Friday Finale: Valparaiso, Vina del Mar, and a Vineyard

March 22, 2013

Contributed by Holley Pickett and Srini Singamaneni

Holley Pickett and Srini Singamaneni

Friday began by leaving the Atton El Bosque at 8:15 A.M. After close to two hours on the bus to Valparaiso, we finally arrived at TPS Port. There was a slight waiting time due to a near-miss safety incident. We were received by Carla and two other port engineers. Carla presented TPS history and an overview of current operations. TPS was ranked as 13th largest port by handling cargo volume. The biggest competitor is San Antonio port, which is only 60 km away. It was our surprise to learn that TPS is able to handle all their operations within a narrow area of around 35 acres. They have a buffer area called “Zeal” to handle the cargo temporary storage. The port seems to be working at higher efficiency rates.

TPS also is working on continuous process improvement by setting up various project teams. They recently acquired state-of-the-art automated technology to scan and trace the incoming trucks. The process to identify the truck takes around 30 seconds. The end-to-end loading time takes around 15 to 20 minutes. Eighty percent of import cargoes are delivered within 24 hours of vessel sail. They also maintain extremely good employee relations by not having any labor strikes in the last 12 years. TPS is the main fruit exporter in Chile. Cargo types handled includes: Containers - 94%, Fruits – 2%, and General cargo - 4%. Currently TPS has a market share of around 46%. Currently TPS is in the process of expanding a small section of the port, which will enable multiple ships to be docked at the same time. TPS uses Information Technology solutions to reduce time and costs and for logistics planning. Customers have a nice web site where they can make payments and track shipments.

After viewing the city and the port from the roof of the warehouse, we left to visit the historic district of Valparaiso, which is the third largest community in Chile. Valparaiso is in the process of renovating and attracting new businesses. Our group rode one of the oldest high-incline elevators, which was built in 1883 by the British. We walked around the some of the recently renovated Victorian buildings. Some of us purchased items from the street vendors.  Over all, we had a fabulous experience with TPS and beautiful Valparaiso city.  

[Next we drove to Valparaiso's "sister city,"  Vina del Mar, a sleek and modern seaside city, where our lunch was quickly diverted to the casino restaurant after a gas leak forced evacuation of our intended venue. The afternoon was spent exploring Vina del Mar, with several of our group braving the chilly waters of the Pacific Ocean.--ed.]

Contributed by Brooke Buechler and Josh Schneider

Josh Schneider and Brooke Buechler

Happy Birthday, Jeff!

William Cole is a retired software developer who has now made his home a winery in the Casablanca Valley. This region is well known for its exceptionally unique wines, which result from the soil diversity and weather. The William Cole Winery produces only organic varieties, which have won many national and international awards.

Although the winery offers both white and red wines, only green grapes are grown on site. The red grapes are purchased from a neighboring region.

In addition to producing wines, William Cole Winery also can host events, including weddings. To date, the best event they have hosted is ProMBA Class of 2013. Immediately following the tour of the beautiful vineyard and bottling line, dinner was prepared by an expert grillmaster, preparing chicken, pork and beef for the already overfed ProMBAteers.
Following dinner and dessert, a spectacular musical performance was given by ProMBA students to show appreciation for our awesome tour guide and bus driver. The final evening was closed with a standing ovation for all ProMBA faculty and support staff for their efforts to make this trip a memorable international experience.  GO VOLS!