Bulletin 434 - Friday, August 21, 2009

Chihuahua,Chihuahua,-The Aerospace Forum to be held next September 10 will help strengthen aerospace cluster in Chihuahua, which stands out as the only city in Mexico with three companies manufacturing original aircraft equipment, Luis Lara, American Industries Chairman informed yesterday. These companies are Bell Helicopter, Cessna and Hawker Beechcraft, in addition to their suppliers which establish around them. He further pointed-out that the Aerospace Forum will provide a stage to discuss success cases by companies in the sector and to facilitate encounters among authorities from the three government levels, businessmen, suppliers, investors, colleges, unions and others.

Source: El Diario

Zacatecas,- In what has been considered "the most complex year in times of crisis", the Japanese Company Insa Itachi announced the creation of more than 180 jobs to manufacture car seats. Gonzalo Esparza Pedroza, Managing Director, informed that the personnel to be hired will work manufacturing upholstery for car seats, especially for companies such as Nissan and Honda, which transferred 100% of their production of this auto part. Mr. Esparza considers these two automobiles assemblers are "among the most stable companies, and fortunately these customers have remained strong in the automotive market, and therefore our company has sustained operations". This company is part of the automotive cluster in southeast Zacatecas, which supplies auto parts to the states of San Luis Potosi and Aguascalientes.

Source: El Financiero

Nuevo Leon, Mexico,- Important firms from Great Britain are interested in the automotive and aerospace sectors, mainly Jonathan Clare, Trade and Investment Consul for the British Consulate in Monterrey, said that important British firms consider Nuevo Leon a strategic market for their expansion. Sectors such as Health and Finance are other fields they are interested in, sectors where companies from this country could enter in the next few months. There are 772 British companies currently established in Mexico and Great Britain ranks fourth in foreign investment, with an accrued investment amounting to US$4.722 billion between 2000 and 2007, only after the USA, Spain and the Netherlands. The purpose, Clare said, is looking for new business, because, due to its geographical location, Nuevo Leon is of great importance for any Great Britain company, in addition to the State of Sonora, as destination for British investment.

Source: Oportunidades de Negocio

Mexico,- Companies incorporation in Mexico was reduced from 22 days to a few hours Registering a business in the Webpage www.tuempresa.gob.mx substitutes multiple visits to federal and local government agencies and banks; filings can be completed with a click in the Website. President Felipe Calderon said during the official presentation of the site that with this service "we put Mexico up-to-par with the best international standards to open a business". With five steps, less than one thousand pesos, plus notary public's fees (another thousand pesos), businessmen may incorporate a limited company or a partnership. With this, the new service provided by the Federal Government cuts down by 50% the cost of opening a company in Sinaloa, Jalisco, Campeche, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Morelos, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosi, Federal District and State of Mexico, which are the states that concentrate 70% of businesses currently being incorporated in Mexico, according to Felipe Duarte, Competitiveness and Standards Sub-secretary in the Ministry of the Economy.

Source: El Financiero

Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua,- A total of 66 complete aircraft fuselages per year, practically one per week, that is what Textron Cessna Corporation is planning to produce in Chihuahua City; fuselages will leave this plant ready to be painted and equipped in Wichita and Independence, Kansas. Cessna started producing its first carbon-fiber fuselages in Mexico for 350 and 400 TT two and four passenger, single-engine airplanes and will start manufacturing wings made of this material, certified by US authorities. Cessna Plant Three, located in Las Americas Industrial Park, also works in producing aluminum aircraft pieces and fuselages under a strict traditional manufacturing scheme. Arturo Avila and Francisco Magallanes, General Manager and Manufacturing Manager, respectively, pointed-out that with this operation Chihuahua is taking very important steps in aeronautics industry. "Plans are to manufacture 66 airplanes per year, i.e. a little over one per week, when working at full capacity", Mr. Magallanes said.

Source: El Diario

Guadalajara, Mexico,- Costco de Mexico has already inaugurated its third shop in Jalisco, after a US$30 million investment. There are now two stores in Guadalajara Metropolitan Area and another one in Puerto Vallarta. "The land was around 10 to 12 million US Dollars, and the rest was invested in equipment, shop and works to open the store", Mauricio Talayero, Administration and Finance Vice-president pointed-out. He informed that this new unit provides for the generation of 285 direct jobs and one thousand indirect jobs. Costco has more than 2 million 900 thousand members in Mexico and in the State of Jalisco they could add to 18 thousand by year end. With this new unit, Costco Mexico has 32 stores in Mexico and is closing their 2009 investment program for US$90 million, against the US$80 million invested last year.

Source: El Mural