Bulletin 475 - Friday, June 25, 2010

Chiapas, Mexico,- With a US$25 million investment, to be made within the next few weeks, a pharmaceutical company from Guatemala will make the largest investment ever made by a company from this country in Mexico. In an interview, Elias Caparros, Business Consultant in Guatemala for ProMexico, said that a Guatemala-based pharmaceutical lab will be established in Mexico as soon as the negotiation process is over and filings are completed. "Chiapas Governor, Juan Sabines, provided the land to establish this company and also financing for US$6 million, so this is almost for sure", he said. The investment, Caparros said, is the second most important investment made by Central America in Mexico, because Costa Rica is developing several IT projects in Mexico with a total US$60 million investment.

Source: El Financiero

Queretaro, Mexico,- Queretaro State Government is negotiating with the automotive sector to generate investments for around US$200 million and establish an assembly plant at the State. "There are several companies we are about to reach an agreement with, but we are making a special effort with one of them and an investment for a little over US$200 million is expected", Governor Jose Calzada Rovirosa said. In an interview during the Business Encounter with the Automotive Sector, Governor Calzada Rovirosa said that this investment should generate around one thousand 500 new jobs. Regarding the establishment of an assembly plant at the State, Calzada Rovirosa pointed-out that they are already discussing it with a company.

Source: El Financiero

Chihuahua, Chihuahua,- Bell Helicopter, a Textron affiliated company has inaugurated a plant in Intermex Industrial Park. Arturo Avila Cisneros, Chairman of Maquiladoras and Exporters Association, Asociacion de Maquiladoras y Exportadoras, A.C, said that this has been a good year to attract foreign investment from aerospace sector to Chihuahua. He informed that Bell Helicopter arrived to the city a little over a year ago and they will now occupy a world-class building which will provide for future growth. This operation reinforces the State's leadership in aerospace sector, for companies have found in Chihuahua optimum conditions to develop. Most important is the fact that Chihuahua is moving forward in spite of the difficulties faced in other areas. Mr. Avila Cisneros finally pointed-out that most companies in this sector, especially European companies, are willing to work in suppliers' development, which opens an important area of opportunity for small and medium companies.

Source: El Diario

Guadalajara, Mexico,- Aerospace Meeting Guadalajara 2010 for aerospace industry will be held next October; however, large investments from companies such as Bombardier have been practically ruled out, even if two new American companies may be installed, generating around 700 new jobs. "I think we may get to October with a couple of companies suppliers of aerospace industry coming here", said Luis Valtierra, Vice-president of the Aerospace Sector of the Mexican Chamber of Electronic Industry, Telecommunications and Information Technologies, Camara Nacional de la Industria Electronica, Telecomunicaciones y Tecnologias de Informacion (Canieti). He further said that these two US-based companies are in the metal-mechanics or services sectors. He cleared out that Eurocopter has not made a decision about the investment in Mexico yet, mainly because this company is waiting to reach an agreement with the Federal Government, which means the purchase of helicopters to secure this company's investment.

Source: El Mural

Guadalajara, Mexico,- After entering an agreement with Warner Brothers, Technicolor, the electronics company, will invest US$11.4 million to increase production in the second half of the year, and will hire 360 temporary workers. Guillermo Escutia, CEO, said that Technicolor has already started to make 3D Blu-ray disks, and that production is subject to orders to be filled in North America. "We have already filled the first two orders. Last March Technicolor, together with Samsung and Dreamworks, presented BD disks (3D Blu-ray) in Las Vegas Electronics Trade Show, the disks presented there were made here in Guadalajara", Escutia said. This French company, member of Thomson Corporation, has 115 DVD production lines; Blu-ray production lines will be increased from 12 to 18.

Source: El Mural

Irapuato, Mexico,- The Governor of the State of Guanajuato, Juan Manuel Oliva Ramírez; the Minister of the Economy, Gerardo Ruiz Mateos; Tobias Hagenmayer, President of Getrag Business Group; Friederman Strasser, President of Getrag America and Barbara Samardzich, Ford's Engineering Vice-president attended the inauguration of Getrag Plant in Guanajuato, where Governor Oliva Ramirez pointed-out that with this investment Guanajuato is consolidated as a strategic partner for the automotive and auto parts industry being developed in Mexico. The Minister of the Economy, Gerardo Ruiz Mateos assured that the inauguration of this plant in Irapuato is an example of the logistics, commercial and productive advantages offered by Guanajuato and by all of Mexico to export to North American, European and Asian markets. On this issue, Governor Oliva Ramirez said that Getrag's establishment in Castro del Rio Industrial Park confirms businessmen's confidence, especially those from Germany, to materialize at the State their investments and productive processes. Getrag-Ford will be a spearhead company to attract more investments and will generate a new social, economic and technological development model at the State of Guanajuato, the Governor pointed-out.

Source: Portal Automotriz

Reuters, Madrid.- Abengoa and General Electric (GE) will invest US$180 million to build a power generation plant in Mexico, which will require a global investment of US$640 million, the Spaniard company informed in a press release. From these US$180 million, Abengoa will invest US$108 million and GE will invest US$72 million, while the remaining US$460 million will be funded with a syndicated loan granted by Banobras, Santander, Scotiabank, La Caixa, Banco Espirito Santo, Credit Agricole, Export Development Canada and HSBC, among others. This 300 megawatts plant, to be located in Villahermosa, Tabasco, is expected to start operating in 2012.

Source: El Economista