Oh, how beautiful Panama is!

Early in the morning, as the sun rises over Panama City and the first rays penetrate the dense palm leaves, Petra Elizabeth Zangerl and Fredy Nunez Palma make their way to work. The tropical heat and high humidity are already clearly noticeable. The journey through the bustling streets of the metropolis is characterized by the pulsating energy of the city and the hustle and bustle of the people. Colorful historic buses merge into the traffic and street vendors offer their goods on the sidewalks. Finally, they reach their workplace in Panama Pacifico. Here they work at K+S Minerals and Agriculture Panama S.A. together with the Managing Director Michael Wieczorek.  

Close to the metropolis of Panama City, where skyscrapers line the white sandy beaches, the K+S Panama office is located in the middle of a lush green jungle landscape. For almost three years, customers in Latin America have been supplied with almost the entire K+S fertilizer portfolio from here. The products are sourced from both Germany and Canada. MOP accounts for a large proportion of the volumes sold, but fertilizer specialties are also in focus. The growth reflects the increasing demand for high-quality fertilizers in the region, but also the effectiveness of the sales strategy. "We want to be a strong and preferred partner for our customers" says Wieczorek. This approach has also made it possible to establish long-term partnerships in the region, particularly in countries such as Colombia and Ecuador.

Michael Wieczorek (40) has been working for K+S for almost 12 years, many of them in the Supply Chain department in Kassel. The decision to take on new professional challenges in Panama was initially followed by a rocky road. Michael Wieczorek talks about the difficulties of the immigration process, which is associated with a great deal of bureaucracy due to its complexity. The coronavirus pandemic also temporarily threw a spanner in the works. Initially working as a one-man show in July 2021, Petra Elizabeth Zangerl (43) and Fredy Nunez Palma (34) now complete the Panama Pacifico team.

Michael Wieczorek travels a lot to meet his customers in the various countries of Latin America. Business relationships work differently here than in Europe. Personal relationships are crucial. Before business is discussed, there is often plenty of time to chat about private matters. His visits to the banana plantations, the oil palm plantations or the huge flower plantations that are typical of Ecuador put him right where the action is and therefore close to his customers' needs. "Our customers appreciate our reliability and our first-class service," explains Michael Wieczorek. He is usually accompanied by an agronomist to better understand his customers' needs. His local contacts are also indispensable. Business trips are checked in advance for the political situation to rule out risks as far as possible.

The K+S Panama team is as diverse as the country: with Michael Wieczorek as Managing Director, it brings together three dedicated team players from Panama, Argentina, and Germany. Petra Elizabeth Zangerl started as the second team member at K+S Panama in October 2021. She was a real stroke of luck for Michael Wieczorek, not least because of her language skills and cultural background. The Argentinian with German-Brazilian roots and a family history dating back to missionaries in China has been an important support for him right from the start. She is responsible for finances, customer certificates, and local service providers. She also supports her colleagues in their work. "With Michael at our side, we feel like an unbeatable team - together we can overcome any challenge!" says Petra about working together at K+S Panama. Fredy Nunez Palma, who joined the team for Customer Service and Invoicing in February 2022, enthuses: "Michael is the best boss I've ever had. We are a well-coordinated trio who have each other's backs." The only thing left to say is: Oh, how beautiful it is at K+S Panama!