Bulletin 536 - Friday, September 16, 2011

Hermosillo, Sonora.- To analyze opportunities and challenges offered by the aeronautics sector in Sonora, the "Forum: Perspectives and Challenges of Aeronautics Sector" will be held in Guaymas in coming days. Alfredo Gamez Corrales, Head of Technological Sectors Area in the State Ministry of the Economy, assured that aeronautics sector is among the most dynamic in Sonora, as proved by the investments that will soon arrive to the State. Mr. Gamez pointed-out that the sector currently has a labor force of more than 7,000 people, mainly located in Guaymas, Empalme and Nogales. All these jobs, he said, are generated by 40 companies, which annual exports amount to over US$110 million. Gamez Corrales further said that Sonora, together with Queretaro and Chihuahua, is leader in aerospace industry in Mexico, for this State contributes with 18.4% of domestic production by this sector.

Source: Kiosco Mayor

Mexico City.- During the celebration of Nissan Mexicana's 50th anniversary, Jose Muñoz, President and CEO, announced that the company will invest US$328 million more in their two plants in Mexico, located in Aguascalientes and Morelos. Nissan informed in a press release that these resources will be allocated to the manufacture of new models, including the production of a multi-purpose vehicle based in V platform, which is assembled in Aguascalientes Plant, as well as the manufacture of the Taxi of Tomorrow for New York City, which will be assembled at CIVAC Plant, located in Cuernavaca, Morelos and which will be launched in 2013. Nissan announced a few months ago that their investments portfolio in Mexico for 2009-2013 amounted to US$1.50 million. However, they decided to update these figures and take the occasion of their celebration to announce this new US$328 million investment, so the amount will add to US$1.378 billion.

Source: T21

Monterrey, - Grupo Cydsa announced investments over US$100 million in two new plants and the expansion of another one. Tomas Gonzalez Sada, Chairman of the Board of this Monterrey-based Group, said that they are planning to build a plant to produce chlorine, caustic soda and derived chemicals at Garcia Municipality in Nuevo Leon and another plant in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz. They are also considering increasing production capacity of their subsidiary Sales del Istmo (SISA), also located in Coatzacoalcos. At Garcia Municipality, located west of Monterrey, Cydsa will build a new plant that will be integrated to their subsidiary Industria Quimica del Istmo. Investment in this new plant (IQUISA Northeast) will amount to US$75 million, and will have state-of-the-art technology.

Source: El Financiero

Wolfsburgo- Volkswagen, the largest European auto assembler, will open up to 8 new production plants throughout the world, and one of them could be in Mexico, the specialized journal Automotive News Europe informed. "In 2018 we will be operating close to 70 factories", Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management, said in an interview published by the magazine. Wolfsburgo's company currently has 62 production plants distributed throughout the world, with almost 400,000 employees. One of the 8 new factories will be a subsidiary of Audi's and will be located in North America, Winterkorn explained. The magazine speculated that the most probable location would be Mexico, due to both fiscal advantages and the fact that Volkswagen recently announced the installation of an engines factory in the Mexican city of Silao.

Source: La Jornada

Mexico City.- The Mexican Standard for Industrial Parks, Norma Mexicana de Parques Industriales (046 NMX) version 2011 will be published in the Federation's Official Gazette by next October, Claudia Avila, Director of the Mexican Association of Private Industrial Parks, Asociacion Mexicana de Parques Industriales Privados (AMPIP), informed. "The need to regulate the parks led to implementing a standard. There are two kinds of standards: compulsory NOM's and voluntary NMX's, which define the criteria that while optional do provide for quality in the areas they rule over. This Standard, 046 NMX defines the criteria for a real estate development to be considered an industrial park", Ms. Avila said. The NMX in force is the version published in 2005, which defines criteria on the infrastructure and architectonic design required for the optimum performance of an industrial park.

Source: El Financiero

Tijuana, Baja California.- No less than 5 projects, both new and expansions by Asian companies located in Baja California will materialize as the result of the business trip of a group of businessmen and academic institutions, headed by the State Governor, JoseGuadalupe Osuna Millan, through Asia from September 5th to the 13th, Alejandro Mungaray Lagarda, Minister of Economic Development, informed. "These are projects by companies already established at the state, mainly in Tijuana, Mexicali and Playas de Rosarito", he added, "which are thinking about their share of the North American market at these times of crisis and have made the decision to expand their operations at the state as part of their global strategy, but most of all to be involved in the business environment, filled with opportunities, found at the State". The trip's agenda includes visiting companies in electronics and automotive industries, as well as renewable energies field, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan; Seoul, Korea and Taipei, Taiwan.

Source: Siglo 21

Monterrey, Mexico,- Minera Autlan has an aggressive investment plan for the next 5 years, which should reach between US$300 and US$400 million in several projects, Jose Antonio Rivero Larrea, the company's President informed. He cleared out that investment amounts have not been defined yet, but it should be within said range, in projects such as the exploitation of a new mine, a new iron alloys plant, in addition to diversifying manganese-iron alloys to supply other industries. During the First Mexican Congress of Iron and Steel Industry, Mr. Rivero said they will open a mining front in Naopa to extract manganese and manganese nodes, which is already in the preparation stage, to start operations before yearend. The investment will be between US$20 and US$30 million in the initial stage and as the mine grows investments will also go up. He said that lack of safety has increased transportation costs, by paying for security in trucks and plants. "We believe jobs generation is the best way to fight the lack of safety we are facing in Mexico".

Source: El Financiero