Manufacturing
Gross fixed investment rises year-on-year
Reuters - Mexican gross fixed investment was essentially flat in February but the index was higher in year-ago terms for the lagging indicator of industrial sentiment. Spending on machinery, equipment and construction was up 11.7 percent.
www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/08/mexico-investment-idUSL4E8G87O020120508
Four Chrysler plants to skip summer shutdown
Detroit Free Press - Chrysler said it will keep four plants in the United States and Mexico running through July without observing the traditional two-week summer shutdown and has begun production of the Dodge Dart in Belvidere, Ill.
Rolls Royce sets up supply chain center in Sonora
Industry Week - Looking to strengthen its collaboration with key suppliers in a region widely recognized as the leading aerospace industry cluster in Mexico, Rolls Royce will open a new supply chain office in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico.
www.industryweek.com/articles/rolls-royce_sets_up_supply_chain_office_in_mexico_27225.aspx
Cemex pares 1st quarter loss to $26 million
Associated Press — Mexican cement giant Cemex says it pared its losses to $26 million in the first quarter of 2012 compared to a $229 million loss in the same time period last year. Sales increased in the first quarter to $3.5 billion.
www.washingtonpost.com/business/mexicos-cemex-pares-1q-losses-to-26-million-on-4-pct-sales-increase/2012/04/26/gIQAy121iT_story.html
VW board to vote on approving Audi plant in Mexico
Bloomberg - Volkswagen is set to approve building an Audi factory in Mexico to bolster the brand’s pursuit of Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW). Volkswagen’s supervisory board will vote tomorrow on plans for the plant.
www.businessweek.com/news/2012-04-17/volkswagen-plans-mexico-audi-factory-in-bmw-challenge
VW plant in Puebla follows best practices
Financial Times - Volkswagen’s car plant in Puebla is North America’s largest, busier than any in the US Midwest or deep south. But for anyone expecting to see a low-cost operation, this is no cheap maquiladora. The plant follows VW’s global best practices.
www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/be56735a-826c-11e1-b06d-00144feab49a.html#axzz1sIjOphD7
March auto production rises 9.4% from year ago
Bloomberg - Mexican production of cars and light trucks rose 9.4 percent to 268,625 units in March from the year-earlier period, the nation’s Automobile Industry Association reported. Exports climbed 22.7 percent to 236,599 units over the same period.
www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-12/mexico-s-march-auto-production-rose-9-4-from-year-ago.html
Audi reportedly will build new factory in Mexico
Reuters - German car maker Audi reportedly has won the backing from parent Volkswagen to build a new plant in Mexico, German magazine Der Spiegel reported, citing no sources. The new factory will build Audi's Q5 sport-utility vehicle from 2015.
www.edmontonjournal.com/technology/Audi+build+plant+Mexico+report/6430647/story.html
Factory index falls, still points to growth
Reuters - A leading index of Mexico's manufacturing sector fell in March, a report on Monday showed, but the barometer still points to growth ahead. The Mexican economy is expected to grow 3.43 percent this year.
www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/02/mexico-economy-idUSL2E8F2HA620120402
Steel Technologies secures land for steel plant
Business Wire - Steel Technologies has secured land in the municipality of Celaya to construct its recently announced flat-rolled steel processing operation. Construction begins this month, and the facility is expected to be operating by the end of the year.
www.marketwatch.com/story/steel-technologies-to-expand-operations-in-mexico-2012-04-02
