INTERNATIONAL REPORT: Nexus of Industrial Development Across Mexico

By Ed Felton
From the July/August 2012 issue

The Amistad Group has developed projects in Mexico for more than 100 industry leaders.From the July/August 2012 issue

If you’ve looked across the industrial landscape of Mexico in recent months, you’ve found a bevy of successful and productive new facilities in several key manufacturing sectors. Here are just a few examples:

  • Metaldyne’s Sintered Products business unit in Ramos Arizpe received a Certificate of Excellence from General Motors, awarding the plant the highest honor of gold supplier status. GM cited Metaldyne’s “outstanding on-time shipping performance” and “dedication and commitment to consistently perform about expectations.”
  • Leoni, the specialist in wire, cable and wiring systems, has a production facility in the Mexican state of Durango which employs close to 1,000 people. The plant supplies cable harnesses to US commercial vehicle manufacturers.
  • La-Z-Boy, maker of iconic armchair recliners, is ramping up its manufacturing facility in Ramos Arizpe, near Saltillo in the northern Mexican state of Coahila.
  • Magna International produces world-class sheet molding compounds (SMC) at its plant  in Saltillo. Magna’s SMC manufacturing process is fully automated to ensure the measurement of raw materials for each batch is consistent.
  • There is a common thread in all of this new facility activity—a powerhouse known as Amistad Industrial Developers, based in Acuna, Mexico.

Amistad took form in 1978 in Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila. Now, less than 30 years later, the company has constructed more than 15 million square feet of industrial space for a client family that includes over 100 world-class companies that have generated, both directly and indirectly, a total of 255,000 jobs.
Mexico’s manufacturing industry has changed during that time; accordingly, Amistad has changed—in all the right ways. Amistad, still family owned and operated, has grown to enjoy a presence throughout much of Mexico, and it is poised for further expansion, nationally and internationally.

Amistad calls itself “Your One Source to Mexico,” and with good reason. The concern offers a full slate of services in real estate, construction and manufacturing.

The Amistad Group has been successfully participating in the establishment of multi-national companies for the past 33 years. Amistad’s parks and sites are located in major business points in Mexico.  Its success goes along with one gratifying statistic: 72% of Amistad’s business is generated by repeat business.

Amistad’s parks and sites are located in the states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Sonora, Chihuahua, Texas, Queretaro and Guanajuato with additional on–going developments elsewhere in the country. The company’s impressive portfolio includes Our Portfolio includes:  Emerson, Yachiyo, Michelin, Honeywell, Lear, Howmet, Alcoa Fastenings, Parkway-Hamilton Sundstrand, La-Z-Boy, Lennox, Saint Gobain, Johnson Controls, Alcoa, Leoni, Magna and Martinrea.

Amistad’s Real Estate Division offers its clients a full range of real estate services, including:

  • World class industrial parks
  • Site selection evaluation
  • Green site acquisition and developments
  • Built-to-suit facilities for Lease or Sale
  • Lease Buy Back Options
  • Complete service package

Amistad’s Construction Division has built more than 18 million square feet of industrial buildings over the last 30 years throughout the Republic of Mexico. The company’s complete turn-key package of services includes:

  • Site Selection
  • Design & Architecture
  • Engineering
  • General Contractor For Total Project Management
  • HVAC
  • Mechanical
  • Full Time on site Project Leaders

Amistad’s Manufacturing Services allow the customer to start up and operate a production facility in a shorter period of time, and its different programs provide the flexibility to choose how you want to operate. A staff of bilingual professionals can help you evaluate your options and assist your decision-making team with extensive demographic data from all regions of the country. The company provides legal services, human resources, accounting, Import/Export expertise and administration.

Amistad can be contacted at United States: 1-800-994-9596 or in Mexico: 01-800-849-7909 www.amistadmexico.com, and Info@amistadmexico.com.