StepUp Andamios, a division of Sunshine Enterprises, began in 1998 and quickly became one of the largest importers and manufacturers of scaffolding and access equipment in the North American market.

The arrival of this international company to the La Cayena Free Trade Zone Zona Franca La Cayena was achieved through the nearshoring strategy led by the National Government, through the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism, and in collaboration with ProColombia and the regional investment promotion agency ProBarranquilla Oficial, to attract companies from around the world looking to relocate to strategic destinations to serve key markets such as the United States.

The initial production of the plant, the largest scaffolding factory in Latin America, will be 100 tons of scaffolding per month and is projected to reach 700 tons per month later this year.

Ninety percent of the production will be for export to serve the construction, oil and gas, and civil engineering sectors in the United States, with the remaining 10 percent serving customers in South America.

The operational entry of this company in Barranquilla activates an important value chain, representing monthly purchases of approximately USD 500,000 from local raw material suppliers.

The plant adaptation took a year, and during the assembly process, the company developed business relationships with 35 Barranquilla-based companies.

"Choosing Barranquilla was important to be able to serve the market with products and services in less than six hours due to its maritime, aerial, and land connectivity; the network of suppliers in the same business belt, a key factor in boosting regional value chains; logistical competitiveness in shipping and export times; and being in the same time zone as the United States, facilitating real-time collaboration for most of the year," said David Gasull, partner and legal representative of Stepup Andamios Manufacturing.

He emphasized that in their production processes, they use alternative energy sources and emissions-free and pollution-free processes.

“We see investments like Stepup's as a positive development for the country and the Colombian Caribbean region, which demonstrates the coordinated effort with the private sector that has enabled the industrial sector to create new opportunities for qualified employment, technology transfer, and contribute to Colombia's export growth,” stated Carmen Caballero, president of ProColombia, the Colombian promotion agency in charge of attracting foreign direct investment into the country.

Mayor of Barranquilla, Jaime Pumarejo, celebrated the arrival of Stepup, "a company that believed in us and has already reserved expansion areas in the La Cayena Free Trade Zone because they are confident that they will soon expand their production plant."