Bulletin 435 - Friday, August 28, 2009

Monterrey, Mexico,- Two new companies will establish in Nuevo Leon, investing between them US$200 million. One of these companies is in the energy sector and the other one in the sports field, but the names cannot be disclosed yet because one of them will close its plant in the United States to take its operations to Nuevo Leon, Alejandro Paez Aragon, Minister of Economic Development in the State of Nuevo Leon informed. He explained that in a first stage this US Company will invest US$20 million and in the second stage investment will amount to US$100 million; while the investment to be made by the company in the energy sector will be of US$100 million. Nuevo Leon is competing against Guanajuato for a US$500 million investment by Eurocopter; to this date the Company has not informed where they will install their helicopters plant.

Source: El Norte

Matamoros, Mexico,- "This is the right time to send every sign about Matamoros, showing it is a city with the best conditions to invest, since some companies in the USA will close production lines and look for other places to work, which could very well be in Mexico", Juan Villafuerte Morales, General Secretary of the Local Workers Union, said. He said work is being done to promote Matamoros so that more investors come, but more impulse is needed so authorities are being asked to support promoting organizations. He explained Matamoros has many advantages, being attractive to businessmen; however, they cannot be expected to simply arrive by themselves. "We must work, business organizations and all stakeholders in the industry, especially now when decisions are being made by companies in the USA which will be in no position to stay there and may emigrate to Matamoros", he said.

Source: Expreso Matamoros

Mexico City,- (FINSAT) Cummins Filtration, a Division of Cummins Inc, announced they will transfer part of their filters plants in Iowa, United States to San Luis Potosi, in order to cut down costs. The plant will start producing in San Luis Potosi as of next November. Around 400 jobs will be lost in Iowa. Cummins first established in San Luis Potosi in the eighties and employs now around two thousand people manufacturing diesel engines. In a press release the Company pointed-out jobs will be created in Mexico in the next ten months as part of the consolidation of their production process, though they would not provide a number. In November 2007 the Company started expanding their plant in San Luis Potosi, where MEP$120 million (around US$9.3 million) were invested.

Source: base.com.mx

Chihuahua, Chihuahua,- Maquilas such as Sofi, Jabil and a harnesses manufacturer in the Industrial Park will hire one thousand 500 people in the next 3 months. Sofi announced they will hire 350 people in the next few months; Jabil will reach more than four thousand 500 employees with 900 recruitments to be made in the next few days; and the harnesses manufacturing company, which would rather not disclose its name, will hire 250 people. AMEAC's Chairman, Arturo Avila Cisneros, said they might announce jobs have been recovered and the start of a new growth period by the summer of 2010.

Source: Solo Buenas Noticias

Queretaro, Queretaro,- In spite of the 50% drop suffered by air cargo, this complex will allow airlines and service purveyors to quickly import and export goods, for few states currently have this type of infrastructure. Luis Felipe Rios Villanueva, General Director for Terminal Logistics, pointed-out that these premises will benefit the whole region, because the states of Guanajuato, Queretaro, San Luis Potosí and Hidalgo will not depend on facilities for air cargo in Mexico City anymore. "This unit is among the few in Mexico which have capacity to grow, because we have 10 hectares, with 15 thousand square meters currently occupied by customs", he said. The logistics complex started with Kuehne Magent, a German consolidating company and soon Regional Cargo and other Mexican and foreign companies will also handle goods to and from anywhere in the world.

Source: Vanguardia

Mexico,- Kronos Incorporated will invest in the expansion of their premises in Mexico and will hire new personnel as part of a strategy to keep 2-digit growth in this market. They will also develop specific strategies for each sector offered Human Capital Management products all over the country, and therefore increase its customers portfolio, which currently includes 300 companies. "Kronos' strategy is developing the international market, and among investments made the one made in Mexico stands out for it will help us increase our share of the market and offer the solutions required by our customers to improve their employees' competitiveness", Gabriel Alvardo Fajardo, new Director for Kronos Mexico, pointed-out. "This is why we are increasing our labor force in Mexico in sales, consultancy and technical support areas, to have a larger share of the market. These will be elements that will make our business grow, something our competitors are not resorting to", he added.

Source: El Financiero

Mexico City,- Thorsten Pöhl, President and CEO in Mexico of the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim, assured Mexico enjoys suitable economic and social conditions to make business, and therefore in the last 10 years they have invested more than US$100 million. "The Mexican market is attractive for the pharmaceutical industry because it has a privileged location and respects intellectual property, which is very important to us", he said. But he did acknowledge there is need for more clinic research, in order to generate value added and set a position as a leading country in the sector. On this issue, he said that the Company invested close to US$70 million in clinic research during 2008, a year when they generated sales for MEP$4.896 billion. Boehringer Ingelheim currently has a 4.07% share of an industry which generates annual sales for around US$8 billion. In a press conference in Xochimilco Plant, where more than US$70 million were invested, Mr. Pöhl informed they produce 140 million units every year, of which 60% are exported to the United States and Canada.

Source: El Economista