Information collected from media reports over the past month:

• Automotive: German auto parts manufacturer Robert Bosch projected investment in its Mexico operations at US$78 million for 2011.  The resources are earmarked to support introduction of new technologies and preparation for the manufacture of new brake pad and battery products at the company’s 13 Mexico production locations. (El Informador, September 29, 2011)
• Aerospace: Canadian aircraft maker Bombardier announced it will invest US$50 million to outfit its Queretaro plant to produce the aft fuselage for its new generation of long range business jets.  Mexico is now producing major composite structures for the company’s Learjet 85, such as fuselage lay-up and subsystem installation, wiring harness fabrication and installation, wing assembly and horizontal and vertical stabilizer assemblies. (The Montreal Gazette, October 25, 2011)
• Recycling: Germany-based industrial services firm Ferrostaal AG announced plans to build a tire recycling plant in Mexico.  The facility will convert used vehicle tires into rubber granules for potential use in the manufacture of sports and recreation surfaces, soundproofing insulation or water hoses, among other uses.  The amount of investment in the new plant was not specified. (Ferrostaal, September 26, 2011)
• Mining: Minera Autlán, subsidiary of Mexican mining group Grupo Ferrominero (GFM), is projecting investment in its Mexico mining operations of up to US$300 million over the next five years.  GFM’s energy subsidiary GFM Energía also plans to build three hydroelectric plants and one wind power generating plant in the coming years. (Reforma, October 6, 2011)
• Steel: U.S.-based Steel Technologies announced plans to build a new steel processing facility in the northeastern state of Nuevo León.  The US$78 million plant is planned to provide steel cutting and surface treatment services for the region’s thriving automotive industry. (NAFTA Works, October 2011)
• Software: Microsoft Corp. inaugurated a new Microsoft Technology Center in Mexico City this month.  The center, the first of its kind in Latin America, will be used to train software developers and test advanced products.  Microsoft is projecting investment of over US$600 million in Mexico in the coming years. (Fox News Latino, October 5, 2011)
• Food processing: Swiss confectionary Barry Callebaut revealed plans to acquire a chocolate producing plant in Toluca, Mexico, from its strategic partner Grupo Turin.   The European chocolate maker plans to invest US$30 million over the next three years to boost production at its Mexico facilities. (El Universal, September 21, 2011)
• Telecommunications: The Mexican market for smart phones is on track to grow 78% in 2011, according to market researchers IDC.  Mexico is the second largest market in Latin America for the devices, with sales of over 7 million units projected for this year. (Mexican Business Web, October 7, 2011)
• Food processing: Mexican coffee processor CAFESCA inaugurated a new US$43 million freeze-drying plant in the southern state of Chiapas this month.  Mexico is among the world’s largest coffee producers, with Chiapas the country’s leading coffee producing state. (El Financiero, October 19, 2011)
• Aerospace: Mexico’s airline industry will require over 400 new passenger jets worth more than US$30 billion during the next 20 years, according to the 2010 – 2030 Global Market Forecast by Airbus.  Mexico is the European aircraft manufacturer’s second largest market in Latin America after Brazil, Airbus reported. (Reforma, October 28, 2011)
• Retail: Mexican corporate group FEMSA announced an expansion target of opening 3,000 new locations of its Oxxo convenience store format by the end of 2014.  The company currently operates over 9,000 Oxxo stores in Mexico. (El Financiero, October 18, 2011)
• Beverage: Freixenet Mexico, subsidiary of Spanish winemaker Freixenet, expanded its bottling plant in the central state of Queretaro through investment of US$1.4 million, the company revealed.  The upgrade doubled bottling capacity from 1,000 to 2,000 bottles of wine per hour. (Reforma, October 31, 2011)
• Aerospace: France-based Eurocopter announced plans to build a new manufacturing plant in the central state of Queretaro, home to Mexico’s largest aerospace cluster.  The US$100 million facility is planned to produce helicopter and aircraft components such as tail booms, vertical stabilizers and doors. (Corporate Jet Investor, October 27, 2011)

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Reports on some recent and upcoming investment collected from the local business media:

• Retail: Mexican franchise operating group Alsea announced plans to invest approximately US$400 million over the next five years to open new stores.  The licensee  in Mexico of brands such as Domino’s, Starbucks, Burger King and Chili’s, Alsea will also add locations in Chile, Argentina and Colombia.
• Energy: Mexican industrial baking giant Grupo Bimbo announced the initiation of construction of a major wind farm in southern Mexico that is intended to supply nearly 100% of the company’s domestic electricity needs.  The majority of the US$200 million investment in the site will be supplied by Spanish renewable energy developer Renovalia, which will build and operate the facility.
• Manufacturing: U.S.-based tile and floor covering materials producer Dal-Tile Corp. will invest US$111 million in a new manufacturing plant in the central city of Salamanca, Guanajuato.  The new facility, planned for construction in 2011, will become the second plant in Mexico operated by local subsidiary Daltile de México.
• Recycling: Member companies of the Mexican plastic bag industry association (Inboplast) will invest over US$12 million in the development of 24 bag recycling plants beginning next year.  The plants are intended to take greater advantage of underutilized plastic in Mexico City’s enormous landfills.
• Energy: Dubai-based alternative energy developers Rubenius announced plans to invest up to US$4 billion to construct a large scale energy storage facility in Mexicali, Mexico near the U.S. border.  The site is planned to store 1,000 Mw of solar, wind and geothermal energy for distribution to grids in both Mexico and the United States.
• Transport: Rail freight operator Ferrocarriles Mexicanos estimates combined investment of US$470 million between the second half of 2010 through the end of 2011.  Projecting growth of 27% in cargo volume for the current year, the freight carrier indicated investment will be focused on infrastructure upgrades and acquisition of locomotives.
• Retail: Mexico’s leading upscale department store chain, Liverpool, plans to double its pace of expansion beginning in 2011.  The company projects opening approximately 10 new stores annually over the next five years, in anticipation of an improved economy.
• Automotive: Kostal Mexicana, subsidiary of German automotive electronics maker Kostal GmbH, inaugurated a new manufacturing plant this month in the central city of Acámbaro, Guanajuato.  The facility will produce control panels for dashboards, doors and steering columns.
• Aviation: Mexican air carrier Aeromexico announced plans for fleet expansion with the acquisition of 25 additional aircraft over the next three years.  The airline, which projects investment of US$1 billion for the new planes, has benefitted to some degree from the suspension of operations by rival Mexicana.
• Aerospace: General Electric, through its Mexican subsidiary General Electric Infrastructure Queretaro (GEIQ), completed construction of a new Center of Excellence in the central state of Queretaro.  The US$50 million center, set for inauguration in the coming weeks, will provide design services for GE’s aerospace turbine manufacturing operations.
• Telecommunications: The Mexican government announced an order with Boeing Co. for nearly US$ 1 billion worth of satellite communications equipment.  The contract includes three satellites as well as ground-based communications infrastructure, to be delivered over three years.
• Beverage: Ajemex, the Mexican subsidiary of Peruvian beverage bottler Ajegroup, revealed plans to invest US$17 million to build a new production plant in northern Mexico in 2011.  The South American beverage maker currently produces soft drinks at six plants in Mexico.
• Software: Mexican software developer InterLatin announced plans to invest US$ 2 million in 2011 to expand operations.  The investment program includes opening offices in Mexico City and Tijuana to support the company’s focus on Product Lifecycle Management products and services.
• Personal care: Depelle, a Mexican chain of IPL hair removal salons, will expand aggressively over the next three years with the opening of over 500 additional locations.  The company was launched in 2010 with the departure of competitor Neoskin from the Mexican market.

Reports on some recent and upcoming investment collected from the local business media:

• Real Estate:  Mexican real estate developer Marhnos announced plans to build up to five office towers in Mexico City over the next five years.  The company is projecting investment of approximately US$1.5 billion in the projects, which will be carried out in alliance with New York-based developers Turner International.
• Apparel: Sports apparel and footwear maker Grupo Charly is manufacturing in Mexico again after an absence of six years.  The  Mexican company offshored the last of its domestic production to Asia in 2004, but began to move some manufacturing back home last year to improve delivery times.  They project ramping up Mexico production to 600,000 pairs of sports shoes over the next three years.
• Automotive: Nissan Mexicana has reported plans to invest US$600 million at its plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico, to manufacture a new model car.  The auto maker plans to build 50,000 units annually of the new model, which will include 75% components from domestic suppliers.
• IT: Mexico’s top telco Telmex announced it will significantly expand its Triara Data Center over the coming two years.  The US$100 million facility provides integrated hosting services, data storage, backup and connectivity solutions to domestic and international corporate clients as well as government agencies.
• Automotive: U.S. truck maker Navistar announced its Mexican subsidiary Navistar Mexico will increase production by 50% by the end of the current year.  The company’s US$250 million facility in Escobedo, Nuevo Leon is the largest truck and bus chassis manufacturing plant in Latin America.
• Poultry: U.S. poultry giant Tyson opened a new animal oil and protein processing plant in the state of Durango.  The US$1 million dollar facility is part of a projected US$16 million in investment in the company’s Mexico agriculture and food operations this year.
• Software: Indian IT consultants Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) announced plans to open a third software development center in the state of Jalisco.  Tata, which also operates offices in Mexico City, two software development centers in Guadalajara and one in Queretaro, is a key player in Jalisco’s burgeoning software industry.
• Logistics: Work is underway on major expansions at the port of Veracruz, Mexico’s key container terminal on the Gulf of Mexico.  The expansions will include a logistics center to the north of the port, improving accessibility, and new rail connections.
• Retail: Mexico’s leading retailers will invest approximately US$1.5 billion this year in new store openings and upgrades, according to the ANTAD retailers’ association.  Department stores Liverpool and Palacio de Hierro, convenience chain Oxxo and others announced plans to return to expansion this year after mostly suspending growth during recession-plagued 2009.
• Steel: Mexico’s national steel producers association Canacero announced projected investment in the sector of up to US$10 billion over the next five years.  A boost in production is planned to meet recovering demand on the world market anticipated to begin next year.
• Tourism: Resort operator Sunset World announced plans to invest US$26 million in remodeling and expansion of existing locations in the Riviera Maya area.  The company also reportedly intends to make additional investments to construct a large “eco-luxury” hotel in the same area.
• Lighting: Indian lighting products giant Havells plans to invest US$100 million to build or purchase a manufacturing plant in Mexico.  The company already produces lighting ballasts at a plant in the border city of Matamoros, Mexico.
• Tourism: Singapore-based resort developer Banyan Tree revealed plans to build two new locations in Mexico with investment of over US$200 million.  The company’s proposed plans include development of a luxury location in the Guadalupe Valley, Mexico’s leading wine producing region.

Reports on some recent and upcoming investment collected from the local business media:

• Logistics:  Hong Kong-based Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) announced major investments planned for Mexico in 2010 despite the down economy.  Projects anticipated by the global port leader, which invested over USD32 million in the Mexican port of Lazaro Cardenas in 2009, include further expansion of infrastructure at Lazaro Cardenas, an inland port and container terminal in the central state of Hidalgo, new warehouse space at the port of Manzanillo and a commercial development at the Ensenada cruise ship terminal.
• Biofuels: Mexico’s own Integramex plans to invest approximately USD100 million to construct two plants to produce biodiesel and generate electricity from material extracted from landfills.  The plants, intended to provide fuel and electricity to the highly industrialized Toluca area outside of Mexico City, seeks to capitalize on opportunities to obtain carbon credits.
• Telecommunications: Telmex, Mexico’s largest fixed telephony service provider, announced several hundred million dollars in projected investments for 2010.  The plans include the creation of 20 new customer service centers throughout the country.
• Biofuels: Mexico-based BioFields, backed by Grupo Gondi, the country’s second largest producer of recycled cardboard, announced that in 2010 they will launch a long-term project to produce ethanol from algae.  The massive production facility, to be constructed in the north western state of Sonora, will require investment of approximately USD850 million and make use of technology developed in the United States.
• Software: Jalisco’s software industry continues to register robust growth.  The Chapala Media Park, targeted to open by the end of December 2009, will concentrate companies specialized in multimedia and animation.  A second facility, the Ciudad Guzmán Software Park, is planned to open in 2010 and focus on information technology and agribusiness.
• Tourism: Despite posting losses in 2009, two hotel groups announced they will move ahead with investments for 2010.  AMResorts will open new hotels in the beach resorts of Huatulco and Nuevo Vallarta with combined investment of over USD400 million, and Hilton Hotels intends to initiate presence in the cities of Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco via franchising or administration contracts.