Bulletin 458 - Friday, February 19, 2010

Global Flock de Mexico, an established provider for the automotive industry, chose to occupy 31,345 sqft of Amistad's existing 95,000sqft multitenant facility strategically located in Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila. Global Flock , being North American leaders in the flocking process, as well as one of the few companies in the world to utilize "microflock", a process giving materials a sueded feel, provides companies such as Volkswagen, Nissan, Chrysler and Honda with their exceptional products. Amistad Industrial Developers is a full service industrial development company focusing on company's real estate, construction or start up needs in Mexico. With more than 30 years of experience, Amistad has built over 18 million square feet of industrial space, and has existing locations throughout Mexico.

Source: Amistad

Mexico City,- Estafeta, the Mexican courier service, is considering making this year a US$25 million investment, of which US$13 million will be spent in renewing and increasing vehicles fleet, US$4 million in infrastructure and US$8 million in technological development, which they expect will provide for a 6% growth. In a press conference, Ingo Babrikowski, General Director, said that in 2010 they will focus on two projects: Implementation of new software in their 415 sales points, and E-Mail Box service, which will have the opportunity to grow up to 500% this year due to recent changes to Mexican Tax Laws, making electronic invoicing compulsory as of January 2011.

Source: T21

Monterrey, Mexico,- Praxair, producer and seller of industrial and medicinal gases, will invest US$150 million in Mexico in 2010. From such amount, US$12 million will be spent in building an air separating plant in Monterrey. The largest amount, US$70 million, will be invested in another air separating plant in Ciudad Sahagun, Hidalgo. US$20 million more will go to a hydrogen plant in Tepeji del Rio, while US$10 million will be used in facilities for gas fill up in Altamira, Tamaulipas. The remaining US$38 million will be allocated to several projects. With the total investment to be made in Mexico, Praxair said they will generate around 150 direct jobs and 900 indirect jobs.

Source: El Mural

Mexico City,- Operations in the new cargo hub in Queretaro started yesterday. The hub will have capacity to offer service to up to eight landing flights and eight departing flights for goods trade, from Monday night to Thursday night. According to Juan Manuel Rodriguez Anza, CEO, Regional Cargo, this was possible thanks to three aspects mainly. First, DHL Courier Service took Queretaro Airport as their national domestic cargo center for express service; second, Multipack Courier Service expanded operations in goods domestic traffic; and third, Regional Cargo started operating again after a year and a half and will be now in the position to handle both domestic and international cargo from Queretaro Airport.

Source: T21

Cd Juarez, Chihuahua,- The State of Chihuahua has only 9.3% of maquiladora companies in Mexico, but it is the state with the largest labor force in the sector, with around 237 thousand people, the Mexican Statistics Agency, INEGI, informed yesterday. According to INEGI's report, the total number of employees to November 2009 was one million 649 thousand 900. From that total, the State of Chihuahua employs 14.44%, while Baja California occupies 12.5% and Nuevo Leon 11.6%, being respectively the second and third states with the largest number of workers in the sector. During the last year measured -November 2008 to November 2009- labor force at the State of Chihuahua shrunk, going from 260 thousand 540 jobs to 238 thousand 285, which means 22 thousand 255 jobs lost, equal to 8.54%. However, in the last five months registered (from July to November) there is a clear trend to recover, over 14 thousand 555 more jobs.

Source: El Diario

Mexico City,- With a US$10 million investment in Mexico, Nilfisk-Advance, world's largest supplier of cleaning equipment, is planning to make of Mexico their springboard to all of Latin America, a region where they will fight to conquer the market. Manuel Olea, CEO in Mexico and Latin America, explained they decided to invest such amount in the new plant located in Queretaro, to start selling their products here and keep this Danish Company on track with their growth plans, namely doubling sales every five years. "We opened an office in 2006, multiplying sales by five in four years, the next step is opening a plant that helps us be spearhead to all of Latin America", Mr. Olea said in an interview. Nilfisk-Advance employs 70 people in Mexico, but Mr. Olea said that in the short term their labor force will be increased to 200 jobs.

Source: El Financiero

Monterrey, Nuevo Leon,- The Mexican Minister of the Economy, Gerardo Ruiz Mateos, informed today that Asian and European corporations will invest around US$25 billion to transfer operations to Mexico within the next three years. Minister Ruiz Mateos further said that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is forecasted to reach around US$17 billion, after a setback in 2009 due to the global financial crisis. In the inauguration of the first branch in Mexico of Lowe's, retail home improvement and appliance stores - the second chain in this field in the United States - Ruiz Mateos said that this year Mexico is eighth in the international ranking of countries offering the best advantages to foreign investment.

Source: T21