Bulletin 443 - Friday, October 23, 2009

Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua,- The Japanese Toshiba has brought to Ciudad Juarez the latest in TV sets, LED (Light-Emitting Diode) models, the company informed. Toshiba is the only company manufacturing this type of units in Ciudad Juarez; other manufacturers are assembling LCD units, with older technology. By mid 2010 Toshiba will also add to this plant's production new wireless models, with a technology even more advanced than LED, to be launched to the market in November. They will also manufacture the newest ultra-thin units here, local officers informed. Toshiba pointed-out that their plant in Ciudad Juarez is considered strategic for the Company's growth in North America. Some of the factors that have influenced on bringing more models to be manufactured here are expert labor and location. Close to 9% of LCD's sold in the United States are manufactured in Ciudad Juarez, according to Maquiladoras Association (AMAC).

Source: El Diario

Mexicali, Baja California,- To make the most of the benefits offered by Mexicali, two new investments came to generate employment, develop human potential and take advantage of the savings this brings; the companies are Digital Chocolat and Judco Manufacturing. But the City cannot talk, work and promotion by specialists to attract investments is required, this is the job made by Mexicali Industrial Development Commission (CDIM). Manuel Rubio Montoya, Head of this Organization, spoke about actions carried out and the arrival of two companies that will provide impulse to two sectors: Information Technologies and Automotive Cluster. Mr. Rubio said the investment is not as large as those made by other companies that have arrived in the City. We are speaking of US$100 thousand, but it means technological development and the generation of 25 jobs with great potential, because they come here looking for talent.

Source: La Crónica

Silao, Guanajuato,- Samot, auto parts manufacturer, and Hitachi in the electronics field, both opened new plants in Mexico with a US$41 million investment. In Silao, Guanajuato, Samot inaugurated facilities in Guanajuato Inland Port (GIP) after a US$30 million investment, creating 300 jobs. Samot is a Brazilian company which is establishing in Guanajuato in order to supply NAFTA zone with high precision and quality pieces. Samot has sales over US$137 million per year; their main customers include Continental Teves, Volkswagen, Daimler, Chrysler and Bosch. Samot was founded in 1960 by its current President Tomislav Jancar, with the purpose to satisfy automotive demand. Samot manufactures pieces for transmissions, brakes and steering systems, as well as pieces for home appliances. Samot has three production plants in Brazil, they have close to one thousand 200 associates and over 600 production machines, they process more than six thousand tons of forged pieces, one thousand 500 tons of aluminum bars and four thousand 200 steel bars every year. In Queretaro, the Japanese capital company Hitachi Cable Queretaro (HCQ), which manufactures brakes systems for automobiles, inaugurated a plant with a US$11 million investment, which will generate 400 direct jobs.

Source: México Libre

Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua,- If current growth pace is kept by .maquiladora industry, 2009 could be closed with 5 thousand jobs recovered in Matamoros, after the steep fall it suffered as of June, 2008. Gerardo Rodriguez Puente, Representative in Matamoros for the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), said that from August to September, 2 thousand 500 jobs have been created here, basically in export maquiladora industry. He said that last August drop in employment, which started in June 2008, stopped in Matamoros, something very positive, because it means the economic crisis has hit rock bottom and is now on a recovery stage, even if slow. He said that if this pace is kept in export maquiladora industry, which companies are receiving new contracts to fill orders, December could be closed with 5 thousand jobs recovered.

Source: El Diario

Tetra Pak started as one of the main suppliers in the world of packing material for milk, juices and beverages, as well as many other products in food industry. It is nowadays the only international company which may provide integral solutions for food processing, packing, distribution line and manufacture. O'Donnell - Mexico is a full service, value added, industrial developer. O'Donnell invests in high concentration markets in the main urban centers in Mexico to keep balance between price, offer and demand, or which are unique due to location and/or infrastructure. O'Donnell's mission is improving its client's competitiveness by offering strategic sites, industrial developments and high quality construction, in addition to experience and reliability in their administration, outstanding customer service and competitive prices. They have investing partners which also offer mortgages and credit lines with Prudential Real Estate Investors, GE Capital, JP Morgan and Citibank.

Source: O'DONNELL

Mexico City,- Hilti, world leader in manufacturing mining and construction tools, will inaugurate a new plant, where they will employ 250 workers in the first stage. The German Company Hilti invested US$40 million in their industrial plant, after breaking ground last December in an event attended by Governor Eugenio Hernandez Flores and the Company's executive officers. Hilti decided to build an industrial plant in Matamoros due to the advantages offered by Tamaulipas as a site for investment and all the favorable terms offered by Governor Hernandez Flores, who visited Germany in August 2008 to materialize this investment for Matamoros. Enteva's inauguration, and now Hilti's, are proof that Tamaulipas is attractive to investors, due to the great advantages offered to companies, which translates into new jobs for our people.

Source: T21

Mexico City,- Nissan secured its position as leader in sales in the Mexican market, with 106 thousand 494 units sold between January and September 2009, high above its closest competitor, General Motors (GM). "We had never been 12 thousand units above the second place", Tom Scarpello, Sales Director for Nissan Mexicana, said, and added that higher sales generate certain production advantages, because overhead are distributed among a larger number of assembled units. Nissan produces here 83.6% of vehicles sold in the Mexican market, an indicator that no other assembler in Mexico has, according to Scarpello; which helps prices policies. This prevents effects from currency fluctuation and provides for a faster response to changes in product demand. To a certain extent, leadership by this Japanese assembler is due to Tsuru, a car for the massive market produced only in Mexico.

Source: El Universal