The National Council of the Maquiladora and Manufacturing Export Industry (Index) estimates that Mexico will receive investments of around US$50 billion from the relocation of companies from Asia and the United States, a phenomenon known as nearshoring.

“At least 60% of the investment projected for Mexico due to the relocation of companies will come through the manufacturing industry, estimated Luis Manuel Hernández, president of Index Nacional.

The maquiladora industry representative said that the export of manufacturing products is one of the engines of the national economy.

More than 62% of the country’s trade is generated by manufacturing companies, generating one-fifth of Mexico’s formal employment, he highlighted during the XLVIII National Convention of the Export Manufacturing Industry.

He added that 70% of these products are consumed by the United States.

Hernández described as unbeatable the opportunity that the country has in view of the relocation of companies, the rearrangement of supply chains and the trade relationship with the United States and Canada.

The energy sector in Mexico is a key industry for capitalizing on nearshoring, and companies have focused on reducing costs and distances between production centers and consumer markets, through collaboration mechanisms in the region in order to strengthen supply chains.

Source: Mexico Now

Construction of the factory to be located in the metropolitan area of Mérida, Yucatán will begin next year and its vocation will be to serve mainly the domestic market; this is the second investment announcement in the sector in less than a month.

Upon announcing the injection of 8.7 billion pesos for the construction of its eighth beer plant in the country, Heinekein Mexico announced that the complex to be located in the state of Yucatan will continue its expansion in the coming years, for which there will be more investment announcements.

The general director of Heinekein Mexico, Guillaume Duverdier, informed that the construction of the factory, which will be located in the municipality of Kanasín -conurbed to the municipality of Mérida- “will start in 2024 and the first production will begin in 2026, in a first phase and we leave the possibility of opening new production lines in the future due to the development of the market”.

During the investment announcement ceremony, the executive assured that “Mexico is one of the most important operations for the company”, and informed that a plant will be built with “state-of-the-art and sustainable” technology. The plant, he informed, will use renewable energy, as part of the energy development undertaken in the southeast.

Yucatán, Mexico, the home of a new star”, where 2,000 jobs will be generated, he highlighted.

For the brewing industry, Mexico offers opportunities to grow, and “in the southeast we have seen that there is potential,” said Duverdier.

In a subsequent interview, he said that the new plant, considered “world class”, will supply the southeastern Mexican market with 90% of its production, while the remaining 10% will be sent to the United States.

“Depending on the growth of the market we will invest more,” assured Heinekein’s CEO, arguing that given the growing demand in consumption, “we needed greater production capacity (and) taking into account several criteria to know where was the best place to diversify, as well as infrastructure and support from the authorities, we concluded that Yucatan meets all these requirements.”

The company works with 5, 10 and 15-year plans and as markets develop, forecasts are refined, “when the first stone of the plant is laid, the production data in volume of liters will be announced”.

The brewery intends to start operations in 2026, with the production of emblematic brands such as: Amstel Ultra, Superior, Tecate, Sol, Dos Equis, Bohemia, Indio and Carta Blanca.

The executive mentioned that this project will be “responsible” with the environment and there is a commitment to use less water for brewing. This is 1.8 liters of water per liter of beer, taking into account that it currently uses 2.4 liters, and the world average is 3.5 liters.

Present at the ceremony, the Secretary of Economy, Raquel Buenrostro, added: “The new beer plant (of Heineken) with the implementation of green technology and the efficient use of natural resources is part of this government’s policy to install investments in the Mexican Southeast”.

Mauricio Vila, governor of Yucatán, committed to liaise with local governments to take advantage of infrastructure projects such as the Mayan train and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec route.

Leading exporter

Mexico strengthened its position as the world’s leading beer exporter in 2022, with shipments of 6.031 billion dollars, a year-on-year increase of 7.4% and a record.

In the world ranking, the Netherlands ranked second, with US$2,157 million, reflecting a 0.4% drop in 2022 over 2021.

Subsequent positions were occupied by Belgium ($1.677 billion, down 16.2 percent), Germany ($1.205 billion, down 14.4 percent) and the United Kingdom ($598 million, up 5.3 percent).

In 2021, Mexico sent 96% of its total beer exports to the United States, and a year earlier that coverage was 92%.

More investments

In addition to Heineken, U.S.-based Constellations Brands is also working to expand its production capacity in Mexico.
Constellations Brands is building a new beer production plant in Veracruz, where it will mainly invest 1 billion dollars programmed for 2023, investments that are part of a multi-year amount earmarked for the project.

Also in the brewing sector, in mid-August Grupo Modelo and Millfoods announced that they will invest 300 million dollars to build a corn processing plant for beer production, to be located in the municipality of Salamanca, Guanajuato.

The plant will produce corn grits and process grain harvested in Mexico, which will also serve to replace imports.

Source: El Economista

The company Mincer HD (MAT Holdings, Inc.) will set up in Mineral de la Reforma, Hidalgo with an investment of US$70 million, which will generate 350 direct jobs and 1,500 indirect jobs in the first stage.

This was announced by Carlos Henkel Escorza, head of the Secretariat of Economic Development (Sedeco) of Hidalgo, who welcomed the English company, which is a world leader in engineering and manufacturing of cast and machined automotive products.

The company has distribution centers, supply offices and 15 production plants in eight countries, and plans to set up 17 more.

In this sense, the transnational company will build two plants in the municipality of Mineral de la Reforma; the first focused on the casting of drums and the second on machining parts for the automotive sector.

Henkel Escorza recognized Steve Wang, CEO of Mat Holdings, for his vision and confidence to invest in Hidalgo in a project of great impact, since apart from generating jobs, they are committed to sustainability.

In response, Steve Wang expressed that this first step to establish in Hidalgo will be a beginning of growth for this company in Mexico and they will work in close cooperation with the state government.

Source: Mexico Now

Kuntai Company is looking to set up in Durango, a region where it plans to invest around 57 million dollars and generate 500 direct jobs.

The Chinese company is engaged in the design, development, production and sales of soft interiors for vehicles. It is also a global supplier of automotive parts, with commercial partners such as Audi, Volvo, GM, Toyota, Nissan and BMW. However, it stands out for being Tesla’s main supplier.

Products made by Kuntai Company include essentials such as floor mats, inner and outer wheel covers, spare tire covers, as well as seat back motor cover plates, among others.

Durango Governor Esteban Villegas Villarreal met with Zhang Ming, CEO of Kuntai Company, and Zhang Ming Di, Executive Vice President in China, marking the beginning of a crucial investment in Durango.

Kuntai Company’s decision to locate in Durango is based on multiple advantages, including the availability of essential services such as water, electricity and natural gas. In addition, the strategic land connectivity from Mazatlan to the United States adds a vital component to the proposal.

Kuntai Company is currently in search of suitable land to build its industrial warehouse and yard in the state of Durango.

Source: Mexico Industry

The country will capture half of the investment due to the relocation of companies in Latin America, predicts Guillermo Vilchis, senior director of the rating agency.

Guillermo Marcelo Vilchis Gurza, senior director of Fitch Ratings, projected that Mexico could capture 80 billion dollars in investments from companies that are taking their operations out of China to bring them to the Mexican economy, a phenomenon known as nearshoring.

“As of today, we have already captured 40 billion dollars (in foreign direct investment through nearshoring), so in the future we expect -if the required infrastructure conditions are in place- to continue with this growth, this figure could double,” said the rating agency’s representative.

The arrival of companies attracted by nearshoring is a process that will take time to consolidate, that is, it will take 1, 2 or 3 years, said the economist during the Fitch on Mexico forum.

“As infrastructure progresses, opportunities will open up for the creation of new companies in the country that take advantage of nearshoring, and obviously the amount of investment will increase,” he said.

He added that Mexico will capture half of the nearshoring investment in Latin America, and that investors have put among their requirements a better business climate, a greater generation of electric energy, more security and a better qualified labor force.

He expressed that in some states there is already a labor shortage problem due to the fact that companies are located in the north and monopolize the labor force.

“As soon as we, as Mexicans, are able to provide and grant all those facilities to investors, the number (of foreign direct investment) will grow,” said the senior director of Fitch Ratings.

“It is a matter of getting to work and that in all the states (there is investment, not only) in the north, in all the states we can create those infrastructures and those opportunities”, he highlighted.

Companies from China are looking to set up in Mexico to take advantage of its proximity to the United States, the largest market in the world in commercial terms.

“They are very important amounts of foreign direct investment that we have to take advantage of because of all the conditions that have occurred in international markets,” he said.

He stated that the trade war between China and the United States has led to “these opportunities in Mexico, and the more we take advantage of (nearshoring), the greater the number of companies that come and invest”.

The investment of automotive companies, such as Tesla, is an excellent example of the broad generation of jobs, and “it is a very strong investment and so there can be many sectors”.

He maintained that Mexico is the most attractive country in Latin America for investment due to its location: “The only thing that would prevent us from not doing so would be not offering all the conditions required for the establishment of these companies”.

Source: Forbes Mexico

San Luis Potosí, strategic location to support the industry supply chain in Mexico and the world

BorgWarner  held the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of anew production facility focused on power electronics and electric motors in  San Luis Potosí .

The company dedicated to creating innovative and sustainable mobility solutions for the vehicle market chose this state for its strategic location to support the industry supply chain in Mexico and the world.

It should be noted that BorgWarner  has been operating for more than eight years in San Luis Potosí and this will be the company’s first plant that will integrate a clean room environment, becoming an  electromobility manufacturing hub  . It will also have a product validation test laboratory , with a focus on investors, opening the door for the development of new technologies at home, for which it will be investing more than 198 million dollars.

Agility and innovation for a sustainable future 

Stefan Demmerle, president and general manager of BorgWarner Powerdrive Systems , commented that they are proud of this project, which is committed to enabling a sustainable future.

“Our Charging Forward 2027 strategy demands agility and innovation, so we have a responsibility to drive the transition to electrification not only in manufacturing but in product development.”

The new plant will have an area of ​​64,000 square meters, will be installed in the  WTC 2 Industrial Park and is expected to start operations in the second quarter of 2024.

Currently, BorgWarner  has a manufacturing plant in San Luis Potosí, located in the Parque Industrial Tres Naciones Phase 1 , which is 100% dedicated to the assembly of integrated electric drive units (iDM) for global OEM clients, as well as components for eMotors. The current production is destined for both the national and international markets.

The ceremony was attended by the head of the Secretariat for Economic Development , Juan Carlos Valladares, and the mayor of Villa de Reyes, Daniel Lagunas. Likewise, Stefan Demmerle, president of BorgWarner Powerdrive Systems, and Ulises Pérez, manager of the San Luis Potosí plant.

Source: Mexico Industry

Bosch Rexroth inaugurated its new plant in Pedro Escobedo, Queretaro, where it invested US$251 million and plans to add 900 jobs.

In an area of 42,000 square meters, it will manufacture hydraulic pumps for mobile machinery, linear motion technology for mechanical engineering applications in manufacturing and factory automation.

The company will have greater capacity to meet the growth of the mobile hydraulic systems and factory automation markets in North America, in addition to shortening delivery routes.

The new production unit strengthens the company’s participation in North America in order to provide a more efficient service to its customers.

Reinhard Schaefer, member of the Board of Directors of Bosch Rexroth and responsible for manufacturing and quality, explained that the company’s localization strategy increases the capacity, flexibility and strength of its supply chains.

This unit, he added, will help to reduce the CO2 footprint of the inputs produced in the region, as delivery routes will be shorter.

Christoph Kleu, Vice President of Finance and Administration of Bosch Rexroth in North America, emphasized that the new location will allow Bosch Rexroth to meet its customers’ needs more promptly.

Source: Mexico Now

ASIAWAY INAUGURATION

With the arrival of Asiaway, Ricardo Gallardo Cardona reaffirmed the support for the generation of business and the ease of national and international investment.

The Governor of the State Ricardo Gallardo Cardona was present at the inauguration of the Chinese company Asiaway, this Monday; company announced it will bring an investment of 41 million, 400 thousand dollars, the equivalent to the approximate amount of 750 million pesos.

Ricardo Gallardo Cardona considered that with the arrival of the new company to San Luis Potosi, the support to business generation and the ease of national and international investment in the state was reaffirmed.

The State President shared that San Luis Potosi will exceed 3,500 million dollars in Foreign Direct Investment, which will allow the growth and economic development in the state, so he emphasized that this new company located in the WTC Industrial Park, dedicated to the production of automotive components, will increase its production to become an important leading supplier of the industry.

Ricardo Gallardo welcomed the executives and highlighted that the investment is the result of the confidence generated to foreign companies: “today there is support for education, technology and professionalization to respond to the challenges of the companies that are coming to the State”, he said.

During the inauguration event of the new plant, they announced that the plant will generate 300 new jobs and announced the investment of a second phase, which includes a total investment of 414 million dollars (more than 7 billion pesos), with 1,700 employees, for the creation of 2,000 new and better paid jobs.

Source: El Heraldo