Bulletin 394 - Friday, November 7, 2008

Daher, a maquiladora manufacturer of products for airplanes and the aerospace industry with French technology, was inaugurated by the Company's top management and the State Governor. In his message, the Governor addressed to City Mayor Marco Antonio Martinez Dabdoub and Representative Leticia Amparano Gámez, as well as the Company's staff. He said that five years ago they set the goal to diversify the State's economy and currently Sonora is the state with the largest number of companies in the aerospace industry. He further said that while automotive industry is facing difficult times, aerospace industry is providing support to employment.

Source: Vanguardia

The Ministry of Economic Development confirmed the installation of the factory next year, which. will generate 300 direct jobs; in addition, they informed Cadbury Adams has announced a plant expansion. The Minister of Economic Development, Jose Antonio Lopez Malo Capellini, confirmed the arrival of an auto parts company next year, which will generate 300 direct jobs. In addition, he informed that Cadbury Adams has announced the expansion of their plant in Puebla, which also considers hiring 200 people. Both investments were negotiated by the Minister in his recent work trip to Spain. As a matter of fact, he considers his visit to Spain "fruitful" and rejected he used this trip as his "second honey moon", as the digital newspaper e-consulta published last week. He said that this factory, which will provide plastic parts painting services for Volkswagen vehicles, will invest €18 million and will start production by next summer. Regarding Cadbury Adams, he said they will invest US$40 million to expand their plant, in order to produce a new special product for the export market.

Source: Milenio

Chihuahua, Ciudad Juarez,- Equipping new Foxconn plant will start late this month and the Plant. will start operating next March in Jeronimo-Santa Teresa area, west of Ciudad Juarez. The Company is planning an investment of US$185 million and the generation of 20 thousand jobs. Gabriel Hernandez, responsible for Materials Area in this Taiwanese Company, explained that maintenance, warehouse, materials and logistics personnel will start getting everything ready to equip the several areas in the new plant Foxconn PCE Technology. "What is going to happen is that technicians from our plant by the airport will be moved to strategic areas in Jeronimo plant, which is almost completed and will be operating in March 2009, to immediately start building the second plant", he said. Hernandez further said that more than 2 thousand employees will be required for this project and recruitment will start next January, to train them in manufacturing and parts assembly of personal computers and other electronic components for PCs. He reminded that construction of Juarez Industrial Campus in Jeronimo zone in its first stage will consist of four buildings, generating 9 thousand 300 jobs in 2009.

Source: El Diario

The State Government will give an award to the Company for their exports. Hugo Santana CEO for IBM in Mexico said they have agreements for US$114 billion. Based on good results obtained by IBM in the third quarter both internationally and in Mexico, Hugo Santana assured that growth plans in Mexico will continue. In Jalisco, they are exploring opportunities to grow in their software and storage areas, in addition to test labs. "We are always exploring new opportunities, such as shared services areas, for example, purchases. In our Software Development Area we have 1,200 experts; we are also considering expansions in our performance and functionality test labs and also in our storage area... There is a wide range of options we keep on exploring based on our results in El Salto Technological Campus; therefore, the Company will continue investing here".

Source: Milenio

Chrysler plants in Derramadero and Ramos Arizpe will be benefited by the Company's adjustment all over the world, because a large part of production will be concentrated here and, even if layoffs are expected, readjustments will mainly include temporary workers, the Representative of the Ministry of the Economy, Edmundo Gomez Garza, said. With this program (for readjustment) Chrysler wants to reduce costs, this is what could lead to cutting down some temporary jobs and some administrative positions", Gomez Garza said. However, Mr. Gomez Garza added that what the Ministry of the Economy knows is that "Saltillo will be strengthened by these decisions, because they will bring to Saltillo production and expansion projects". Gomez Garza said he did not know if dismissals had already started or will start within the next few days; however, temporary employees will leave first. "Conditions are changing a lot, on the one side international events, basically the Election in the United States, which will bring certain dynamism to economy".

Source: Vanguardia

Puebla, Pue,- Volkswagen de Mexico closed October with a production volume of 45 thousand 096. vehicles, closely approaching their historic monthly record (45, 297 in October, 2007) and achieving the best month in 2008. This figure was added to reach an accrued production of 388 thousand 427 vehicles from January to October 2008, which represents a year-to-year growth of 14.8%. Accrued production for export kept the same positive trend, reaching 326 thousand 395 units, 19.1% more than in the same term of the previous year. In addition, from January to October 2008 Volkswagen manufactured 1 thousand 516 buses and chassis (+5.4%), not included in the above-mentioned total. Volkswagen de México keeps a stable production and exports pace, without modifying the short-term goal of 450 thousand units for 2008. However, recent sales results in world markets, which have suffered the impact of the uncertain economic outlook, lead the assembler to make a careful analysis to decide the actions to be taken in coming months.

Source: VW