62 monthes Ago - Visits: 1
Juan Pablo Guerrero
Imagine an analog world without internet, social
networks, computers or calculators; a world with difficult access to
information and borders where newspapers and imported books were the only
window to the outside. Imagine a world in which even the teachers were
imported. That was life in 1963, the year in which Francisco Guerrero decided
to study Mechanical Engineering at the National University of Colombia.
"To be an Engineer, you had to suffer a
lot", a phrase that Francisco repeatedly references when reminiscing about
his student life; Today it may be easy to comprehend this, when we imagine a
scenario without AutoCAD, Excel and calculators, a scenario with only a drawing
table, slide ruler, desk, mattress, a jug full of black coffee and a couple of
English texts in a non-globalized world.
That is how studying in a Colombian University
was back in the day. Francisco
experienced all of this while he also lived in the University residence.
All things
considered, Francisco ended up
developing an Industrial Ventilation Application for his final grade project; a
project for the Cervecería Andina,
which became the starting point of his carrier. Thanks to that milestone and
after graduating in 1968, Francisco was employed by Vinto, the first Company dedicated to Ventilation in Colombia.
During that time in Colombia, the Industry started to hear about an American
Organization that was dedicated to study Air Conditioning Engineering, Heating
and Refrigeration. The Organization was known as ASHRAE, which promised to be a
source of first-hand information about these technologies. In order to enjoy
that privilege, you had to become a member; the problem was that this community
was comprised mainly by American members rather than international members
which sounded a little intimidating. Francisco does not remember the date on
which he became an ASHRAE Associate Member, however he states that joining
ASHRAE was one of the wisest decisions he has made in his professional life.
As an ASHRAE member, Francisco had access to the
famous four Handbooks, which together have won the qualification of the Air
Bible. In these four books Francisco found the solutions to all the challenges
he faced every day as a Project Engineer in
Vinto. Those four books were just
the beginning; he then devoured the knowledge of other books like the
famous Industrial Ventilation and the
Carrier Manual, among others. In
fact, with the passing of the years, and in a world still without PDFs,
Francisco managed to build one of the most complete and enviable libraries of
Air Engineering.
After working fourteen years in Vinto, he decided to start his own
consulting company which was dedicated to develop designs of HVAC
installations. The concept did not last long since the clients required him to
develop complete projects, including installations and system start ups. This
drove him to set up an equipment and systems factory, where his business
portfolio included design, fabrication, installation and functioning of HVAC
systems. The company is known under the name of FG INGENIEROS SAS, and currently works under the Executive
Direction of his eldest son, Juan Pablo. Francisco, being 75 years old
continues to be the President of the Company and one of the four ASHRAE life
members in Colombia.
FG INGENIEROS is specialized on HVAC
installations for pharmaceutical plants and all projects related to Clean
Spaces; as a benefit it also covers any HVAC application, thanks to the
knowledge acquired in his career and the tools provided from being an ASHRAE
member.
Today,
Francisco aside from continuing to work for a legacy of Engineering in
Colombia, he enjoys his adult life with his wife Cecilia, while with good
health, performs abundant physical exercise.
His family has been internationalized with his two daughters abroad,
Natalia in Canada and Sandra in The United States who gave him a beautiful
granddaughter named Valentina which Francisco enjoys and loves.