Solid principles, humble origin, hard work and traditional family, are the elements that have made Marcelo Colanero a full-fledged professional.
By: María Cecilia Hernández
Recently, the Argentine Chamber of Electronic Security (Casel) appointed Marcelo Colanero as president, who is also president and owner of the Argentine company Intelektron, which manufactures and distributes Access Control and Assistance solutions.
This Argentine by birth and life, footballer in his dreams as a child, staunch fan of River Plate and dedicated in soul and body to his family, accompanies us in this edition of VENTAS DE SEGURIDAD. In the Professional of the Month section he has shown us a personal story that makes him feel proud of the path traveled. He doesn't hesitate to share his journey with others to serve as an example: "Passion for work and perseverance lead you down the path of success," he says.
He was born and raised in the city of Turdera, in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. "I come from a humble home of Italian parents who came empty-handed to this country, a couple who knew how to strive to form a traditional and solid family. I am the oldest of five brothers, we grew up in a house where respect, ethics, solidarity, honesty and commitment reigned. Those foundations are what make me who I am today and feel proud of it," says Marcelo.
At 45 years of age, he does not complain about having worked since he was a child to help his parents with the obligations of the house. First at their kiosk and then delivering food in a truck with his dad. He never left his studies, he was sure that these would be the foundation to fulfill his goal: to have his own business.
"From my parents I learned that work and sacrifice are the foundation of everything, so I strived to study and excel. I graduated as an electronic technician in telecommunications and did not follow the university career because my idea was to have my own business. However, I didn't make it initially."
Another opportunity
"When I graduated, I worked for a while at ENTel, the telephone company that at that time was from the State; I sold raffles on the street, I played music at parties and I got to have a workshop of sheet metal and paint for cars, "says Colanero.
When he turned 20 years old he already had an extensive career in the world of work, he had tried, rehearsed and discarded, but he had not decided. It was there that fate resolved to give him a vital experience.
"While working in the workshop I had an accident, my liver burst with one blow. I almost lost my life. I needed an emergency operation and more than six months in rehabilitation. Paying for it meant losing everything I had achieved so far and I started again, but with more desire and always grateful to life for that second chance, "recalls the businessman.
After his accident, Marcelo was clear that he would focus on the path of technology, computing and electronics. He and three of his most loyal high school classmates met after the workday to design and assemble electronic devices with the few savings they managed, in order to fulfill their common dream, to start a business.
The decision to be an entrepreneur
They threw themselves into the adventurous void of being entrepreneurs on May 1, 1989. After more than two years of hard work that stretched into the early hours of the morning and weekends, in August 1991 they formed the intelektron company, a company dedicated to the design, manufacture and distribution of technological products and systems of access and assistance controls.
Colanero remembers that story with great satisfaction: "When we started with Intelektron, the first products were related to software protection systems and data acquisition boards, but we quickly saw that many customers used this to assemble, at home, an access control with a PC, so we decided to meet the demand. We manufacture access controls when they practically did not exist in the market. We continue with control clocks for time and attendance, round, visitors, turnstiles and all the software related to them."
Intelektron achieved a leading position within the security systems industry in Argentina. "The growth was sustained, we went from the traditional magnetic cards with stand alone equipment, to the biometric systems of today, with controllers with TCP / IP and other technological advances," explains Marcelo.
According to the businessman "professionals in this sector must be very responsible. Customers need to know that when investing in safety equipment it can be very dangerous to be tempted to buy the most economical. We must be careful with those improvised who appear in the sector, without trajectory or structure that guarantees a professional job, because the threat of this industry is the lack of professionalism, "warns the businessman.
Facing success
For 21 years the friends enjoyed venturing out to be entrepreneurs and successfully walked that path together, in which they opened other companies with equal fortune. After that time they decided that each one should dedicate themselves completely to a single company and thus focus their efforts. In 2010, Marcelo sold the shareholding he had in the other companies and acquired the entirety of the one he now chairs.
"You get to know the market through your presence at events, fairs and exhibitions. Intelektron always actively participates in these activities, we do serious work and in that way we have built the recognition we enjoy. Thus, I was invited to be part of Casel, I was attending management positions since its foundation, I was secretary and then vice president and in April of this year (2010) I was appointed as president of that institution. "
Faced with the new challenges that are presented to him, as a result of his recent appointment, he assures that he will face them with the dedication and passion that characterize him and makes an additional recommendation for entrepreneurs in the sector: "I invite those Argentine colleagues who have not yet joined Casel, to join and in this way we work together, for the common good and the growth of the sector".
First and foremost, father and husband
The businessman admits that he is a traditional man, "old-fashioned" as the less conservative would say. His wife has accompanied him for 27 years, seven of boyfriends and 20 of marriage, and as a result of that union they have three beautiful girls, "they are the light of our lives," he says.
When Marcelo Colanero looks back and sees the path he has traveled, he only feels satisfaction. He knows that this stage will not be easy, although he is willing to overcome it, "I know that this appointment and my company are matters that will force me to sacrifice a lot of personal time, so I talked with my family before and the decision was consensual. My wife and three daughters are the pillars of everything I undertake, and that is why I integrate them into my decisions. They are the ones who bank me, fill me with love, satisfaction and pride," he confesses.
They live in a house manufactured, almost entirely, by himself, because he loves to work with tools and claims to be skilled with wood and other materials, he feels that it is a therapy of relaxation and reflection. Talking and meeting with family and friends, taking trips and walks with family, drinking mate and putting together puzzles in winter, are his hobbies.
"A human being can feel that he has left something in his passage through life when he gets involved where he thinks he can contribute something and takes risks. I am one of those who defends the idea that everything is possible if you put your mind to it. If you want a better world, you have to believe that it is possible and help build it," Marcelo concludes.
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