"I don't intend to stop here; I'm still going to invent something in the steel industry." It was with this phrase that the entrepreneur Omar Dibo Calixto Afrange, founder of Carboox, began his speech of thanks to the tribute given to him by ABM. The ceremony took place at the opening of the 41st steel Steelmaking, held in Resende (RJ), in 2010, through the Technical Division of Fusion, Refining and Solidification.  

At the height of productivity, at the age of 79, thrilled and showing humility – as was his custom – Omar said, in front of a packed auditorium, to have been surprised by the tribute. Speaking quietly, he summed up his state of mind with the following words: "It brought me a lot of joy and encouragement to keep fighting and fighting more and more."

Recalling his trajectory, he said: "I am very happy to have been a successful pioneer in automatic electric welding, manufacturing flows that have interface very connected to the steel industry. I started my training with a basic chemistry course. Later, I did an extension in glass technology, mineralogy, petrography, and geology, as well as training in several areas, mainly in metallurgy. I am also a chemist and technologist in glass, thanks to a graduate degree done abroad."

In his first job, he said he had "contact with slag and beryllium oxide; it was a process of deglaze beryllium oxide and turning it into silica and alumina." From that moment on, a new professional horizon was opened in its trajectory, which culminated in the development and manufacture of fluxes, which is still a glass that merges into the plate-mold interface. 

With this knowledge and learning, he said he left for one of his biggest battles, now as an entrepreneur, namely the founding of Carboox. At the end of his speech, he was strongly applauded by the audience.

Another battle, says Omar Filho, was to carry out the negotiations with ABM, so that the company would host the event that took place from May 23 to 26, 2010 in the premises of Aman - Military Academy of Agulhas Negras, in Resende (RJ). After all, at the time, the company already had a prominent position in the supply of products, services and technology for the area of Steelmaking, mainly fluxes.

Nothing happened by chance, Omar Filho recalls. In addition to its operational potential, the company was located in one of the fastest growing cities in the State of Rio de Janeiro, in a prominent industrial center. In turn, Aman had the largest amphitheater in Latin America, as part of large and modern facilities, where 323 participants were present at the event, including engineers, entrepreneurs, executives, who participated in extensive programming, including the technical sessions that had 79 works, as well as the exhibition of products and technologies focused on the sector.

The homage represents a practice of ABM, but its effectiveness through the Technical Divisions occurs in a very measured way. Like Omar Dibo Calixto Afrange, the chosen ones are people who provide relevant services to the metallurgical, materials and mining community.

Omar Filho recalls that the tribute to his father had the commitment of several people of the company, including his, and was a success of public and content, with the presence of many employees. Also present were representatives of the legislative (state) and executive (municipal and state) branches, as well as the general commander of Aman, Brigadier General Edson Leal Pujol.

"It was very good because the old man had the recognition of his dedication to both the work done to the entity and to the Mining Community, since Cosol (Welding Commission), of which he was a member before engaging in steel. Then he performed several activities at ABM, already in steel, including abroad", said Omar Filho, recalling that his father received the tribute symbolized on an ABM board, which was given to him by José Luiz Brandão, who at the time was chairman of the Board of ABM, and general manager of Research and Development of CSN.