One year after their last open meeting in June 2024, the members of C.E.C.A.F. met again on July 11th at Espacio Delfos to evaluate management and report on the work being done. With the appointment of its current president, Manuel Premaríes, the organization has begun a feverish period of projects and changes aimed at turning what in the past were merely wishful thinking into tangible actions that seek to professionalize the activity once and for all.
Change is so necessary that the C.E.C.A.F. Board of Directors is currently reviewing and amending articles and paragraphs of its original Bylaws, which date back to 1986, and adapting them to the reality of 2025. The elevator maintenance companies are in a difficult situation, trying to meet all the requirements of prosperous businesses but at the same time threatened by upstarts who operate dishonestly, charging low prices while deceiving consortia with dreams of false savings.
On this occasion, only members of the organization participated, as the goal was to inform them of the news while at the same time it could be possible to pay to their concerns.
The CECAF Board of Directors works tirelessly and with unwavering enthusiasm. Its mission is to establish unwavering professionalism, and all its actions are oriented toward it. Everything planned is carried out; that is the premise that drives them.
Manuel Premaríes (President), Carlos E. Pfarr (Secretary), Mariano Martino (Treasurer), Carlos Tedesco (1st Member) who were at the head of the meeting. They have set to work to make the association to the Chamber an attractive appeal that returns to the member concrete benefits and a panorama of future transformations, some of which are already taking shape in a law firm prepared to petition Congress to approve laws that regulate the activity.
After welcoming those present, Manuel Premaríes announced that they are working all year long to “feel more like entrepreneurs.”
“When we started in this beautiful profession that we are all passionate about,” Premaríes commented, “we walked down the street with our suitcases. Many of us inherited this trade from our parents and even our grandparents. We were few, we worked 24/7, we all knew each other, and we set the price. Today there are many of us, and we deserve to be better off. In addition, that is what we are working toward to. We must become more and more entrepreneurs, because we take the risks; the State is our partner and the one that takes the most money. All we want is to adapt to each other and put an end to unfair competition.”
New benefits for membership
With a family tradition in the installation and maintenance of lifts, Mariano Martino has begun his involvement with the Chamber Board of Directors, embracing his work with great commitment and responsibility. This young entrepreneur is driven by a great desire for progress and modernization. Martino took on the task of achieving new benefits for members and returning tangible benefits to them. To this end, he met with many business owners from various sectors, not only in the elevator industry, but also from other activities that provide services to the sector.
“Being on the Committee is another responsibility and a burden added to our usual work. We have to address our issues and push for our beloved activity to improve day by day. It’s sad to argue over a price; as my father used to say, there’s work for everyone, and the cutbacks some conservatives make to do their jobs are incomprehensible. The idea is not to sit back and complain, but to contribute something, so this activity has the value it deserves.
As Treasurer, I manage people’s money. In the last seven months of management, we have tried to maintain a balance and invest in professionalizing the Chamber, from all aspects: digital, the website, from the offices, courses, and this meeting. It’s important for us to show them the balance of what we’ve been doing during these months of management, the achievements we’ve made, and where we want to go, and for what we’ve achieved to be the starting point for the next generation. The idea, as Manuel commented, is to elevate the business mindset, whether it’s someone with 1,000, 100, or 10 elevators.”
After his introduction, Martino asked how many C.E.C.A.F. members take advantage of the benefits achieved for them and invited them to start doing so, while one by one, he presented the companies and their offers and discounts for Chamber members.
To find out which companies offer 10% and 20% discounts to members, go to the C.E.C.A.F. website, go to the “Members” tab, and expand it. There, you will find the “Benefits” item, which lists more than 20 companies offering discounts for member elevator companies.
Website renovation
Carlos Pfarr, Secretary, has handled aspects of the website, which the entire Board of Directors contributed to with their opinions and suggestions. “It has been a task that requires preparation and analysis. With the Board of Directors, we wanted to project the Chamber outward to be seen not only by members and potential new members, but also by other business sectors to further our reach. Previously, it was a website where information was difficult to find. The format we had was unmanageable, and we had to start from scratch with a new one. Now there is a search engine, and member companies are easily found; access is faster, everything is more streamlined, and more accessible. We have incorporated more technology, important news, updates, and the benefits Mariano told you about. Communication is fundamental to this website.”
A series of security videos is also being developed to be posted on social media and reach the general public, and of course, all maintainers who are not yet in C.E.C.A.F., inviting them to join the Chamber, the only way to achieve a qualitative change in their work.
Courses, jurisdiction, and statute renewal
Carlos Tedesco, First Member, in charge of maintenance courses at C.E.C.A.F., announced the upcoming completion of the maintenance course and the project for new modular courses to be offered by companies. Tedesco, who also has a long history as a maintenance entrepreneur, announced a series of measures the organization has taken to prevent the promotion of products of unknown origin, without any certification, which are published on commercial websites with ridiculously low prices and without any support or guarantee of safety for the user.
Legal letters have also been sent to owners of door manufacturing companies for installing doors in elevators, the responsibility of which falls on maintenance companies registered in the city of Buenos Aires.
It is not easy to get maintenance professionals who degrade their practices by surreptitiously modernizing boards on their own, replacing parts, or adding new ones to improve a board’s performance while deceiving customers into stopping these vile practices. At C.E.C.A.F., the guiding principle is good practices that promote the use of new, certified, approved, and guaranteed products purchased from third parties.
For these more complex issues, C.E.C.A.F. hired a law firm to assist it in the task of guiding and addressing issues towards fair competition.
C.E.C.A.F.’s Bylaws date back to 1986 and much-needed changes are being made.
The changes to the Bylaws, which will be announced in due course, are intended to improve the work and performance of maintenance professionals.
These are a series of amendments to some articles and sections to ensure the performance of members. All of this is intended to build a solid and modern working foundation, incorporating technology and law to level the playing field and be able to petition the City Government authorities and the Houses of Congress to seek the passage of laws that resolve difficulties in the operation of the activity.
The idea is for C.E.C.A.F. to become the manager of conservator permits to filter out those who do not play fairly in the market. And all of this to enhance the value of the companies and the activity.
Halfway through the meeting
The meeting lasted from 10 a.m. to almost 3 p.m. There was an opportunity for conversation and a pleasant time during the morning break, with a delicious breakfast and a late lunch featuring pork and beef sandwiches washed down with good wine, all of which were excellent.
There was time for all participants to exchange ideas, clarify some issues, and make suggestions.
For example, there was talk of changing the relationship with the technical representative so that he would report to the consortium rather than the maintenance company. Some proposed implementing the process of eliminating shockingly low prices through the elevator administrators or owners, raising awareness among them. C.E.C.A.F. officials believe that this approach would necessarily follow any legislation to ensure that prices never go below the reasonable price.
Among the members present were, in addition to the already appointed members of the Board of Directors: Emiliano Kukla (Deputy President of C.E.C.A.F. and Head of Asc. Ofisa); Enzo Rodríguez (Head of Mega Elevadores); Miguel Ángel Parga (Head of Service Mega S.R.L.); Guillermo Freudweiler (Head of FH Ascensores); Alejandro Graziuso (Ascensores Graziuso); Raúl Razzini (Technical Representative of Ascensores La Plata); Federico Gerhardt (Head of Ascensores Gerhardt and Member of the Audit Committee); Andrés Pozzo (Head of Asc. Casa Imaz); Gabriel Giulietti (President of Ascensores del Plata); Ing. Pettine (Pettine Asc.); Ricardo Barea (Head of Ascensores Nivel); Rolando Cascardo (Owner of Ascali Ascensores and Second Member); Luana Pryhoda (Owner of Río Tres Elevadores S.R.L. and 3rd Member); María Marta Pescia (Owner of Casa Myra); Norma Canabal (Owner of Grupo Canabal S.A.); Hidraulpas S.A.; Asc. L &G; Pastorino Ascensores S.A.; Asc. Pace.
