and diesel generators.
“In addition, we assemble water pumps, power sprayers, brush cutters and light duty constructions equipment under our brand Enermax powered by Honda and Yanmar engines. Energia & Potencia is Honda’s largest OEM in Latin America,” said the E&P president, who has also recognized the emerging businessfrom alternative energy solutions.
“In July, we launched our new line of solar energy solutions at the AgroExpo fair in Bogota. Our line includes solar-powered water pumps, as well as lighting and refrigeration solutions. Colombia is a vast country and many people are still not connected to the main grid, so solar energy is a very interesting field,” he added.
“With the Japanese, when a promise is made, it is a serious and lasting commitment. I’ve been working with the Japanese for the past 40 years, and I continue to learn more as we move forward,” he said.
Satisfied with the long and fruitful relationship with its Japanese partners, E&P remains open to new alliances, specifically in alternative energy.
