offices abroad - gob.mx2 negocios contents from the ceo 6 briefs 8 business tips mexico in the face...
TRANSCRIPT
offices abroad
North AmericaNew York Regional [email protected]
Offices in: Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal, New York, Toronto and Vancouver
Latin Americaand South America Offices in: Bogotá, Guatemala and Sao Paulo
Bogotá[email protected]
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Offices in: Beijing, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Shanghai, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei and Tokyo
Beijing [email protected]
Hong [email protected]
Shanghai [email protected]
[email protected]@promexico.gob.mx
Europe and Middle EastFrankfurt Regional [email protected]
Offices in: Brussels, Dubai, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Stockholm
Brussels [email protected]
ProMéxico Headquarters+ 52 (55) 544 77070
2 Negocios
Contents
From the CEO 6
Briefs 8
Business tips Mexico in the face of protectionisM 12
Mexico’s Partner boMbardier 14
Product Mastretta Mxt 18
Product intec 20
Product international healthy snacks 26
Product Miel Mexicana volcán popocatépetl 30
Product Mercanta 32
Mexico’s Partner ipa 34
Special Report territorio santos Modelo 38
Figures 40
café nogueras, froM one
cup to another
28
36
Discover JuárezAn Advanced
Manufacturing Hub
22
International markets demand it. It is is highly valued in the world, not only in terms of price but also for the recognition it has earned among international chefs. It is the Sinaloa shrimp, a product which is gaining followers in the world and beginning to be exported alive.
export delicacy
xii-
20
09
Chiapas is:• ThebestaccessgatetothesouthofMexicoandtoCentralAmerica,a
potentialmarketof35millionpeople.
• Aconvenientoptiontoestablishbusinessesbecauseofitslowoperation
costsandtheinfrastructureitoffers:ahighwaynetwork,fiveairports
anddevelopmentssuchasPuertoChiapas.
• OneofthestatesinMexicowiththehighestfinancialperformance
rates,accordingtoagenciessuchasFitchRatings,Moody’sInvestor
ServicesandStandard&Poor’s.
• Thethirdnationalproducerofnaturalgasandthefourthofoil.47%of
Mexico’shydroelectricpowerisgeneratedinChiapas.
• ThestateinMexicowiththelargestmicroclimatediversityandthe
eighthlargeststateintermsofterritory.
Government of the State of Chiapas
Ministry of Economywww.economiachiapas.gob.mxwww.chiapastrade.com.mx
Chiapas is investment
proMéxico is not responsible for inaccurate information or omissions that might exist in the information provided by the participant companies nor of their economic solvency. title certificate of lawfulness 14459. text certificate of lawfulness 12032. number of title reserve 04-2009-012714564800-102. postal registry pp09-0044. responsible editor: sebastián escalante. printing: cía. impresora el universal, s.a. de c.v. distribution: proMéxico camino a sta teresa 1679, México d.f., 01900. phone: +52 (55) 5447 7000. negocios is an open space where diverse opinions can be expressed. the institution might or might not agree with an author’s statements; therefore the responsibility of each text falls on the writers, not on the institution, except when it states otherwise. although this magazine verifies all the information printed on its pages, it will not accept responsibility derived from any omissions, inaccuracies or mistakes. January, 2010.
4 Negocios
Interview
isaac hernández
The Career fora Dream
54
The lifestyle Contents
42 The Lifestyle Reportcousteau observatories,eyes on the seas
44 Lifestyle Featurejosé emilio pacheco,cervantes prize 2009
50 Architecturefunctionalist afrchitecturein mexico city
52 Destinationone day getaways around main cities in mexico
61 Feedback jaguar conservacy,recovering a legend to save nature
proméxicobruno ferrariceo ricardo rojo image and communications director sebastián escalanteManaging [email protected]
Miguel ángel samayoa advertising and [email protected]
fernanda luna copy editing
taller méxico alejandro serratos publisher [email protected]
felipe Zúñiga editor in chief [email protected]
orlando santamariaMarketing [email protected]
pilar Jiménez Molgadodesign [email protected]
Jorge silva design [email protected] dalia urzua orozcodesign [email protected]
paloma ló[email protected]
vanessa serratosdesign [email protected]
piso de ediciones vanesa roblessenior Writer [email protected]
karla Juárez sandra roblaguilucila valtierraMauricio Zabalgoitiastaff Writers
translationMely nelsonJuan Manuel romero
proof readinggraeme stewart
contributorsMaría cristina rosas, cristina ávila-Zesatti, eduardo aragón, ricardo ibarra, Jesús estrada cortés, Julieta salgado, Jennifer chan, francisco vernis, alvin Monarez,oldemar.
this is an editorial project for proMéxico by taller México & piso de ediciones.
Download the PDF version of Negocios ProMéxico at: negocios.promexico.gob.mx
Destination
chiapasThe Fantastic Jungle
58
Interview
álvaro enrigue
A Literature Outsider
46
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Historically, Mexico has been one of the world’s largest produc-ers and exporters of agricultural goods. Thanks to our richness in natural resources and diverse climate conditions, Mexican agriculture has always been varied, abundant and –because of their quality– our products have constantly been held in high
regard throughout international markets.
As always, the agro industry is a key sector for Mexico´s economy. It is a large source of employment and it is responsible for the country’s food se-curity. Furthermore, Mexico is an important player within international food markets.
Mexico´s agro business sector growth rate is fostered by an interesting fu-sion of traditional and state-of-the-art technology. The preservation of tradi-tional production methods has given Mexico a competitive advantage in the growing global market of organics. Mexico is among the major organic pro-ducers in the world and its organic goods continue to gain prominence among distributors and customers around the globe.
On the other hand, the country has been involved in several scientific ad-vances in biotechnology. Mexican scientists have collaborated in relevant agro-science projects, resulting in new technologies that have increased productivity and quality of agro businesses. The country is now aiming at strengthening the application of these technologies by opening new business and investment opportunities.
Welcome to Mexico
Bruno FerrariProMéxico CEO
From the CEO.
[email protected]+ 52 (55) 5447 70 70
www.promexico.gob.mx
>> Log in to Mexico
Success is just a click away…
8 Negocios8 Negocios8 Negocios Photos courtesy of nissan / ecobiotienda.cl / archive
Gold Production ChampionMINING
Nissan to Manufacture Minicar in MexicoThe automotive company Nissan chose Mexico for the manufacture of what will be its smallest car. Production of the new model will begin at the company’s plant in Aguascalientes in 2011, with an investment of over 200 million usd.
www.nissan.com
AUTOMOTIVE
MANUFACTURING
BioBaby Expands to Argentina
With an investment of around 7 million usd, the Mexican group P.I. Mabe plans to manufacture biodegradable diapers in Argentina to supply the local market and export to other countries in South America. The company currently produces disposable diapers in Argentina under the brands Serenety, Chicolastic and Kiddies, but plans to begin producing the biodegradable diapers it already manufactures in Mexico under the brand BioBaby in its plant in Pilar.
www.gpomabe.com.mx
A report published by Stockhouse, a Canadian financial advisory assistance firm, maintains that Mexico is quickly on the way to become a gold producing power, having multiplied ex-traction of this mineral in recent years.
According to the firm, among all the gold producing countries only Mexico has experi-enced impressive growth year after year over the past decade. Since 1998, the country has almost doubled gold extraction to reach a total of 45,075 kilograms in 2008.
Mining companies throughout the world seem to be aware of this and seek to increase their share of the metal extraction in Mexico. The Canadian Goldcorp, for example, will buy the smaller Canplats Resources Corp. gold min-ing company for around 227 million usd, to ex-pand its assets base around its Peñasquito project in Mexico. The acquisition will give Goldcorp ownership of Canplats’ Camino Rojo Project.
www.stockhouse.com / www.goldcorp.com
briefs.INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS
MeXico and sinGaPore siGn aGreeMent
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Mexico and Singapore signed an Agreement on the Promo-tion and Reciprocal Protec-tion of Investments, within
the framework of the Summit held by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC). This agreement provides the en-trepreneurial community of both countries with a legal framework that imparts cer-tainty and clarity to their investments. By means of the agreement, Mexico and Singa-pore establish rules for reciprocal protection of investments, liberalize capital transfers
intended for investments and lay the founda-tions for indemnity in case of nationalization or expropriation.
The value of bilateral exchanges between Mexico and Singapore is more than 2 bil-lion usd. Singapore is the fifth importer of Mexican products in Asia and Mexico is the third importer of products from Singapore in Latin America.
Singapore’s foreign direct investment in Mexico exceeded 800 million usd in 2009, whereas Mexican investment in Singapore is estimated at around 200 million usd.
At present, 75 companies with invest-ment from Singapore are established in Mexico, mainly in the areas of electronics manufacture, logistics and infrastructure services.
www.economia.gob.mx
10 Negocios Photos archive
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Sun Harvest
PETROCHEMICAL
ELECTRONICS
The Giant Keeps GrowingThe computer company IBM will in-vest 20 million usd to increase manu-facturing capacity at its Technology Campus in Guadalajara. The resourc-es are intended to boost production of its XIV data storage device.
www.ibm.com
Durango is preparing a cluster that will house technology producing companies and solar en-ergy generation plants. Radiation in the area is high, with a potential of 6.3 kilowatts an hour per square meter and an average temperature of 17 degrees centigrade, which is ideal for the optimum efficiency of solar panels. Thus, the complex will have the potential to generate hundreds of megawatts and provide employ-ment for around 20,000 people. The Gov-
ernment of Durango has already acquired a 1,600-hectare piece of land and will soon begin development of the first stage of a technology park that will house 20 companies in approxi-mately 210 hectares.
The state recently signed a collaboration and technology transfer agreement with the Fraunhofer Solar Energy Institute of Germany, which has one of the largest stores of patents. The new park seeks to become the second development area for renewable energy in the country, after Silicon Border in Mexicali, Baja California.
www.durango.gob.mx
Brazilian InvestmentBrazilian Braskem and Mexican Grupo Idesa won an auction promoted by state-owned Pemex Gas for the acquisition of raw materials with the objective of devel-oping a large integrated petrochemical project in Mexico. The agreement involves
the supply of natural gas for 20 years in com-petitive conditions to be used as raw material in a cracker with a 1 million tons of ethylene per year capacity.
The beginning of operations for the project is intended for 2015 and it will be located in the Coatzacoalcos Petrochemical Complex, in Veracruz. It will be installed and operated by a joint venture to be formed by Braskem and Grupo Idesa. Investments in this new complex are initially projected to be 2.5 billion usd.
www.braskem.com.br / www.grupoidesa.com
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briefs.FOODS
nestlÉ bets on MeXico
nestlé plant in Querétaro
AUTOMOTIVE
TOURISM
Accor to Open New Hotel The French firm Accor will open an Ibis hotel in Cancún in the second half of 2010. The 190-room hotel is located in the heart of the city. Between 4 million and 6 million usd will be invested in this new development.
www.accor.com
Ford’s New PlantIn November 2009, Ford officially inaugu-rated a new V8 diesel engine facility at its Chihuahua Engine Plant (CEP), where the US company plans to invest 838 million usd, creating 1,100 direct jobs and 3,000 indirect ones. This investment is part of 3 billion usd the company will invest in Mexico over the next three years.
The new facility, with three machining lines and two assembly lines, will produce some 200,000 Scorpion 6.7-litre V8 diesel engines and 4.4-litre V8 diesels for use in light-duty
trucks. This number increases the plant’s potential to 428,000 engines a year.
Of the 200,000 units output, some 170,000 units will take the form of Scorpi-on engines that will appear in Ford F-Series trucks in 2010. All of this output will be exported, the majority to the US, with the remainder going to the UK.
Engines destined for the UK will go to Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), predominantly for use in 4x4 vehicles. JLR’s take could be in the region of 20,000 to 40,000 a year.
Ford has been in Mexico since 1925 and employs 4,500 people. In addition to the engine plant in Chihuahua, Ford has a plant in Hermosillo, Sonora, dedicated to stamp-ing and assembly.
www.ford.com.mx
In 2010 the multinational Nestlé will in-vest 175 million usd in different projects in Mexico, among them construction of the world’s largest coffee plant.
During the first quarter of 2010, Nestlé will begin operations at a plant in Chiapas, in which 15 million usd will be invested. The company plans to transfer part of its powdered cream produc-tion in the US to Chiapas to meet the demand for this product in the Mexican market.
www.nestle.com
12 Negocios12 Negocios
Mexico in the Face of Protectionismby MarÍa cristina rosas *
illustration oldeMar
It seems a cliché to assume that when there is an economic crisis, countries opt for pro-tectionism. The reason? Restricting the entry of goods and services from abroad presumably helps to stimulate domestic consumption and protect employment. Nev-ertheless, in an international setting such as the current one, it is not so simple to opt for protectionism when a global recession takes place. Many inputs for production are ob-tained from different localities and they are manufactured in the place that offers the best conditions regarding productivity and competitiveness. The planet is home to a
genuine global factory. Thus, numerous coun-tries are involved in economic processes. Eco-nomic crises are an opportunity to reformu-late countries’ economic, trade and industrial policies, in order to adapt them to new needs and realities.
In the 1980s, Mexico modified its economic policy and adopted new measures in relation to foreign investment and foreign trade, which led to a reduction in dependence on hydro-carbon exports, giving greater space to the
manufacturing sector. Mexico opened up and integrated into the global economy.
As part of the international economic dy-namics, many of the decisions that Mexico makes today in economic matters are closely linked to what the world’s major economies do or cease to do. For example: for a long time it has been insisted that developing countries should add value to the products they manu-facture, since that will give them better oppor-tunities in the international economy. Mexico and a large part of the Latin American nations have done so. However, every time goods with greater value added are produced, many de-
Mexico is at the forefront of “neW generation” trade agreeMents: Wide-ranging agreeMents that include headings such as trade in services, investMents and intellectual property. the country’s bet for free trade aMong nations versus protectionisM, offers a Wide array of options and opportunities for investMent and business in a particularly adverse international context.
business tips
veloped nations apply progressive tariffs be-cause, although it sounds redundant, the prod-ucts they acquire now have value added. In ad-dition to exporting world-class coffee, Mexico also exports coffee makers. However, since the coffee makers are a more elaborate product, they are quoted on international markets in terms of their added features. In this situation there is the risk of discouraging innovation and reducing the trade diversification of the emerging economies, which, as has been seen, are important engines of the global economy.
In spite of this, Mexico maintains an open economy, due largely to the fact that it has eco-nomic and trade agreements with 44 countries on three continents, by means of which Mexico provides its counterparts with privileged ac-cess to its domestic market and at the same time assures similar conditions for itself in its partners’ markets.
With the existence of this large amount of agreements –at world level, Mexico is one of the nations that has the greatest quantity of “new generation” trade agreements, that is, wide-ranging agreements that include head-ings such as trade in services, investments and intellectual property, among others– the country has become dependable for business and investment, since it has strict standards of openness and certainty, as well as effective dispute-settlement mechanisms.
In addition to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the US and Canada, Mexico has a complex trade and po-litical agreement with the European Union. Likewise, it has a trade agreement with Japan, another with Israel, and also with many Latin American countries. Furthermore, it partici-pates in the Asia-Pacific Economic Coopera-tion Forum (APEC), which, in accordance with the Bogor goals established in 1994 at the Sum-mit of Leaders held in Indonesia, seeks the liberalization of trade and investment in the member economies.
Such a wide network of trade agreements –without excluding the possibility of new ini-tiatives being signed with other countries– en-dows Mexico with enormous experience in the field of trade negotiations. Having succeed-ed in signing agreements with powers such as the US, the European Union and Japan, Mex-ico assures its access to the main international markets while boosting investment flows and cooperation programs in its favor. Moreover, the Mexican experience has served to support
and advise other countries when negotiating trade agreements.
A network such as Mexico’s is expensive, due to the administrative costs implied by simultaneously operating trade agreements with so many countries. At present, the Mexi-can authorities are working on the standard-ization of some agreements, precisely to reduce operating costs and the so-called “spaghetti bowl” that can be created when so many rules and commitments with such diverse partners exist simultaneously.
For example, Mexico has three free trade agreements with Central America: one with Costa Rica –which dates from 1995 and was negotiated immediately after NAFTA–, anoth-er with Nicaragua –in force since July 1, 1998– and another with El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras (Northern Triangle) –effective as of June 1, 2001.
In the understanding that administrating the three agreements separately is onerous for both Mexico and its partners, on March 27, 2009 the Mexican authorities and their coun-terparts in Central America agreed to initiate a process of standardization of the three agree-ments, in such a way that they converge into a single legal instrument that will make it pos-sible to reduce transaction costs and contrib-ute to greater integration. This process should conclude in 2010, to make its entry into force possible in 2012.
Mexico’s decision to take another step forward in favor of integration with Central America, tells of the importance of free trade agreements as an antidote against pro-tectionism. In contrast to other nations that have not yet concluded “new generation” trade agreements, Mexico gives the world’s investors and entrepreneurs the certainty that they can enter the domestic market in different spheres in preferential conditions, including some that it has not yet been pos-sible to negotiate at multilateral level due to the stagnation of the Doha Round of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Although the WTO has 153 member countries, many of them even lack norms at internal level in aspects such as trade in services, public-sector procurement, intel-lectual property measures and investments related to trade, without ignoring topics that go beyond commercial factors, such as coop-eration in labor and environment matters and also with regard to democracy and hu-man rights.
When the Uruguay Round concluded in 1995, many emerging economies complied with the decisions taken, such as those on in-tellectual property. However, many of these countries lacked –and some still lack– na-tional legislation on the topics agreed upon.
By contrast, Mexico is in the vanguard by having norms at internal level for those topics and furthermore by accepting –as it did when it negotiated with the European Union– the democratic clause, it provides certainty to the international community, guaranteeing the institutional framework and the observance of norms that are respectful of individual freedoms and the political rights of citizens, in light of economic activities. In fact, Mexico is at the forefront in this field.
In summary: the best antidote against the crisis is the promotion of trade among na-tions. The stagnation of the Doha Round of WTO, although bad news, should not be an obstacle to countries achieving better access to their partners’ markets. Through its wide-ranging networks of free trade agreements, Mexico offers options to the world’s inves-tors and entrepreneurs in a particularly ad-verse international context. n
*Professor and researcher in the Political and Social
Sciences Faculty, National Autonomous University of
Mexico (UNAM).
Mexico maintains an open economy, due largely to the fact that it has economic and trade agreements with 44 countries on three continents, by means of which Mexico provides its counterparts with privileged access to its domestic market and at the same time assures similar conditions for itself in its partners’ markets.
14 Negocios Photos courtesy of boMbardier
01
mexico’s partner boMbardier
by cristina ávila-Zesatti
A Company That Looks To The Skies, With Its Feet On The Ground
Bombardier came to Mexico in the 80s to participate in the modernization of Mexican collective transportation. In three decades of presence in the country, the Canadian firm has taken off hand-in-hand with the North American Free Trade Agreement and has installed a plant for its Transportation division in Mexico and another for its Aerospace division. Bombardier and Mexico have a relationship which today has come of age with the company’s most recent announcement: Mexican hands will manufacture the fuselage, wings and electrical harnesses of the new Learjet 85.
At the Bombardier Aerospace plant in Queréta-ro, 100% Mexican labor will produce the com-ponents for the company’s most recent model of business airplanes, the Learjet 85. This will be the firm’s first airplane to use the so-called “composite structure,” cutting-edge technology that will make it lighter than its predecessors, al-lowing greater speed and fuel savings.
It is one of the most far-reaching aerospace plans for the company, which today is in third place worldwide in the civil aircraft construc-tion industry, and Mexico has been chosen for the construction of the wings and fuselage based on carbon composite for this project.
The reasons? The quality of Mexican labor, which complied with all the requirements estab-lished by the company for developing the project.
Clear skies It was almost three decades ago that the Canadi-an company Bombardier set its sights on Mexico. In 1982, the company closed its first business deal in the country. At that time there was no sign of international agreements or trade exchanges as sophisticated as those of today. Those were other times but no one can say that the firm did not have since then a “hawk’s-eye view” to begin a relationship that has now been crowned with production of the structural components of one of its most advanced aircraft.
The firm landed in Mexico for the first time with a very earthly project: participating in the consolidation of Mexico City’s collective trans-
portation system –the Metro– which in the 80s was at the peak of its modernization.
At that time, through its Transportation di-vision, Bombardier supplied the Mexican gov-ernment with 180 coaches for the Mexico City Metro, some of which are still in circulation.
Exactly 10 years after this first experi-ence, Bombardier ventured into what would be its operations base in the country. In 1992, it bought the Railroad Coach Construction Company (Concarril) from the government and set itself up in the industrial park of Ciu-dad Sahagún, in the state of Hidalgo, where it has been a leader in the mechanical construc-tion of urban vehicles such as subways, street-cars and streetcars on tires, suburban trains, one and two-storey vehicles, mixed-use units (train-streetcars) intercity and high-speed trains, coaches and locomotives.
An operation that has gone full speed ahead and from where not only railroad vehicles for the domestic market have been manufactured but also for export to the US and Canada, taking advantage of the benefits of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
“We are one of the leading companies in the world of transportation and in Mexico we are at the head of the industry. We manage two-thirds of Mexico City’s Metro stock, 70% of Monterrey’s (Nuevo Leon) trains and 100% in Guadalajara (Jalisco),” affirms Alejandro Gutiérrez Marcos, Bombardier’s public rela-tions manager.
01 toronto subway 02 mexico city metro
03 toronto subway
02
03
16 Negocios Photos courtesy of boMbardier
The spoiled partnerCurrently, Bombardier is present in over 60 countries, including its Aerospace and Trans-portation divisions.
Founded in 1942 by Joseph-Armand Bom-bardier (1907-1964), the company with its head-quarters in the Canadian province of Quebec has found in Mexico an ideal business atmo-sphere to deal not only with the domestic mar-ket but also, and above all, the export market.
“At the moment we can say that almost 100% of what is manufactured in Mexican plants is exported to the US and Canada. This is very gratifying but it is also a challenge, for we are seeking new ways of positioning our-selves in the domestic market,” says Alejandro Gutiérrez.
Mexico’s geographical and cultural proxim-ity to the US market, together with the benefits of NAFTA, have furthered Bombardier’s inter-national positioning from its plants located in the country.
From Hidalgo, Mexican labor has shaped pieces and trains that now circulate in the US, Canada and Asia. In fact, the trains that will be used in the coming Winter Olympics in Vancouver, capital of British Columbia, were manufactured precisely in that Mexican plant.
Bombardier Aerospace plant in Querétaro, which has been in operation since 2005 with approximately 1,000 employees, is more par-ticular. The plant manufactures structural com-ponents and electrical harnesses intended for the company’s models, that is, it only supplies Bombardier Aerospace’s needs in the world.
“Mexico occupies an extremely important place in Bombardier’s global strategy. From 2005 to date the company has announced in-vestments worth 450 million usd (200 in 2005 and 250 more in May 2008), not only for the construction and equipping of the plant, but also, and above all, for the training of qualified personnel,” says Gutiérrez Marcos.
Flying high and safelyAt world level, Bombardier is the third leading company in the civil aerospace industry, pre-ceded only by Boeing and Airbus. However, it is the only aircraft design and manufacturing company with direct presence in Mexico for the manufacture of components.
At present, this industry is developing only among the big league players, for it is the major world powers that are at the head of aerospace investments: the US, France, Russia, Germany, Canada, Italy, Sweden, Israel, China and Ja-
From Hidalgo, Mexican labor has shaped pieces and
trains that now circulate in the US, Canada and Asia. In
fact, the trains that will be used in the coming Winter
Olympics in Vancouver, capital of British Columbia,
were manufactured precisely in that Mexican
plant.
Bombardier Milestones in Mexico1982Bombardier does its first business in Mexico by participating in the expansion of the Mexico City Metro.
1992.BombardierTransportation buys Concarril and sets itself up in Ciudad Sahagún Industrial Park, in Hidalgo, where it begins the manufacture of parts and trains for collective transportation.
2001-2006At the Ciudad Sahagún plant in Hidalgo, Bombardier manufac-tures some 1,500 coaches for collective transporta-tion of different types with Mexican labor.The production has been exported to:MinneapolisNew JerseyChicagoVancouverTorontoKuala Lumpur
2005Bombardier Aerospace announces an initial investment of 200 million USD. The company earmarks these resources for the manufacture of components and aero-parts to meet its needs at world level.
2007The Mexican government announces that the country will have the capacity to build airplanes within no more than 5 years.
2008BombardierTransportationparticipates in the bidding for Line 12 of the Mexico City Metro, a 500 million USD project, whereas Bombardier Aerospace announces an investment expansion of 250 million USD for production in Mexico of major components (fuselage and wings) as well as the electrical harnesses for its completely new Learjet 85.
2009: Bombardier controls...
For the company, Latin America represents between 3 and 5% of its total earnings.
Of the earnings generated in the region, 95% come from Mexico.
65%of the Mexico
City Metro fleet
70%of that of Monterrey,
Nuevo León
100%of that of
Guadalajara, Jalisco
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mexico’s partner boMbardier
pan. Mexico and Brazil stand out as the only emerging economies that have joined the play-ing board.
In mid-2009, the Mexican government an-nounced an unprecedented impetus to this sector, with the participation of 10 states of the Republic, which reached investment agree-ments for over 350 million usd with various international companies, among them Bom-bardier. Should the flight plan come to fruition, these agreements could generate some 28,000 jobs in the first half of 2010.
In view of the global financial crisis, the Ca-nadian firm has made certain adjustments to its product delivery rates. However, this has not represented risks of any great concern.
Over the medium term, the company hopes to participate in the expansion of the high-speed train network planned by the new government of the US, while in Mexico it hopes to become associated with the modernization and extension of the Mexico City Metro, spe-cifically in Line 12, the so-called “Golden Line,” which will join Mexico City to the Estado de México, and which will have an average influx of more than 360,000 passengers a day.
“After all these years of presence in the country, we are convinced that Mexico is an
appropriate place for many of Bombardier’s operations. From here we want to take up a position as leaders in the export industry, first for the US market but with a view to other ho-rizons,” states Gutiérrez Marcos. n
The firm landed in Mexico for the first time with a very earthly project: participating in the consolidation of Mexico City’s collective transportation system –the Metro–, which in the 80s was at the peak of its modernization.
18 Negocios Photos courtesy of tecnoidea
Mexican Adrenalin for the World
The Mastretta MXT is a niche sports car developed and manufactured in Mexico, which represents an
accomplishment for Tecnoidea, an enterprise managed by the brothers Daniel and Carlos Mastretta.
by eduardo aragÓn
01 the mastretta mxt02 daniel mastretta
product Mastretta
In 2008, its appearance and power caught the eye of European media and car enthusiasts that love excitement…. and exclusiveness.
Compact, attractive and with very good cre-dentials, the Mastretta MXT received excellent reviews during its debut appearance at the 2008 British International Motor Show.
“The fact that it is Mexican did not have a positive or negative effect; the visitors were attracted by its design, quality and compli-ance with the highest reliability standards,” explained Carlos Mastretta, who together with his brother Daniel is behind this dream-come-true niche sports car.
A dream that is not based on chance, but on the hard work and expertise that the Mastretta brothers have invested in Tecnoidea, the design firm that they established in 1987, when they decided to focus their knowledge toward the design and development of truck bodies. Daniel, an industrial designer with broad experience as body designer for enterprises such as Capre and Design Center, is the technical director in charge of all aspects related to product devel-opment, while Carlos, specialized in marketing and sales, is in charge of management.
Before the Mastretta MXT project was con-ceived four years ago, the company’s core activity had been bus and special vehicle bodywork, nev-ertheless the company had dabbled in designing replicas of the Porsche Speedster by order, and in 1996 the first Mastretta vehicle was produced and mounted on a Volkswagen chassis.
With over 20 years of experience and technological expertise, the brothers grasped the opportunity to enter the niche sports car market with their own model, although they decided to use an engine train produced by a large volume manufacturer, equipped with a turbocharger for additional thrust.
The biggest challenge has been to develop the technology needed to produce a vehicle that meets the demands of a high performance
Compact, attractive and with very good credentials, the Mastretta MXT received excellent reviews during its debut appearance at the 2008 British International Motor Show.
automobile that generates investment returns in small volume productions at the same time.
That is why the Mastretta MXT is manufac-tured like niche cars of its type, using materials such as extruded and laminated aluminum for the frame, carbon fiber plastic composites and fiberglass, which combine low weight with the highest quality, using easily accessible molds and manufacturing techniques. Furthermore, the brothers work with Mexican suppliers. Alu-minum is purchased from Cuprum –the die for the frame’s extruded profile was designed by Tecnoidea– and over 600 parts are laser cut for higher precision at another Mexican facility.
The automobile will be manufactured at a Mexican plant that will begin operations by the end of 2010, with approximately 45 workers that will produce 100 units during the course of the first year. The goal is to assemble 400 Mastretta MXT per year, during a tour-year period. Sales will be made through direct distributors or by specific orders placed by customers around the globe. The firm already has a distributor in the United Kingdom and is promoting the product online in order to reach a broader audience. The response has been so positive, that the first 30 units have already been sold.
01
With the Mastretta MXT dream that has materialized, Tecnoidea will maintain the truck design department due to the fact that designing five or six bodies every year will con-tinue to represent an important line of busi-ness for the company.
For the time being, the Mastretta broth-ers have directed their efforts toward making the Mastretta MXT go beyond being just a dream, and becoming a profitable business. With clear objectives, dedication and devotion invested in this initial and risky stage, the road for the Mastretta MXT and its creators looks clearer than ever. n
by eduardo aragÓn
02
20 Negocios Photos courtesy of intec
No one doubts the risk our environment is facing. Intec, a Mexican company with 45 years in the electrical market, launched its eco-technology division in 2009, supply-ing cities with LED street lamps for public lighting with the intention of contributing to shaping cities with a cleaner, independent and self-sufficient environment.
Intec offers pioneer products and servic-es to the residential, commercial, industrial and institutional electrical markets, with quality standards certified with ISO-9001. It is recognized for its line of interphones, vid-eo-porters and residential security that can be seen in most Mexican houses, for it was born into this line of business in the domes-tic market and later became incorporated into foreign markets.
Now it is beginning to obtain recognition for its line of LED street lamps for public
Light for a New Scenario
Faced with the world climate change and the transformation of the natural environment, in 2009, Intec, a Mexican company, launched new LED street lamps for public lighting. The challenge is to save resources and energy as soon as possible.
by ricardo ibarra
lighting, which uses energy more efficiently with the support of photovoltaic cells for the generation of clean power.
As the general director of the company, Bernardo Márquez, explains: “They can be connected directly to the power network or can be made fully independent with a photo-voltaic panel that generates energy during the day, which is stored in a battery to be used dur-ing the night. Thus the street lamp generates its own energy and becomes independent and self-sufficient […] these street lamps are at the vanguard in efficient energy use.”
That is because Intec’s new street lamps make it possible to reduce energy consump-tion by up to 75%. The energy that ceases to be consumed avoids the greenhouse gas emis-sions associated with conventional electricity generation.
Bernardo Márquez comments that the
LEDs are semiconductor (diodes) electrical components that are capable of emitting light when a small current goes through them. The acronym “LED” stands for “Light Emitting Diode.” In contrast to traditional light emitters, LEDs have polarity and therefore work only when directly polarized. This results in much more efficient light generation, since the energy conversion has far less loss in the form of heat, as happens with traditional bulbs with resistors.
01
WHAT ARE LEDs?
product intec
company is currently investing a significant amount of human, material and economic resources in the development of environ-mentally friendly systems.
Intec is at the forefront of the national market. Their organizational and logistic structures enable it to develop practically any LED public lighting system, at a competi-tive price and with world-class service.
Since it launched its eco-technological line in 2009, the company has participated in prominent international activities, such as the Global Renewable Energies Forum in León, Guanajuato, the OLADE Energy Integration Forum in Havana, Cuba, and Solar Power In-ternational, held in Anaheim, California.
The company exports to more than 20 countries in Central and South America and the Caribbean and recently began operations in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. n
Well-Lighted Future
Bernardo Márquez, general director of Intec, commented with Negocios about the future of energy consumption and the company’s plans in this area.
– What do you think is the future of energy consumption and how does Intec participate in the development of this technology?Energy consumption must become more efficient and power generation must be done without pollution, cleanly, through renewable energy sources such as the sun, wind, water (hydroelectric plants), the heat of the subsoil (geothermal plants) and organic material or biomass.
led street lamps for public lightingApplications
• Paths• Highways• Roads• Car parks• Green areas• Tunnels
Benefits• Independent system• Cable-free• Automatic operation• Flexibility and speed of
installation• High color quality and does not
contaminate visually
Intec participates actively in efficient energy use by installing LED street lamps for public lighting and in power generation with photovoltaic panels, whether for street lamps or for any other use.
– To what extent does Mexico incorporate eco-technology into public lighting? Intec incorporates eco-technology 100% into all public lighting systems with LEDs, designing and installing efficient and environmentally friendly systems.
-What is the challenge?Intec’s challenge is to reduce to the utmost the energy consumption of existing public lighting and to ensure that all new street lamps are installed with photovoltaic panels so that they are independent and do not increase power demand.
–Much has to be done to improve the environment, what are Intec’s objectives in this area?In the short term, ecological awareness must be raised in governments and society so that more is invested in energy-saving technology and in the generation of clean energy.
In the medium term the goal is to maintain us as market leaders and continue promoting eco-technology as the ideal answer in the face of the environmental crisis challenge.
• High reliability• Compact, modern and attractive• The investment is reduced 100%
after one year• Only maintenance: change of
batteries every 7 to 10 years
What does Intec offer to its clients?• More than 2 million systems
installed• Presence on the world scene• Quality certificate ISO-9001• Guarantee against manufacturing
and installation defects• Support 365 days a year• 70,000 trained technicians• 1,200 sales outlets
www.intec.com.mx
22 Negocios22 Negocios Photo courtesy oF ministry oF economic DeveloPment oF sinaloa
Export Delicacy
International markets demand it. It is highly valued in the world, not only in terms of price but also for the recognition it has earned among international chefs. It is the Sinaloa shrimp, a product which is gaining followers in the world and beginning to be exported alive.
With or without a head. Of the blue, crystal or brown varieties. Large or small. Mexico’s geographical shape, with vast coasts on both the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, allows it to offer a wide va-riety of shrimp species, some recognized as the “world’s best” by internationally acknowl-edged chefs. This fame is already reflected in the growth rates registered in exports of this delicious crustacean, whether wild or culti-vated in Mexican aquaculture farms.
Between 2000 and 2008, exports of Mexi-can shrimp increased by more than 9%, ris-ing from slightly over 33 million kilograms to more than 36 million kilograms, according to ProMéxico data.
Various factors explain this growth. Among them are an increase in demand in foreign mar-kets, mainly in the US, the European Union and Japan, the promotion efforts of governments and producers to strongly position the product in those countries, the acceptance gained by the fla-vor and quality of the national crustacean among chefs and consumers and the tasks of certifica-tion and modernization undertaken by compa-nies, fishing fleets and aquaculture farms.
All these elements combine within a single state, Sinaloa, in the north west of the country, where 70% of Mexican wild shrimp is caught. The state’s production is over 48,000 tons a year, according to ProMéxico data, and it has the largest shrimp-fishing fleet in the Pacific, with more than 638 deep-sea vessels.
But Sinaloa also distinguishes itself by be-ing the home of vigorous aquaculture shrimp production through 426 farms with 35,540 hectares of cultivation area, where on average between 33,000 and 37,000 tons a year are produced, explains Jesán Sánchez Angulo, of the Exportable Supply Promotion office of the
by JesÚs estrada cortés
Government of Sinaloa. In all, between 40,000 and 50,000 people participate in shrimp pro-duction, both in farms and in the wild.
In the case of wild shrimp, Sánchez Angulo explains that on the coast of Sinaloa, both in the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortés, mainly four species are caught: the blue shrimp (Litopenaeus Stylirostris), the white (Litopenaeus Vannamey), the brown (Litopenaeus Californianis) and the crystal. “The percentage varies depending on the area but it could be said that 60% corresponds to the blue shrimp, 25% to the brown, 10% to the white and about 5% to the crystal.” The catch season is between September and March.
Meanwhile, the farm shrimp is sown in March and is harvested between May and No-vember. Here only the white shrimp is cultivat-ed, since it is “the species that is best adapted and has the greatest resistance to cultivation in ponds. Other species are very vulnerable to climate changes and any variation in weather,” explains Sánchez Angulo.
Daniela Peraza Zazueta, coordinator of Strategic Projects at the Ministry of Economic Development of Sinaloa, explains that the state has two “star” products: shrimp and tomatoes. “These are the ones that generate a large part of the state’s wealth, in both domestic and in-ternational sales,” she states. She explains that the shrimp industry generates around 100 mil-lion usd a year for the state and that the largest part of the production volume comes from the farms. Almost 90% of shrimp exports are sent to the US and the rest to Europe, Japan and Canada.
Peraza Zazueta says that one of the main advantages this industry has in Sinaloa is that “eleven rivers flow into the sea in a 100% ag-ricultural area, so the water has many nutri-ents. In the Sea of Cortés, which is considered
the world’s sanctuary, you find species of shrimp of great size, texture, flavor and qual-ity. In fact, Mexican shrimp is catalogued as the world’s best by the ‘price bible’ or those who determine quality,” says Peraza in reference to Urner Barry Publications which registers the prices of products on the market and which has catalogued Mexican shrimp as those with the highest comparative price.
“In the case of Sinaloa, in wild shrimp we have a product with great acceptance on the part of the consumer. Chefs recognize the qual-ity of shrimp produced in Sinaloa or in the Pacific since it has better presentation in texture, color, appearance and also yield,” adds Peraza. With regard to farm shrimp, she states that it shows special characteristics in color, flavor and texture, which give it “better acceptance than that pro-duced in Asian and Central American countries.”
report sinaloa’s shriMp industry
MExICO’S GEOGRAPHICAL ADVANTAGESMexico has a continental shelf of 357,795 square kilometers, an exclusive economic zone of 3,149,920 square kilometers; with 1,500,000 hectares of protected waters (estuaries, bays, inland water lagoons); the confluence of cold and tropical currents and crosscurrents; a predominantly tropical and subtropical climate, with extensive areas of mangrove, fresh water flows and natural conditions for the growth of shrimp.
01 02 03ON THE PACIFICThe infrastructure for shrimp resource development in the Pacific (plants, vessels, transportation, landing areas) is geared to supply the market of the Western and Central Western part of the US. There are two different types of development linked to the habitat and availability of the resource: catches in protected waters and in the open sea. Here, the annual catch volumes average 57,300 tons over the past seven years.
THE GULF OF MExICOShrimp in this region supplies the markets of the East coast and South of the US, whose demand is more diversified (individual frozen shrimp, headless, shelled, deveined, cooked). It is processed mainly as individual frozen (IQF) and boxed or bagged. In this region the average catch is 22,800 tons per year.
24 Negocios24 Negocios
An Innovative IndustryHumberto Becerra knows the virtues of shrimp from Sinaloa. Being the son of a fisher-man, president of the Sinaloa delegation of the National Chamber of the Fisheries Industry and director of the company Promarex, a firm specializing in the production of tuna, sword-fish, squid and shrimp –a product that gener-ates around 500 tons a year– he knows what he is talking about.
Promarex has a fleet of about fifteen vessels, with a capacity of 60 to 90 tons each, and almost 140 employees. In the last 14 years it has become an actor of influence in the shrimp market, ex-porting to the US, Netherlands, Italy and Spain. Its products entered the European market ten years ago, when the company obtained the nec-essary certifications to export to Europe.
Becerra says that for 30 years the producers of Sinaloa have sought to penetrate the Euro-pean market with wild shrimp but always came up against significant regulations and require-
Furthermore, he points out that shrimp companies and cooperatives are making strenuous efforts to achieve a balance with the costs needed to maintain a certified plant and to implement infrastructure, training and con-trols through the laboratory analyses required. Among the certifications they are trying to ob-tain are those of socially and environmentally responsible companies, a requirement for en-tering markets such as that of the UK.
Another case of success in the shrimp busi-ness is represented by Promarmex, a company formed two years ago and made up of 103 members, the owners of more than 300 boats, with a catch potential of around 15 million pounds a year, 70% of which is exported. The firm’s production capacity represents almost 70% of total production of the Mexican Pacific coast fleet, explains Juan Gavica, the compa-ny’s Brand Development Director.
Promarmex catches deep-sea wild shrimp of the white, blue and brown species, classified into ten different sizes, “and when it is pro-cessed it is differentiated into three qualities, of which the best two are commercialized in the export market,” indicates Gavica.
He adds that 90% of Promarmex’s export production of frozen fresh shrimp is acquired by the US’ four most important frozen seafood
Sinaloa also distinguishes itself by being the home of vigorous aquaculture shrimp production through 426 farms with
35,540 hectares of cultivation area, where on average between 33,000 and 37,000 tons a year are produced.
ments. Therefore, the sector has made every effort to increase the training of personnel in the vessels and, also, the National Agricultural Health and Food Security Service “has under-taken the task of implementing some work-shops and supporting high standards of hygiene and manufacturing practices on board the ves-sels,” he states.
Photo courtesy oF ministry oF economic DeveloPment oF sinaloa
report sinaloa’s shriMp industry
importers: Ocean Garden, Meridian, Empress and Pacific Sea Food.
In May 2008, Promarmex began to develop its own brand, Shrimparadise, devoted to the export market, which was launched at the Bos-ton Sea Food Show that year. In the first twelve months after its introduction to the market, the brand achieved a penetration of almost 500,000 pounds with a value of 3.2 million usd. Today, it represents 10% of the firm’s total exports.
The company’s future prospects are prom-ising, as sales at the beginning of the October-December 2009 season increased by 28.5% on average in comparison with the same period in 2008. Moreover, in cities such as Las Ve-gas, Honolulu or Los Angeles, considered key points in shrimp sales, Promarmex achieved the faithfulness of the leading food services, allowing Shrimparadise a significant market share and growing recognition as a premium brand, due to the quality and personalized ser-vice offered by the company.
Among the strategies that the company is thinking of implementing in the second stage of development of the brand is entry into the European and Asian markets and the offer of new product presentations for the retail chan-nel in the US and Canada.
Gavica agrees that Mexican shrimp is the best valued in export markets and is also the one with the highest price in its category, which includes similar competing species in Central and South America, Asia and the US.
Exports of Live ShrimpThe Secretariat of Economic Development of Sinaloa, with the support of ProMéxico, launched a marketing campaign entitled “Sinaloa Mexican Wild Shrimp: The Finest”, within the framework of the International Boston Seafood Show, in March 2009. It was aimed at promoting, positioning and con-solidating this brand of Sinaloa wild shrimp among the sector’s opinion leaders, highlight-ing the advantages of quality, flavor, texture and size of these crustaceans.
At the event, four quality prestige brands from Sinaloa were promoted: Deep Sea, Mazatlán Prince, Maros Seafood and Mexican Shrimparadise, all under the distinctive holo-gram or virtual designation of “Sinaloa Mexi-can Wild Shrimp: The Finest”, as a symbol of quality and good practices.
The immediate result of the event was the opening of windows to consolidate new busi-nesses, with the sale of 26 tons of frozen shrimp to China, with a value of 500,000 usd, and of 70
tons of frozen shrimp to the US for 2 million usd. Likewise, estimated immediate sales for 1 million usd were obtained, short-term sales for 1.5 million usd and medium-term sales for 3 million usd.
Together with the positioning of its own brand, Sinaloa is also in the vanguard with an-other equally ambitious project, exports of live shrimp. Daniela Peraza Zazueta explains that this project also arose within the framework of the Boston Fair, where the Sinaloa brand The Finest was presented to one of the world’s best-known chefs, Morimoto, popular for the Iron Chef TV series. He considered the prod-uct “the best shrimp in the world,” and said that “the day you put them live in my restau-rant, I’ll give you the best price.”
The Government of Sinaloa, with the sup-port of companies and ProMéxico, then under-took the project and in the last quarter of 2009 sent the first air shipment of one ton of live shrimp in polystyrene coolers with four layers of shrimp.
Peraza Zazueta explains that this way the shrimp reaches the chef of any restaurant alive, something much in demand by haute cuisine and by the Asian communities based in the US, as they consume only live products.
In addition, the technological vanguard opens the possibility of introducing other prod-ucts into that market and new business oppor-tunities with a sales potential of one ton a week. These are the seas in which Sinaloa’s fisheries industry is sailing. n
26 Negocios Photo courtesy of international healthy snacKs
The idea of a snack with a tempting taste that is not only harmless to health but also nutritious sounds like a dream. However, this dream could be about to become true on people’s palates if International Healthy Snacks (IHS) has its way.
The company created by industrial engi-neer Simón Sacal has patented a technology that makes it possible to manufacture a snack-type food that is low in fat yet with a good flavor.
The origin of the discovery, like that of many of humanity’s great inventions, was largely due to chance and luck. It was the year 2001.
“The idea was not to develop anything from the technological point of view but to use an ex-isting technology to create a product low in fat and low in calories with a good flavor,” recalls Sacal. “We did tests with various laboratories within and outside Mexico until we realized that with ordinary, run-of-the-mill technologies we always arrived at the moment to choose: either you benefited flavor, which meant adding sugar and fat, or you benefited the nutritional content and you sacrificed flavor.”
On the basis of trial and error, observa-tion and good luck, Sacal finally came up with a completely different method, which makes it possible to produce a food with spe-cifically designed nutritional content, fat free and which retained the attractive flavor of a snack or a cereal.
He had hit upon something big, so with investment from his father, Sacal created IHS and in 2004 he applied for the patent on pro-
Great-tasting TechnologyInternational Healthy Snacks has patented an invention that makes it possible to reconcile taste with health where snacks are concerned.
by Jennifer chan
cesses, machinery and formulas at national level first and then at international level.
The TechnologyThe technology patented by IHS involves a process in which chemicals are not used and which incorporates certain techniques so far alien to the food industry. From the adaptation of the machinery to the process, to the formula
itself, a patent protects IHS’s technology.“The process itself opens the possibility of
playing with new ingredients, such as specific vitamins, which would be complicated to use with other processes,” adds Sacal.
And that is not all, the technology makes it possible to do much more: nutritionally de-signing a product in its entirety, by lowering sodium levels and adding elements such as proteins, fibers or vitamins, all of these without fat and with less calories than an apple. From texture to smell, the sensory experience the consumer has is that of a snack or a cookie, but coupled with a specific nutritional design.
“I think it is an important achievement that many countries have sought to obtain and it was first found in Mexico. A real change of pat-tern,” says Sacal.
The ProductFit Bits, the company’s emblematic product, is only one of the applications that IHS’s patented technology can have.
“What consumers see as negative in a snack is fat, so we wanted to design a product that eliminated the fat and kept the flavor,” ex-plains Sacal, “Fit Bits appear to be an ordinary snack, a fried food, but they are everything ex-cept that.”
Fit Bits are made from rice and oat fiber, they are fat-free and have very few calories. In 2004 they came on the market for the first time. Sacal began to market them in shop-
The company currently employs 70 workers and doubled its sales volume
from 2008 to 2009. Its clients include the
government and private consumers. So far its greatest challenge has
been placing the product with limited promotion in a market as competitive as that of snacks. But growth
has been exponential and the next step is internationalization.
product international healthy snacks
ping center stands. After an adaptation they began to offer them in some sales outlets and schools but the presentation continued to be very handcrafted. Today Fit Bits shows a more professional appearance, in commercial pack-aging and a 30-gram presentation. There are four salty flavors (lime, chili/lime, nacho and green sauce) and two sweet ones (apple/cinna-mon and chocolate). They can be found in su-permarket chains, self-service stores, schools and naturist shops, among other sales outlets.
IHS also offers Soi Bits, lime and chili/lime flavored toasted soybeans. But Sacal announces that the company still has many products in the pipeline. “We are only begin-ning to glimpse all of what this technology can offer,” he concludes.
The CompanyIHS began operations with a small pilot plant in 2003. There Sacal and company learned to pro-duce Fit Bits on a mass scale, although the prod-uct continued to be bagged by hand until 2005.
In 2006, IHS received joint investment from the National Council on Science and Technol-
ogy (Conacyt) and Nacional Financiera (NA-FIN). “They invested in us by buying a minority percentage when they saw the technological potential and the applications it could have in a country such as our own,” explains Sacal.
With this investment, the company began to consolidate itself in 2007, the processes were formalized and a new stage began, that of ap-proaching the governments of different states of the country to offer them the solution for personalized nutritional design to meet the nu-tritional needs of specific population sectors. To date IHS has worked with the governments of Hidalgo, Quintana Roo and Estado de México.
“In 2008 the time came to set up a plant with a bigger production line in Naucalpan. We increased our sales 10 times from 2007 to 2008,” explains Sacal.
Nevertheless, the plant again proved insuffi-cient when Fit Bits came on the market in 2008 and recently IHS had to move to new produc-tion premises in Toluca. The company currently employs 70 workers and doubled its sales vol-ume from 2008 to 2009. Its clients include the government and private consumers. So far its greatest challenge has been placing the product with limited promotion in a market as competi-tive as that of snacks. But growth has been expo-nential and the next step is internationalization.
“To regions such as Europe, the US and Canada, where there is concern for healthy nourishment, the benefit of this technology is of great interest, while at the same time in countries with nutrition problems there is also interest at government level,” says Sacal. “The area of opportunity opens up to the whole world and that is what we are focusing on. In-ternationalization is on the horizon in the short or medium terms,” he concludes. n
The company created by industrial engineer
Simón Sacal has patented a technology that makes it possible to manufacture a snack-type food that is low
in fat yet with a good flavor.
28 Negocios Photos courtesy of cafÉ noGueras
Cande, Ramón, Guillermo and Conchita have more than forty years of combined experi-ence in coffee production. In 2000, they joined efforts to move one step forward: creating a production company that added value to their coffee.
“Our goal was to get rid of intermediaries and bring final consumers a competitive prod-uct in terms of quality and price,” says María Concepción “Conchita” Prudencio.
That is how Café Nogueras was born high-quality, gourmet coffee full of Mexico’s flavor from its origin. Today, after almost ten years of producing and trading medium-roast Arabica coffee, Café Nogueras continues to grow with the goal of bringing the best of Mexican coffee to the world.
The CompanyCafé Nogueras is exceptional for many reasons. First and foremost, it has organic certifications for its land or coffee plantations and for its whole process, including roasting and grinding.
The company, headquartered in Comala, in the state of Colima, has an environmental mod-ule equipped with state-of-the-art machinery that helps reduce pollution and has decreased the amount of water used by 90%. Also, they have a water treatment plant and a biodigester that is fed with coffee husk to generate biogas. The husk is also used to make compost and as livestock feed.
The partners have 33 hectares that are used for coffee production. Also, the company has established four collection centers in vari-ous parts of the country where it buys from small producers. The most important of these centers is located in Suchitlán, in Colima’s in-digenous zone, where the company buys be-tween 200 and 300 tons of coffee every year from small local producers.
From One Cup to Another
Café Nogueras, a coffee producer and exporter, is committed to offering gourmet coffee while positively affecting the communities it works with.
The second most important collection center is located in the Sierra de Manatlán, in the indigenous zone of Cuautitlán, in the state of Jalisco. This is a “mobile collection center” that has staff trained by the company teach-ing producers organic production techniques to enable them to offer a product that com-plies with every standard that is part of the company’s certifications.
Synergy works. Last year, Café Nogueras moved 350 tons of coffee and only 50 of them were from their own plantations. The rest was gathered in their collection centers. The advantage for independent producers is that by following the organic and kosher produc-tion practices promoted by Café Nogueras, they are guaranteed a fair price for their product.
The ProcessAdopting practices required by organic, ko-sher and fair trade certifications has not been easy but it sure has been worth the effort.
“Initially it was difficult for us to obtain certification because every step is carefully re-viewed: who you buy from, how, where your collection centers are located and proving that the producer’s land is also certified. Every pro-cess is thoroughly monitored,” says Prudencio.
To obtain organic certification from Agri-cert, an Italian organization, it is necessary to avoid the use of herbicides and agrochemi-cals, ensure water treatment, avoid tree fell-ing and control waste. Kosher certification oversees details such as paint used in offices.
To be part of Fair Trade means comply-ing with stringent rules regarding cutter pay-ments, the conditions of collection centers and the distribution of economic revenue among indigenous communities.
Although scrutiny is tight, the advantages are many. Café Nogueras is a company that affects its workers and the environment in a positive way. It can also guarantee a fair price for its product and offer the general public the savory result of its good practices.
According to Prudencio, organic produc-tion practices may be the answer to every coffee producer in Mexico during these dif-ficult economic times because of the details that lower the price of the technological pack-age, such as using compost made from husk instead of chemicals, and are better for the environment and the consumers while they increase the price of the product.
Inside & OutsideBecoming known in Mexico has been a slow but steady process. Café Nogueras does little direct advertising but it has been able to penetrate markets in various states, such as Jalisco, Colima, Michoacán, Estado de Méxi-co, Mexico City, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Ti-juana and Monterrey.
The company has built a reputation by attending trade shows, using government programs, giving interviews on the radio and on TV and even by appearing in a shortcut
by Jennifer chan
After almost ten years of producing and trading medium-roast Arabica coffee, Café Nogueras continues to grow with the goal of bringing the best of Mexican coffee to the world.
product café nogeras
that the National Council for Culture and the Arts (Conaculta) made about Comala. Café Nogueras does not handle large vol-umes, you will not find their product in de-partment stores, and their consumers are a select niche market that continues to praise Café Nogueras and recruit more followers, slowly but surely.
“Our advertisement is word of mouth; it goes from one cup to another,” says Prudencio, who for three years organized personal tast-ings of her product at the Casa de la Cultura of the state of Colima.
Today, Café Nogueras exports 20 tons a year to Vancouver, Canada.
“We ship a container with oro verde, washed and natural coffee in jute sacks with labels in three languages,” explains Pruden-cio. “They call washed oro verde premium because it is classified in machines but we give it the final touch manually.”
They are also penetrating the market in Quebec with the finished product. Last De-cember they closed a deal to increase the volume they send to this Canadian province. In 2008, Café Nogueras attended SIAL, the international food trade show, in Paris, France, where representatives from more than 100 countries from every branch of the food indus-try meet each year. “We were able to advertise successfully,” says Prudencio. Today, they have received orders from other countries such as France, Russia and Hungary.
Going ForwardThe future looks promising for Café Nogueras. Firstly, they have the impending project of im-proving their current packaging by including a freshness valve. They are also about to intro-duce a coffee flavored liqueur to the market.
Secondly, in the near future they are planning to increase the capacity of their biodigester and water treatment plant. They are also developing a project to produce hu-mus from husk and livestock manure to sell packaged organic fertilizer and therefore complete the organic production cycle.
Finally, they have long-term plans to open a gastronomical tourism route in Comala that will allow visitors to see what is consid-ered a “Magical Town” and enjoy a nice cup of coffee while they witness first-hand the production process in Café Nogueras. n
www.cafenogueras.com
The company has built a reputation by attending trade shows. Today, Café Nogueras exports 20 tons a year to Vancouver, Canada and last December it closed a deal to increase the volume it sends to Quebec.
30 Negocios30 Negocios Photos courtesy of Miel MeXicana volcán PoPocatÉPetl
From the foothills of the Popocatépetl Volcano, in the state of Morelos, a food is produced that is sweetening the lives of thousands of people in the United Kingdom, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Germany and Belgium, and is be-ginning to earn a place in the tastes of US and Japanese consumers. It is the honey manu-factured by the cooperative Miel Mexicana Volcán Popocatépetl, an enterprise created 10 years ago with the aim of furthering produc-tive alternatives in several of the area’s com-munities.
“We work mainly in marginalized areas, promoting apiculture as a way of generating jobs,” says Luis Enrique Castañón Chavarría, head of the cooperative. The producers who work with the enterprise are taught to culti-vate bees, raise them and provide them with the necessary care to obtain honey of excel-lent quality.
Sweetening MarketsThe area where Miel Mexicana works is, by tradition, a honey-producing zone. However, not all of it is of the best quality. In some stores you can buy honey at very economical prices. But some of the honey producers mistreat the bees and neglect them, which leads to the in-sects falling sick and having to take medication. “Medicine contaminates the honey. That hon-ey could be contaminated with toxic residues and antibiotics,” says Castañón Chavarría.
Miel Mexicana Volcán Popocatépetl’s product is, by contrast, an organic honey pro-
sWeet exportMiel Mexicana Volcán Popocatépetl, a cooperative with more than 10 years’ experience in honey production, exports an organic product of the best quality to Europe, the US and Japan.
by karla JuáreZ
duced with methods that have a minimal en-vironmental impact, in areas where there is ample biodiversity of flowers and where the bees drink water from natural springs. All this makes it a product of the highest quality, aiding its entry into international markets.
In order for honey to be exported, it must comply with a series of requirements which, as Luis Enrique Castañón says, are increas-ingly demanding. “We have been training people and producing organic honey for 10 years. In 2004 we obtained our organic certifi-cate. We also have the international fair trade certificate, which enabled us to negotiate bet-ter payment for producers and ship the honey directly to Europe,” he relates.
Today, Miel Mexicana Volcán Popocaté-petl is a highly productive enterprise with an important presence in international markets, especially in Europe. Its product not only has certifications from national and international agencies that endorse its excellent quality but also it is highly valued in the markets for or-ganic products. Of the cooperative’s annual production –500 tons– over 90% is sent to Europe, Japan and the US and less than 10% –some 40 tons– remains in Mexico and is dis-tributed by companies specializing in organic products, such as Aires de Campo.
The apiculture regions of Mexico that participate in this partnership are Veracruz, Oaxaca, Puebla, Estado de México, Micho-acán, Guerrero, Guanajuato, Hidalgo and Mo-relos. Ten years ago, the enterprise’s partners produced 3 tons of honey a year. In 2009 they exported 500 tons, with a value of more than 1 million usd.
The product is exported in bulk to Europe, whereas to other markets, such as Japan, it is sent in containers for immediate consumption.
The Strategy is to AddThe creation of Miel Mexicana Volcán Popo-catépetl was an initiative of various produc-ers who joined forces in order to achieve an ecological and profitable project with export possibilities.
But it has not been a sweet road as at first they did not have the necessary resources and “exporting was just a dream,” recalls Castañón.
Success came with the first shipments. More producers, mainly from Morelos, ap-proached the cooperative. The project in-volved a great deal of training because of the need to comply with export quality standards.
“Extremely high quality standards are re-quired for organic honey. It is difficult to obtain the two certifications, organic product and fair trade, we have. We were the first Mexican com-pany to obtain the organic certification and we have had these certifications the longest. We are pioneers in exportation,” states Castañón.
In 2009, the enterprise received govern-ment support for the construction of an or-ganic and certified cleaning plant that will enable the enterprise to increase its presence in international markets. “It’s like an operating theater: totally clean. This plant guarantees that the product is harmless and ready for the international market,” explains Castañón.
Currently Miel Mexicana Volcán Popo-catépetl consists of 84 partner-producers. Moreover, the enterprise trains independent producers or ones from other organizations so that, once they have attained the required quality, they can join the enterprise’s success in the main international markets for organic products. n
success with the taste of honeyMiel Mexicana Volcán Popocatépetl has received different awards in Mexico and the world:• L’Oréal Award, Paris 2009.• Terra Madre, Italy 2008.• Finalist in the Prosperity Prize
2004, awarded by Mexico and the US.
• Technology Transfer Prize 2003 and 2004.
• Yacatecuhtli Prize 2003 for export merit in the small enterprise category.
• Yacatecuhtli Prize 2000 for export merit in the microenterprise category.
product Miel Mexicana volcán popocatépetl
Miel Mexicana Volcán Popocatépetl produces
organic honey with methods that have a
minimal environmental impact, in areas where
there is ample biodiversity of flowers and where the
bees drink water from natural springs.
For the last 12 years, Mercanta has been mar-keting Mexican seeds. The company, part of Grupo Ceres, was the result of a search for better alternatives for exporting with the lowest prices, quality and excellent service.
“Fifteen years ago we started working to market seeds. Initially we did it through other companies but our goal was to create a new company that focused exclusively on trade activities. We started working with Almacenadora Regional Mexicana [AR-MEX, also part of Grupo Ceres] but we soon discovered that trading was not their main goal,” says Alejandro Elizondo Macías, who is in charge of Mercanta and vicepresident of Grupo Ceres.
ARMEX had collection centers and a well-developed infrastructure but Grupo Ceres opted for opening an independent company that focused completely on mar-keting. And so Mercanta was born with the idea of purchasing and selling seeds in Mexi-co and, most importantly, exporting them to the world’s main markets.
The company has since specialized in marketing wheat, white corn, bean, chick-pea and sorghum. Its main suppliers are producers from Estado de México, Hidalgo, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Sinaloa and Jalisco. The company exports mainly wheat and white corn.
Conquering MarketsMercanta follows a simple formula to gain presence in the international seed markets: it identifies a need in the market and, once it has a purchaser, it offers them the best con-
ditions that will make them choose Mexican seeds instead of other ones.
“Once we identify the need, we make an agreement with the producer, whom we know already thanks to the experience Gru-po Ceres has in the field. Because of these fa-cilities, we can establish a link between pro-ducers and purchasers. We sometimes get involved in the purchase transaction but oth-er times we just put the purchaser in touch with the producers,” explains Elizondo.
To guarantee the quality of the products, the company also offers various services to producers, such as storage, drying, technical assistance, financing and input such as seeds, agrochemical products and fertilizers.
“Our relationship with the producers makes things easier. In fact, one of the reasons for our
Photos courtesy of GruPo ceres32 Negocios i The Lifestyle
The Seed Merchant
Mercanta, a company part of Grupo Ceres, has been marketing Mexican seeds internationally for 12 years, especially wheat and white corn. In 2009, the company received the National Export Award.
by karla JuáreZ
The company was chosen to receive the National Export Award in 2009 because of two export success stories —to El Salvador and Guatemala. But more importantly, this award acknowledges the successful way Mercanta relates to producers and purchasers, a factor that has become key to its success.
product Mercanta
success is that we know farmers and we help them to establish relationships in the market”, admits Elizondo. Solely in the area of wheat and
corn marketing, Mercanta works with more
than 800 producers from around the country to
export to Guatemala, El Salvador and Italy.
Export Excellence
Mercanta has been able to introduce Mexi-
can seeds to new markets using only 12 em-
ployees, who have helped the company re-
ceive many awards.
In 2009, Mercanta received the National
Export Award, which is given by the Minis-
try of Economy through its National Export
Award Foundation with the purpose of pro-
moting and recognizing the best Mexican
exporting companies.
The company was chosen to receive the
award in 2009 because of two export success
stories —to El Salvador and Guatemala. But
more importantly, this award acknowledges the successful way Mercanta relates to pro-ducers and purchasers, a factor that has be-come key to its success.
“We work for a win-win situation where producers can sell at better prices and pur-chasers can benefit from a high-quality product,” explains Elizondo.
Mercanta exported a shipment of a white corn hybrid to El Salvador, which was harvested by several farmers. Because it was a seed from one hybrid, it represented a higher yield for pur-chasers at a fair price for farmers. They exported a shipment of wheat to Guatemala. The seeds left from the port of Topolobampo, in the state of Sinaloa. That was the first time wheat had been
an agribusiness giant
Grupo Ceres has been working for more than 15 years in seed research, production and marketing. It includes ten companies that focus on different areas of agribusiness, such as product storage, marketing, sale of agro equipment, financing and economic, as well as industrial promotion.
www.grupoceres.com.mx
exported from that specific port and the opera-tion attracted several companies that now see the port as a viable option for exporting.
“Purchasers find new ports attractive be-
cause they immediately think of health, which adds value to the product,” says Elizondo, who considers innovation was what led them to re-ceive the National Export Award. n
Mercanta follows a simple formula to gain presence in the international seed
markets: it identifies a need in the market and, once it has
a purchaser, it offers them the best conditions that will make them choose Mexican seeds instead of other ones.
34 Negocios collage dalia urzúa
union makes strengthIntegradora de Productos Agropecuarios joins the change in business paradigm that favors networking. The company, which brings together several food producers and exporters, has been able to increase its sales exponentially in only a few years, penetrating into international markets.
“Competition in the globalized era is between production chains, not between specific prod-ucts,” says Walter Buhl, an engineer who is also CEO of Integradora de Productos Agropecu-arios. “In our case, the challenge is to increase the competitiveness of the agro food chain, en-suring that there is a balance among its entire links,” he adds.
The idea of working in teams is the new trade paradigm and Buhl’s company is an example of why it works well. Working in
by Jennifer chan
networks or exporting groups has many ben-efits, such as value added, the development of a new competitiveness and equality strategy, complementing skills and abilities, offer con-solidation, increase in the quality of goods and services, cost reduction in new markets, the possibility of stable supply agreements with large clients and a mechanism to make more profitable business. In other words: a more ef-ficient formula to compete.
“In the summer of 2004 I decided that in-
mexico’s partner ipa
tegrating companies are a strength for com-petition and fiscal taxpaying system that is ap-propriate for the circumstances,” remembers Buhl. This is how Integradora de Productos Agropecuarios (IPA) was born.
The company includes a team of execu-tives with more than 15 years experience in the areas of business development, logistics, customs brokerage, storage and distribution of perishable products. It started trading in 2005 and today it is the supplier for Mexico’s leading trade chains.
IPA is a producer and it also has trade al-liances with producers in several states of Mexico, who produce in both open skies and greenhouses or under screens or the shade. By having providers who are located in dif-ferent geographic areas, the risk of shortage of supplies in the middle of a season due to weather conditions or a plague that affects a specific crop is greatly reduced.
Some of the products IPA harvests and trades are peppers (green, red and orange), poblano peppers, jalapeños, serrano pep-pers, tomatillo, tomato roma, limes, carrots and mangoes (ataulfo, haden, kent, keitt and tommy).
Within national and export markets, IPA offers its allied producers marketing and business advertising services to increase their abilities to negotiate with purchasers, logistics support and administrative management.
“We are different because of the way we select products,” explains Buhl. “We know what customers want and we work to surpass their expectations.”
Mexico’s NetworkIPA has offices in Monterrey, Nuevo León, in the northern part of Mexico, and in Hidalgo, Texas. The company also has strategic alli-ances with producers in the states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, Guerrero, Michoacán, Querétaro, Veracruz, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosí, Za-catecas, Jalisco, Nayarit, Sinaloa and Nuevo León. Its allies vary from small businesses that always comply with good agricultural and post-harvest practices, to the largest busi-nesses that have state-of-the-art machinery for electronic size and color selection.
During harvest season, staff from the Unit-ed States Department of Agriculture (USDA) certifies every shipment that is exported from the packaging plants, which are located as close to the harvest fields as possible.
The Network is GrowingIPA has an American peer, IPA TRADING GROUP, which imports and trades every product that IPA exports from Mexico to the US.
IPA TRADING GROUP complies with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) and the USDA’s regulations and it has the bonds and securities required to import and sell food in the US.
Having a distribution center in the US has allowed IPA to export its products without having to sell the whole shipment in advance and without paying commission to an inter-mediary or a broker, meaning the costs of its supply chain do not increase.
That is an advantage for customers who do not want to go through import customs procedures and who prefer to receive a product in McAllen.
Finally, the fact that IPA TRADING GROUP is an American company that in-voices its American customers allows both parties to comply with the same trade legal framework. That way issues are resolved in less time and with lower costs than interna-tional litigation.
With this framework, PACA (Perish-able Agricultural Commodities Act), a trade regulation entity, authorizes businesses by assigning them a Registration Number. IPA has been granted a PACA permit and is reg-istered in the Blue Book.
IPA has grown exponentially since its establishment. In 2006 it experienced a 200% increase in sales compared to 2005, due mainly to the increase in their exports as a result of establishing IPA TRADING GROUP. In 2007, its sales increased by 33%; while in 2008 they increased by 50%.
“The reason for our growth is based on the trade relations we maintain with our customers and the fact that we include new products in our export offer,” explains Buhl.
Global NetworkWith the goal of diversifying its markets, IPA has attended several international shows, such as the AL-Invest Business Meetings in Anuga in Cologne, Germany, and EUROAGRO Al-Invest in Valencia, Spain. The firm also attended Foo-dex in Tokyo, after being invited by Japan’s Min-istry of Foreign Trade through JETRO.
In the last four years, the company has been an exhibitor in the Mexican Pavilion at the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) trade shows, the most important in its area.
In November 2009, Buhl participated in several business meetings with producers from Chiapas, held during the Non-Traditional Prod-uct Trade Show in Tuxtla Gutierrez, in the state of Chiapas. “The results of this event will be-come clear in 2010,” says Buhl. “I think our effort will yield results.”
Buhl says that the response to their partici-pation in these international shows can be seen in the growth their sales have experienced, so the plan for 2010 is to continue with this effort. Some of their other goals for this year are to ex-pand, to explore other non-traditional products and consolidate their distribution center in Hi-dalgo, Texas, by generating business volume. n
ipatrading.com
IPA has grown exponentially since its establishment. In 2006 it experienced a 200% increase in sales compared to 2005, due mainly to the increase in its exports as a result of establishing IPA TRADING GROUP. In 2007, its sales increased by 33%; while in 2008 they increased by 50%.
36 Negocios i The Lifestyle Photo archive36 Negocios i The Lifestyle Photos courtesy of ayuntaMiento de ciudad Juárez
Juárez is renowned globally for its contribu-tion to national economic growth and develop-ment. The “borderland” city is the fourth most competitive city in Mexico, one of the largest contributors to the nation’s GDP, the sixth foreign direct investment host economy in ab-solute terms, the third in terms of per capita income and one of Mexico’s main production centers.
This magnificent city has five international crossings and five airports –allowing just-in-time access to international markets– and a unique geographic location that provides direct access to two nations and three states
discover juárezAn Advanced Manufacturing HubCiudad Juárez, located in the north of the Mexican state of Chihuahua and bordering West Texas and Southern New Mexico, is more than a cluster city. It is a dynamic scenario in which different cultures converge, including a great variety of tourist attractions, many global industrial trends, economic development initiatives and a prestigious business environment. Simply put, all these constitute a productive platform for investment.
through an international railway system (Bur-lington Northern Santa Fe, Union Pacific and Ferromex) and three major interstate high-ways (I-10, 1-25 and the Pan-American High-way). Because of all these reasons, Foreign Direct Investment Magazine ranked Juárez as one of the major North American cities of the future, one of the areas with the lowest costs and Mexico’s leading large city.
Today, Juárez-El Paso-Southern New Mex-ico, commonly referred to as The Borderplex, is one of the areas in North America with the most dynamic growth. With the largest bina-tional metropolitan area in the world with a combined population of 2.5 million inhabit-ants, Juárez alone represents more than 40% of the state of Chihuahua total population.
Without a doubt, The Borderplex is growing and undergoing significant devel-opments. Evidence of this is the advance of three major projects that will bring unprece-dented economic growth to the area of Santa Teresa, New Mexico, and Jerónimo and that will lead it to a new position among other metropolitan areas.
Firstly, Foxconn, the largest electronics constructor in the world, last year announced the construction of a 500-acre Technology and Manufacturing Campus in Jerónimo. The new campus will eventually mean an expansion of facilities of one million square feet. Employ-
interview andreas heineckebusiness destination ciudad JuáreZ
ment is planned to reach 5,000 jobs in 2010.Secondly, the City of Knowledge Univer-
sity Campus, a new 4,000-acre educational complex, is being built close to the new Technology and Manufacturing Campus. This complex includes eight universities and technology institutes that are expected to begin classes in the fall of 2010 with ap-proximately 9,000 students. With this proj-ect, about half of the nearly 20,000 current students of the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez (UACJ) will be actually closer to their homes, creating the opportunity to build a new international railroad connec-tion and crossing point, which is hoped to be completed in a few years.
Thirdly, adding another plan to the already large infrastructure developed, local govern-ment took the initiative of creating a program known as Export Juárez Logistics Center, which positions the city as the most impor-tant logistics hub in Mexico. Export Juárez brings together on a single platform everything needed to allow successful international com-mercial activity in a simple, cost-effective and strategic way. It includes warehouses and a vehicle fleet, as well as customs consulting and negotiations. In order to unite efforts to work in favor of the small and medium businesses that are searching for new markets with the goal of expanding their development possibili-ties, the program’s executors and stakeholders are making agreements to provide the best services at low costs.
As a bridge for global markets, Juárez has many advantages. It is becoming famous not only because of its strategic location but also as a pro-business city. It is developing in two ways, on one side strengthening its well known traditional clusters, the automotive manufacturing and electrical-electronics industries that make up 52% of the total in-dustries established in Juárez, with all the suppliers around them and most modern infrastructure supporting their growth. And on the other side, these clusters have allowed some other high-tech clusters in sectors such as medical and biomedical, aerospace and nanotech processes to develop.
Meanwhile, the government, universities and technical schools work with the industry to ensure highly skilled manpower and to pro-mote local research and development (R&D). Consequently, Juárez is investing to develop and increase its high-tech centers: the Center for High Technology Training (Centro de Edu-cación en Alta Tecnología, CENALTEC) offers a
great variety of technical courses that result in qualified workforce; the UACJ-Nanotech Lab promotes new high-tech trends and skills and the new City of Knowledge University Campus is preparing to achieve the optimum perfor-mance on new demanding trends.
The Borderplex is doing what matters most. It is laying the foundations for future growth by expanding its geographical, academic and busi-ness frontiers with more than 10 universities, engineering and business schools, resulting in more than 1,500 engineers annually. Seven-teen of the Top 100 Global OEM Parts Suppli-ers 2008 are in The Borderplex, companies such as Bosch, Delphi, Johnson Controls, Trw, Borg-Warner, Cummins, Tyco, and Honeywell, among others. More than 70 Fortune 500 com-panies are also located there, as well as more than 380 maquiladoras such as Bombardier, Electrolux, Foxconn, EDS, Flextronics, ACS, Wistron, Tatung, Vientek, Johnson & Johnson, Cordis, Cardinal Health and Scientific Atlanta.
Anyone who wants to improve their busi-ness by lowering their overall operation costs should consider The Borderplex as an ex-ceptional solution. It is, without a doubt, the ideal location for successful activities in North America. n
juárez, the best choice • 41 industrial zones, parks and
territorial reserves.• Special employee-training
incentives.• Quick set-ups, as fast as 30 days.• A strong, low-cost supply chain. • A wide range of facilities and
services.• Low transportation costs and
“just-in-time” delivery. • The leading low-cost option for
off shoring and outsourcing. • Near shore solutions.• Young skilled bilingual and
bicultural workforce.• Experience in global business
practices and accounting standards due to the large concentration of international companies.
• Protection for intellectual property rights.
• Great flexibility for both workforce and management.
38 Negocios i The Lifestyle Photos courtesy of tcG strateGic sPorts ManaGeMent
“The Warriors,” as the Santos Laguna soccer team is known, share their “region” and seek investors interested in consolidating the sec-ond stage of their great project called Territo-rio Santos Modelo. It involves a construction of major dimensions, both for its extension (23 hectares) and for its investment (100 mil-lion usd), which seeks to give an example that sports can offer more than just entertainment and trophies.
Territorio Santos Modelo is being built not only as a tribute to the Santos Laguna (“The Warriors”) Mexican soccer team but also as a mega project that seeks to give an economic boost to the region and to the country.
Located in the city of Torreón, Coahuila, in the so-called Lake Region in the north of Mex-ico, the sports complex dedicated to the local team inaugurated in November 2009 several
Goals That Go Beyond the Goalposts
Soccer enthusiasts and visitors will be able to tread on a territory that promises to maximize the profitability of the services it offers. Territorio Santos Modelo is “a city” that is proving that sport is a profitable business.
by Julieta salgado
special report territorio santos Modelo
of the services and buildings that comprise the project. They are the Corona Stadium, the new “home” of Santos Laguna, the All Saints Parish with a capacity for 300 people, the Santos Soriana Clubhouse, the High Per-formance Center, the Santos Lala Football School, the Basic Strengths building, the Press Box, changing rooms, offices, medical area, the team’s gymnasium, a gymnasium open to the public and an area devoted to the team’s followers, the Enthusiasts’ Plaza.
The aim of this project is to provide in the opportunity to enjoy a football game with all the comforts and technology of a top-level stadium, attend a mass concert and enjoy a great show, take exercise and learn about sport, eat in a good place, go shopping and even have services for the religious commu-nity, all in one area.
As the promoters of this project say, “we are not only seeking to make profits and do business.” The construction of this enormous complex also has a social side to it. The idea is to build a community which, in addition to obtaining benefits like sports education, gen-erates positive results for the region, such as infrastructure and employment.
“Territorio is an example of the football indus-try and of sports in general being able to create more things in the country. We should not look at sports in an isolated manner but as a detonator of infrastructure and social commitment,” says Manuel Portilla, marketing vice president of the firm TCG Strategic Sports Management, the de-veloper of the project.
As in some stadiums in the United States devoted to sports such as baseball or Ameri-can football, investors have found a new busi-ness niche in this option.
“The earnings will remain here. Twenty or thirty local building firms participated in the works. There are those who think that it is too much for a stadium but it generated 1,200 direct jobs and 3,000 indirect ones,” argues Portilla.
Thinking BigThe plan developed by TCG was presented to Grupo Modelo, owner of the Santos Laguna team, with the aim of making Santos a premier league team, as a first goal. Then they thought of building more than a stadium, a sports city.
“We believed that the project could be added to Territorio, that it should not only be a stadium like some others that are used every two weeks and then become white el-ephants,” explains Portilla. “The idea arose when they started the campaign to position
the territory in numbers
• Start of the works: February 2008• Investment: 100 million usd
• Direct jobs: 1,200• Indirect jobs: 3,000• Total area: 23 hectares• Mall area: 18,000 square meters• Capacity of the Corona Stadium: 30,000 people, with the option to grow to
40,000 during shows • Inauguration of the first stage: November 11, 2009
www.territoriosantosmodelo.com.mx
Territorio Santos Modelo involves a construction of major dimensions, both for its extension (23 hectares) and for its investment (100 million usd), which seeks to give an example that sports can offer more than just entertainment and trophies.
the team three years ago. Construction began in February 2008 and took 18 months, a re-cord time,” he adds.
Various sponsors, both national and for-eign, are participating in this undertaking. Among them are Grupo Modelo, Organización Soriana, Grupo Lala, Industrias Peñoles, Tele-fónica Movistar, Organización Barcel, Apasco, Nivada and Philips. The latter was in charge of lighting the Corona Stadium with latest gen-eration lamps that use “Arena Vision” technol-ogy. These involve lamps with an extremely compact discharge that make it possible to “wrap” the player from head to toe at a height of 2.5 meters, in such a way that the spectator, whether live or on television, can see the play-er, the ball and the play with precise definition. This stadium is the first in the Americas to use axial technology lamps.
The Second StageIn the second phase, which will begin in mid-
2010, construction of the Sports University and a hotel remain pending.
“We are negotiating with operators of the Mall and with Consorcio Anáhuac, for in 2010 we want to consolidate the university with five careers: sports journalism, sports medicine, marketing, rehabilitation, and sports adminis-tration,” states Manuel Portilla.
In addition to the university, Territorio San-tos Modelo has an area devoted to commercial activities called Plaza Peñoles, which will have premises for commercial use, for entertain-ment and services.
Regarding those possibly interested in in-vesting in the commercial area, Manuel Por-tilla indicates what will be the indispensable requirement: “That they should believe in the project, the philosophy and the vision of San-tos.” For the moment, one of the premises that has already been defined is Play Ground Lala, an area devoted to children, whom they call “the new enthusiasts.”
The projected hotel would be an option which, in addition to offering a place to rest for those who visit the Comarca Region, would allow guests to enjoy the games from their rooms. According to the entrepreneurs, 60 of the hotel’s 120 rooms will have a view of the stadium’s field, offering the guests a privileged place to enjoy the activities being held in the sports enclosure.
Another service that will be open to the public as of the first few months of this year is the Rocksport Fitness Club, a regional fran-chise that will be installed in an area of 1,350 square meters.
Territorio Santos Modelo is one example of the many investment possibilities in sports. When the second stage is concluded it will be one of Latin America’s most ambitious proj-ects focusing mainly on sports. n
From January 2007 to September 2009 FDI in Mexico has reached 59.36 billion .
Foreign DirectInvestment in Mexico
Other countries: $245
Source: Ministry of Economy
FDI in Mexico, by countryJanuary – September 2009(Millions )
US:
$5,194.7 Netherlands: $1,439.1
Puerto Rico: $1,162.6 Canada: $563.4
UK: $425.4 Spain: $414
France: $195.7Ireland: $109.6
J F M A M J J A S
According to the Ministry of Economy, from January to September 2009 Foreign Direct Iinvestment (FDI) in
Mexico amounted to 9.75 billion USD.
40 Negocios inFograPhics oldeMar
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The lifestyleT h e C o m p l et e G u i d e of t h e M ex i c a n Way of L i fe .
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Interview
The Career for a Dream
6p. 54
Photos archive42 Negocios
In 1974, Captain Jacques Cousteau and his crew embarked on the Calypso to study the region of the Gulf of Mexico and its luxuriant fauna and flora. More than 2,000 marine spe-cies and nearly 300 terrestrial species were inventoried in the coral reefs and islands of the southern Gulf.
The Cousteau team was particularly inter-ested in the nurse sharks that lie on the floor of caves to “sleep,” but the Captain also took a keen interest in the unique migration of spiny lobsters that march in long lines for 100 ki-lometers. The extraordinary images of these two phenomena, unknown to the public at the time, were captured in the Cousteau films Sleeping Sharks of the Yucatán and Incredible March of the Spiny Lobsters.
The Gulf of Mexico shelters one of the longest barrier reefs in the world, the Me-soamerican Reef, second only to the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. Some 346 species of reef fish have been inventoried in Mexico, 245 of them on the Atlantic coast: 68% in the Gulf of Mexico and 92% along the Yucatán peninsula.
The Gulf of Mexico is home to five of the seven species of sea turtles: leatherback, hawksbill, green, loggerhead and Kemp’s Ridley. The only known nesting site of the world’s most highly endangered sea turtle, the Kemp’s Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii),
eyes on the seasMexico and France have launched two marine observatories bearing the name of Jacques Cousteau to contribute to the scientific monitoring of Mexican seas and preserve the countless services that these ecosystems do to the entire world. The Cousteau Observatories are one of the flagship projects in Franco-Mexican cooperation in the battle against the effects of climate change.
listed in critical danger of extinction by the IUCN (World Conservation Union) since 1996, is located on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico.
These are some of the reasons why the Mexican and French governments decided to open an observatory to establish an as-sessment of the region and monitor the modifications of an especially remarkable ecosystem. The Cousteau Observatory, Gulf of Mexico branch, opened its doors in Mérida, Yucatán, on November 2009. Lo-cated in the Research and Advanced Studies Center of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV), this is the second marine observatory bearing the name of Jacques
lifestyle report cousteau observatories
Yves Cousteau that is opened in Mexico with the support of Mexican and French govern-ments, as well as several academic, scientific and private institutions.
On June 2009, the first Cousteau Obser-vatory was opened in Baja California Sur, as part of a binational effort to establish a shared archive on the environmental chang-es occurring in the world’s oceans. Housed by the Centre of Scientific Research of the Northwest (CIBNOR), in La Paz, the Jacques Cousteau observatory was created to unite scientific research on the environmental impact from humans and climate change on Mexico’s coastlines, and aims to improve public policy to protect them.
Cousteau called Baja California the “world’s aquarium” due to the rich marine life off its long coastline in both the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortés.
Long Life to the CaptainCaptain Jaques Yves Cousteau and his team explored Mexico and its water on several occasions between 1968 and 1992, in particular the Sea of Cortés and the Yucatán Bay. They followed the migration of whales from the Bearing Sea to the Baja California peninsula; they studied seabirds of Isla Isabela during a year and tried to unravel the mystery of Yucatán’s sleeping sharks. Their adventures are told in 6 films and several scientific reports.
To aknowledge Cousteau’s work in the country, the Mexican government officially re-named an island in the Sea of Cortés as “Jacques Cousteau Island” on November 17, 2009.
Just off the city of La Paz in the southeastern region of the Baja California peninsula, the island has a surface area of 136 km2 and a perimeter of 68 km. Formerly known as Cerralvo, the island is henceforth listed in Mexico’s national register of geographic information as “Jacques Cousteau Island.”
Its surrounding seas are home to vaquitas or harbour porpoises, whales, dolphins, sea lions and sharks, while its rocky coasts are home to hundreds of resident and migratory birds.
Cousteau Observatories in Mexico aim to advise governments on environmental pro-tection and seek joint international funding for research.
Conceived by Mexico and France, in the framework of Franco-Mexican agreement of cooperation signed during the visit of Presi-dent Sarkozy to Mexico on March 2009, the project is actively supported by the Embassy of France in Mexico and the association of Mexican entrepreneurs Mares de Mexico under the leadership of Nobel laureate Mario Molina, as well as other French and Mexican private institutions.
Both branches constitute the first such two-way interchange of coastal and oceanic
The first Cousteau Observatory was opened in June 2009, in Baja California Sur, as part of a binational effort to establish a shared archive on the environmental changes occurring in the world’s oceans. The Cousteau Observatory, Gulf of Mexico branch, opened its doors in Mérida, Yucatán, on November 2009.
data between Europe and the Americas. They include information gathered by
Mexican institutions such as the National Council of Science and Technology (Cona-cyt), the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (Semanart), the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and the Northwest Center for Biological Research (Cibnor), along with studies and reports from various scientific and academic institutions throughout the country.
On France’s side, data comes from the Cousteau Foundation, the Cousteau Society, the University of Montpellier and the Uni-versity of Nantes.
The Cousteau Observatories signal a global “first” in bilateral cooperation aimed at monitoring the changes in the marine en-vironment, a true world heritage and very much exposed to threats of climate change. n
44 Negocios i The Lifestyle Photos courtesy of fil GuadalaJara-Michel aMado carPio / archive
lifestyle feature José eMilio pacheco
This year laurels have been unending for José Emilio Pacheco. He received the Queen Sofia Ibero American Poetry Prize, a nation-al tribute for his 70th birthday by the Gua-dalajara International Book Fair (FIL) and precisely during his days at FIL, he received the announcement of the Cervantes award.
The Cervantes Prize, which honors a writer’s lifetime body of work, was created in Spain in 1975 and it is likened to a Nobel Prize for literature in Spanish.
During his first press conference after learning that he had won the Cervantes Award 2009, the writer searched for the perfect word to describe his feelings: “stunned.”
The 70-year-old poet, novelist, journalist, essayist and literary critic said he was over-whelmed.
Pacheco is “Stunned”Mexican writer José Emilio Pacheco has been awarded the Cervantes Prize, the Spanish-speaking world’s highest literary honor.
“It’s like being hit by a punch that doesn’t hurt you immediately, it’s absolutely unreal,” Pacheco said from the FIL in Guadalajara. “There hasn’t been a minute since seven this morning when I haven’t answered three phones at once,” said Pacheco.
José Antonio Pascual Rodríguez, a mem-ber of the Cervantes Prize jury and repre-sentative of the Spanish Royal Academy, said of Pacheco: “We’ve defined him as repre-senting the whole of our language. He’s an exceptional poet of daily life, with a depth, a freedom of thought, an ability to create his own world, an ironic distance from reality when it’s necessary and a linguistic use that is impeccable.”
Pacheco, a Mexico City native, is widely regarded as one of Mexico’s foremost poets and short narrative writers, and a leading representative of his generation.
Pacheco has also translated works by Samuel Beckett, Tennessee Williams and T.S. Eliot and taught literature at universities in the US, UK and Canada, besides his work in Mexico.
Before Pacheco, Mexicans that have re-ceived the Cervantes Prize include Octavio Paz (1981), Carlos Fuentes (1987) and Sergio Pitol (2005), the latter very close friend of the poet. n
Battles in the DesertLas Batallas en el Desierto (Battles in the Desert, 1981) is probably the most renowned book by José Emilio Pachecho. It narrates the story of a boy’s infatuation with the mother of one of his classmates.When announcing the Cervantes Prize for the Mexican writer, José Antonio Pascual Rodríguez praised this novel, calling it “a magnificent story that deals with childhood, adolescence and youth.” The book was translated and published in English in 1987.
Other books by José Emilio Pachecho include:
Poetry• Los elementos de la noche (The
Elements of Night, 1963)• El reposo del fuego (The Resting
Place of Fire, 1966)• No me preguntes cómo pasa el
tiempo (Don’t Ask Me How the Time Goes By, 1969)
• Irás y no volverás (And So You Go, Never to Come Back, 1973)
• Islas a la deriva (Islands Adrift, 1976)
• Desde Entonces (Since Then, 1980)
• Los trabajos del mar (The Labors of the Sea, 1983)
• Ciudad de la Memoria (City of Memory, 1989)
• An Ark for the Next Millennium: Poems (illustrated by Francisco Toledo, translated by Margaret Sayers Peden, 1993)
Novel and Short Story• La sangre de Medusa (The Blood
of Medusa, 1959)• El viento distante (The Distant
Wind, 1963)• Morirás lejos (You Will Die Far
Away, 1967)• El principio del placer (The
Pleasure Principle, 1972)
an awarded writerJosé Emilio Pacheco is one of the most significant contemporary Latin American poets. His works are gradually gaining recognition in other regions. He has been awarded with several prizes such as:• Malcom Lowry Essay Prize (1992)• Mexican Literature Prize (1993)• José Asunción Silva Latin
American Poetry Prize (1994)• Mazatlán Prize (1999) • José Fuentes Mares Prize (2000)• José Donoso Prize (2001)• Ramón López Velarde Prize
(2003)• Pablo Neruda Ibero American
Poetry Prize (2004)• Alfonso Reyes Prize (2004)• Federico García Lorca Prize
(2005)• Queen Sofía Ibero American Poetry Prize
(2009)
46 Negocios photo courtsy of anaGraMa MÉXico
Álvaro Enrigue (Mexico, 1969) sees himself as a “lone ranger” in literature. He did not grow up in any intellectual circle nor is he part of any famous generation. Nevertheless, today he has been published by one of the best-known publishing houses (Anagrama), he is Editorial Director at the National Council for Culture and the Arts (Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, Conaculta) and has an important career in the editorial world behind him.
Enrigue grew up in a middle-class family that instilled in him a love of books. Although his parents were keen readers without great intel-lectual aspirations, both he and his elder broth-er (Jordi Soler) devoted themselves to literature.
Until shortly before leaving university he was on the way to becoming a journalist like any other, getting married and having children with his girlfriend. But suddenly, in the same time it takes someone to cross the street, his life changed drastically and he decided to become a writer.
“One day crossing Cádiz street, in the San José Insurgentes neighborhood [in Mexico City], on one side of the street I was going to be a journalist who lived in Colonia del Valle and had children. On the other side of the street it became perfectly clear that what I wanted was to be a writer. Immediately afterward I split up
álvaro enrigueWith five books published, álvaro enrigue Walks through the labyrinths of literature carrying the inheritance of his literary “parents,” his love of good life and his experience on both sides of the editorial World.
A Literature Outsider
with that girlfriend, it finished right there. That does not mean I didn’t live from journalism for the rest of my life, I still prosper from journal-ism, it continues to be a vocation that I like, but I wasn’t a newspaper reporter or an editor but a writer, or rather an article writer,” says Enrigue, who at the age of 40 is going for his third child, although he no longer lives in Colonia del Valle.
He entered the literary world through the main door. At the age of 20 he was writing pieces in Vuelta, which at that time was the country’s most prestigious cultural magazine, founded and directed by Mexican Nobel Prize Winner Octavio Paz, and his first work La Muerte de un Instalador (The Death of a Plumber, 1996) won the Joaquín Mortiz, the Mexican literature pub-lishing house par excellence, novel prize.
La Muerte de un Instalador, in which En-rigue paints an ironic portrait of the art world, merited a second edition three years later and then in 2008 it began to circulate again in a third edition by Mondadori. Then came Virtudes Capitales (Capital Virtues, 1998), a book of short stories that he prefers not to remember. Then a novel that is practically impossible to get hold of, El Cementerio de las Sillas (The Cemetery of Chairs, 2002) and later, in 2005, he published his first book in Anagrama, Hipotermia (Hypo-thermia) a series of stories reflecting his seven
by francisco vernis
interview alvaro enrigue
48 Negocios
years in the United States, where he taught Cre-ative Writing at the University of Maryland.
In 2008 another book of his, which plays like all the others at being a novel and a story at the same time, was published to very good reviews. It was Vidas Perpendiculares (Perpendicular Lives) in which the story of Jerónimo Rodríguez Loaera and his reincarnations allows the au-thor to bring his literary influences to the fore, among them Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges and that of his own father, no less.
“Both my mother and father are readers. My father is a rather more sophisticated reader than my mother and is also an inveterate travel-er. When we were children we traveled all over the country and on the way he would relate the novel he was reading. We are four children, the eldest, Jordi Soler, is also a writer. Many years later we suddenly realized that maybe our voca-tion came from that, from that narrative voca-tion of my father’s, who never wrote a book but always kept on telling stories which he now ap-plies to the grandchildren,” says Enrigue.
—And once you crossed Cádiz Street, how did you exercise your vocation?I started to write a repulsive novel, one of whose parts was published later in Virtudes Capitales. It really was a very bad novel with which I was struggling for two years, without making any headway. Writing novels is very dif-ficult. A bit like paternity, there are no instruc-tions. With paternity you have the reference of what your parents did and with narrative you have the reference of what your literary parents did.
I was doing a sort of exercise in trial and er-ror with this book and since it was not progress-ing I began to write criticism professionally. That gave me another dimension. It opened doors. I must have been about 24 when the call for the Joaquín Mortiz prize came out and I had been churning over a different novel; I thought it was the right moment to write that book.
I wrote it in part because it was the 1994 crisis. I had about four jobs and with the crisis I lost most of them. Suddenly I found myself being an adult with the very strange option of being able to write 12 hours a day.
—With the prize as the objective?I’m convinced that I won the prize because I handed it in on the last day at the very last min-ute; so my original was on top of the pile. Over time you acquire discipline, but being relatively young you need a deadline, a reason to finish a novel. Not any more. Today I write every day
but being young and not knowing whether I was going to devote myself to this, that was an opportunity.
—Was it then that you knew you could live by being a writer?I have very good years in which I can live from that but I have children so I can’t be living as a freelance, I need medical insurance, infrastruc-ture, car, things I’m sure someone who devotes his entire life to literature doesn’t need. I enjoy life, I like to travel, I like restaurants and the infrastructure that allows me to have a slightly more comfortable life comes from full-time jobs. It’s very difficult to live from writing.
I have a fixed salary because I’m an editor but editors don’t earn as much as dentists or lawyers. I have always complemented my earn-ings by writing criticism, scripts, making books longer… writing.
—When there’s a good first book, how difficult is it to write the second?It’s Virtudes Capitales, which is a very bad book. For me it was very difficult but it’s also a rite of passage. Most people say that writing the second book is harder than writing the
Enrigue in Short• Birth: Mexico, 1969.• Studies: Communication Science at the Universidad Iberoamericana.
Master in Latin American Literature at the University of Maryland. • Career: At the age of 20 he began to write literary criticism in the
newspaper El Nacional, under the guidance of Fernando Solana, as well as the magazine Vuelta. Then he contributed by doing radio capsules of scientific journalism and literary criticism and belonged to the group of journalists that founded the cultural supplement of the newspaper La Jornada. He was professor of Literature at the Universidad Iberoamericana and of Creative Writing at the University of Maryland. He was an editor at Letras Libres. He was editor of literature at the Fondo de Cultura Económica. He is currently editorial director of the National Council for Culture and the Arts. He also contributes to supplements and literary reviews by doing criticism.
Books: • La Muerte de un Instalador (The Death of a Plumber, Joaquín Mortiz, 1996;
Mondadori, 2008)• Virtudes Capitales (Capital Virtues, Joaquín Mortiz, 1998)• El Cementerio de las Sillas (The Cemetery of Chairs, Lengua de Trapo, 2002)• Hipotermia (Hypothermia, Anagrama, 2004)• Vidas Perpendiculares (Perpendicular Lives, Anagrama, 2008)
“My books have come out of an image. There’s always an image working on me for a long time until I begin to build a book around it.”
photos courtsy of anaGraMa MÉXico
interview alvaro enrigue
first. I don’t believe it because writing the first is impossible, it’s a miracle that one finishes a first novel. Then you learn that novels finish.
But yes, the second book is extremely dif-ficult. After Virtudes Capitales I went to do a doctorate in the United States and there I wrote El Cementerio de las Sillas, which is a very fat novel, very complicated, a novel for conversation with the literary tradition that you can only do in those six years that you live in a library.
When I finished El Cementerio de las Sillas, in 2000 or 2001, I began to write the book I’m finishing now and in between I wrote two other books, Hipotermia and Vidas Perpendiculares, because I didn’t feel capable of writing the novel I was writing.
—Is novel your genre?I don’t know. Being a novelist seems very disagreeable to me, the novel is a genre for a Spaniard with a tweed jacket. I would have a resistance in that category. We’ll leave it at writer.
But the novel is always a temptation, an enormous challenge. It’s very difficult to be a virtuoso in a novel, so it represents a chal-lenge and a very high degree of difficulty. The genres I’m most comfortable with are the article and the short story.
However, my books of short stories have never been books of short stories, they always end up having something of the novel, in the same way as the novels end up having some-thing of the short stories. I’m still not sure whether Vidas Perpendiculares is a novel. Hipotermia is definitely not a novel, it’s just that the stories are laid out in such a way that the contemporary reader who likes novels will have the feeling at the end that he read one, but it’s a book of stories.
—You probably have many “ancestors”, but there’s one obviously related to your work and that’s Jorge Luis Borges. What did you choose of Borges?First I wanted to be like Borges. Now I don’t want to be like him and that’s all. At the end I think it’s a curse, because it has been very easy for my generation to destroy idols but destroy-ing Borges is very complicated because he was, with Kafka, the best writer of the 20th century. I could define my life as a writer as a big effort to be like Borges and as soon as I felt that I could be like Borges, I made a big effort to stop being like him. He’s the guardian figure, the patron saint, the Virgin of Guadalupe.
—As a reader, one always wants to know where novels are born. Do you believe in inspiration? My books have come out of an image. There’s always an image working on me for a long time until I begin to build a book around it. The novel I’ve just finished is the image of María Félix’s sis-ter, “La Güera” Félix, who was the girlfriend of a brother of my grandfather, uncle Carlos, and my father once told us that he remembered having breakfast in the apartment in the Colonia Juárez where they lived and uncle Carlos came in, still in a tuxedo, with “La Güera” Félix in a sequined dress and high heels.
The book that follows comes from a similar image. When we were children my brothers and I spent the whole summer in an apartment in Colonia Nápoles. My parents
would buy us records of stories we listened to until we memorized them. We would put on the record of stories and lie on the floor in the living room and listen to them. And that’s how they all are, La Muerte de un Instalador came from the scene in which someone throws a coin into a urinal, which is something I saw in some fashionable place in the 90s. What kind of sick person thinks that the bathroom cleaner is going to put his hand in to get the coin out?
There’s no inspiration. What there is, is obsessive work on what you are relating all the time, how to make the character more real. If there were something that could be called inspiration it would be the way of ordering reality to relate that. Literature is a technical problem, although for the reader it is something else. n
50 Negocios i The Lifestyle Photos archive / crystian Gallardo / clÉMence
One of the most eloquent manifestations of cre-ativity in any culture has always been architec-ture. Mexico is no exception. Since pre-Hispanic times, the construction of landmarks and the pursuit of beauty and order have been present in Mexico’s history: first pyramids, temples and palaces and, later, great colonial buildings.
Today we look back in time and we find a rich culture and a great selection of structures of various styles and sizes. Among them are modern buildings from the first half of the last century, expressions of their time, projecting progress and a different attitude to facing new challenges in the world.
With renowned architects such as Félix Candela, Luis Barragán, Juan O’Gorman and many more, modern architecture is worth a
A One-Day Tour Through Mexico City’s Functionalist Architecture
day of touring around Mexico City. Here is a selection of places that will amaze the eyes of any picky tourist.
Head towards the south of Mexico City. Metro, metrobús and taxi are the best options for getting there. First stop, the Juan O’Gorman designed Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera stu-dio houses in San Angel. Located in one of the busiest corners of Altavista Avenue, these two houses were thought to be the ideal place to create art. They were designed separately, with the importance of individuality in mind, and with the sense that they were never meant to match but to juxtapose each other, highlighting the couple’s individuality but still close enough to be together. The architect built these houses for a purpose hence the term “Functionalist Ar-
by alvin MonareZ
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chitecture”: the idea that a structure is built for functional reasons, to be used.
Not far from there, the National Autono-mous University of Mexico’s main campus is one of the city’s major landmarks. Start with the central library, admiring the huge murals and the interior spaces. This building was also de-signed by Juan O’Gorman in the 1950s as part of the University’s Master Plan. The murals are made of tile and rock and depict Mexico’s History on the four sides of the building. Walk around the area and admire the faculties of ar-chitecture, medicine and social sciences, along with the gardens, designed by the Mexican architect and Pritzker Prize winner Luis Bar-ragán, and the main office building, also covered in some areas by murals, this time designed by José Chávez Morado.
Across Insurgentes Avenue, though still part of the University’s premises, the Olympic Sta-dium emerges from the ground like a natural piece of the scenery. With the shape of a volca-no, the stadium was home to Mexico’s Olympic Games in 1968 and is built with volcanic stone, a material found in great quantities locally. The original project intended to decorate the sta-dium’s exterior with murals by Diego Rivera but death prevented him from completing the work. This impressive building was designed by architects Augusto Pérez Salinas Moro and Jorge Bravo.
At the end of the tour day, head south to-wards Xochimilco, another one of Mexico City’s landmarks. There, the engineer Félix Candela created one of his most remarkable and famous works: Los Manantiales Restaurant. With the structure of a shell, the space is lush in its shape both inside and outside and since its opening, has been one of the area’s most visited spots. n
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52 Negocios i The Lifestyle Photos yessica sáenz / archive
Visiting Mexico for business doesn’t mean one has to stay in town when a free day and night appears on the schedule in between meetings.
With plenty of options around the main cit-ies in the country, Mexico enjoys a great variety of culture and architecture but most important of all, the country shelters a collection of beauti-ful small towns around the big business centers. Here are some of the best options for a one day getaway.
Mineral del Chico, HidalgoThis place is just two hours away from Mexico City. To get there take the toll road to Pachuca (capital of the state of Hidalgo), exiting the town by Insurgentes Avenue northbound.
With a cool and humid climate and 7,700 feet above sea level, Mineral del Chico is a small al-pine-like town located in the mountains of Hidal-go. First founded as a mining town, this place was part of the commercial path towards Pachuca and is now a shelter for the inhabitants of Mexico City. Curvy cobblestone streets run through this beautiful town. Food specialties include pastes (paste has its roots in the cornish pasty, intro-duced by miners and builders from Cornwall, United Kingdom, who were hired to work in the towns of Mineral del Monte and Pachuca in Hi-dalgo) and the most popular Mexican food.
Many activities can be carried out in the area, such as hiking and photography, and the main church and market are also worth the vis-it. Most of all, this is a place of rest and relaxation located in the mountains, an oasis not far from the busiest business center in Mexico.
Santiago, Nuevo LeónOnly 30 minutes away from Monterrey, capital of the state of Nuevo León and business heart of northern Mexico, Santiago takes you back in time to when Pancho Villa fired bullets in its co-lonial streets while the Mexican Revolution was at its peak. To get there take the 85 road or a bus from Monterrey’s main bus station.
One Day Getaways Around Main Cities in Mexicoby alvin MonarreZ
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The main square is the busiest place in town. There you can find the Santiago Apóstol church, where, according to the legend, there are more than 2,000 bodies buried in the foundations. Not far from here is the House of Culture, occupying a building from 1793, now restored to its best.
Around the area, there is the Cola de Ca-ballo Eco Park, which boasts a waterfall of more than 80 feet high where it is easy to find the perfect mood to enjoy a day of complete rest, complementing the visit with a walk among nature.
Mazamitla, JaliscoMazamitla means “place of deers.” Surround-ed by a lush forest, the town is one of Jalisco’s best-kept secrets. This place can be reached af-ter a 90-minute drive on the old highway from Guadalajara, capital of the state of Jalisco, to Morelia.
Jalisco is well known for its great variety of food and Mazamitla is no exception. It is one of the best places to find cheese, butter, cream, fruit and many flavors of jelly, as well as suc-culent dishes such as corundas, comalones and wheat gorditas, specialties of the region.
Also known as “The Mountain Capital”, Mazamitla offers a cool climate, a great atmo-sphere and a wonderfully warm welcome from its inhabitants. The cathedral and the main square are worth a visit and a selection of hotels can be found around the area. A whole day and night will fill the mind with positive energy and will draw a smile on the face of everyone.
One day away in the middle of a workweek can refresh the spirit and clear the mind. Get ready to find the many surprises Mexico shel-ters for its visitors. n 05
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54 Negocios photo courtesy of the san francisco ballet
isaac HerNáNdezThe career for a dreamIsaac Hernández started dancing in his father’s academy at the age of eight. Eleven years later and after an intense career of prizes, scholarships and opportunities, the young Mexican is part of the San Francisco Ballet, where he is training as a soloist.
by francisco vernis
When Héctor Hernández of-fered his ten children the opportunity to learn the art of ballet in depth, he warned
them that if they decided to do so it was to be the best, otherwise they should do something else. Isaac, who was eight years old at the time, took it seriously and now he is perhaps the most outstanding and promising Mexican dancer.
Today Isaac is only 19 and his career is already difficult to summarize. He has held scholarships in his native Guadalajara, Jalisco
(to the northwest of Mexico City), in New York and in Philadelphia, and throughout his life as a dancer he has received more offers than he has been able to accept. One year after starting to dance he won his first two competitions at state and national levels. A year later he won the gold medal at the Children and Youth International Classical Ballet Competition in San Salvador.
There followed more than ten medals and acknowledgments, until in 2003 he won the Prize for Excellence at the Youth America Grand Prix in New York, which led to eight of-
interview isaac hernándeZ
long, is something I miss. I’ve had to travel and live in different cities and I’ve never found what I had in Mexico. That feeling of belonging is one of the things I miss the most,” he said by tele-phone from San Francisco in a slow, deliberate voice that denotes an uncommon maturity in a young man of 19.
—What’s your life like in San Francisco?I consider myself very fortunate in the life I lead here because I’ve found what I was looking for professionally and emotionally: very good friends who support me in difficult times and the dance company that’s right for me.
I work constantly, six days a week and six to seven hours a day. My life is literally the San Francisco Ballet and I’m enjoying it a lot. I’m be-ing given many opportunities even though I’m young.
In 2009 the company choreographer [Yuri Possokhov] created a ballet for me. These are projects that we have been working on and that have given me the happiness I was looking for. It was one of the main reasons why I decided to go to New York the first time.
—How do you endure being far from your family?It’s one of the hardest things I’ve had to live with. I left home at the age of 13 to Philadelphia to study at The Rock School and my elder sister came with me to keep me company. That way I had someone I could count on who was part of my family. Even so, I sometimes went through very bad times. It was very difficult to overcome that, to understand that to get ahead I had to
leave something as important for me as my family; I had to
leave it behind somehow to be able to grow in the pro-
fession, in the dream I was pursuing. In that respect I’ve had to live a rather lonely
life but I’ve had the good fortune to meet some very good people, with good intentions, who have supported me at those times.
—What was it like having your father as a teacher?It was something very special. At times it was the hardest thing there could be. He’s your fa-ther and he’s instructing you not only as a hu-man being but also as an artist, so there were times when family life and professional life got mixed up. Aside from that, what brought me to where I am was having had the opportunity of working with my father, who really cared about me improving and he devoted all his
time to me so that I could learn as much as pos-sible. It’s very difficult to find that in paid teach-ers. For my father, rather than his son I was the outlet for his project. He was working on a project of his technique and together we were discovering how it could work better. It was very gratifying.
—Is your father very demanding?Yes, he’s too much of a perfectionist where bal-let is concerned. He’s very straightforward. It’s very simple, either you’re the best or you’re not. To achieve that you need a lot of discipline and my father had it, he would push us not to give up. He gave me such a good grounding that it’s been useful to me up to now.
—One thinks of ballet as a very difficult discipline, what do you find hardest? Ballet involves a lot of physical wear and tear. When you dance your body becomes debili-tated very quickly. You make it do almost inhu-man things because it’s not designed for them. You have to maintain a balance between your physical well-being and your mental well-be-ing to continue working to the utmost.
—When did you realize that this was what you wanted to do?I started dancing simply because my parents suggested it. Gradually I realized what ballet re-ally was and I must confess I’m still discovering what it means to me. That was what captivated me, what made me go forward, the curiosity for discovering more about this profession. I gradu-ally fell in love with movement, music, ballets, I realized this was what I wanted to do. I began to win competitions, to improve. I began to travel and one day I said: this is what I want to do, what is making me happy and I am going to devote one hundred percent of my life to it, let’s see how far I get.
Every day in the studio I discover something new about myself, about my personality, about my way of being as an artist and technically. That motivates me to go on working and attend class every day without flagging.
—In your first years, how did you com-bine the discipline of dancing with the activities of a young boy?In my case it was pure love of art, literally. At some point I did feel I was losing out on some-thing, spending time with my family or playing with my brothers, but I always saw a point in what I was doing, I never saw a sacrifice in vain and I tried to balance it as much as possible. I
fers from different schools at international level. He chose The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia, where he spent four years and then he joined the San Francisco Ballet, where he debuted as a soloist in 2009.
Getting there has not been easy. Above all, Isaac sacrificed closeness with his family and also the feeling of belonging to a place, of feeling at home.
“Often I wake up in the morning wishing I was in Guadalajara. The simple fact of feeling at home, in my country, in the place where I be-
56 Negocios photos courtesy of the san francisco ballet
also ran many risks of hurting myself and affect-ing my career, but I always took time to spend with my brothers. When I left Mexico one of my greatest regrets was to leave the life of a 13 year old boy and take up the life of an “adult.”
—And now, what does ballet allow you to do and not allow you to do?
We are like high-performance athletes, we have to care for our bodies because without them we cannot do much. We have to maintain a good physical condition to cope with the work we are given and never put ourselves at risk.
It’s not that you’re no longer living, rather you’re living a different life and with a clear pur-
pose. While you’re happy and you’re sure that’s what you want, it’s not very hard to leave other things so that you can do what makes you happy.
I was fortunate to find a more moderate hob-by, which is golf. I started playing golf when I was five. It relaxes me a little.
—Since ever there have been great ex-pectations in your career. How did you handle that pressure?It’s always been difficult for me not to let myself be affected by things which do noth-ing but pressure me and cause problems. My family helped me a lot in that. With age I began to understand what was important
“I work constantly, six days a week and six to seven hours a day. My life is literally the
San Francisco Ballet and I’m enjoying it a lot. I’m being given many opportunities even though I’m young.”
to me. I learned that everything has its own time and there’s nothing we can do except keep trying.
I expected a lot of myself too. The day I understood that everything that has to happen will happen to me if I keep moving forward and focused on what I want, I was much happier. Thus, little by little everything has happened as I planned. I have gradually met each of the goals I have set myself and I haven’t given up until I have succeeded. I have also come across a lot of taboos not only in Mexico but also abroad, where it seems hard to believe that a Mexican can dance. So far I’m quite satisfied with what I’ve done. If I
had the opportunity to do it again I would do exactly the same.
—How difficult is the competition?When I started dancing I knew nothing at all about the ballet world other than what my fa-ther told me and the stories he used to tell me. I didn’t see anything real until I went to New York for the first time and I saw that there were a lot more people dancing than I had imagined and many trying to be the best.
In a certain way competition opened up an-other world for me, it opened doors in different schools and made me realize the level I had and what I still had to do.
—What are your aspirations as a dancer? I aspire not to have limits, to reach such a high level artistically that I can express anything I feel. For example, interpreting roles such as Romeo and Juliet, which require acting and interpretation, where what is important is not only technique but being an artist.
I’m working on that. I want to be an excel-lent artist who can express himself one hun-dred percent. I always believe I can do more.
I want to make a difference in ballet, espe-cially because these days ballet has become more of a sport and people have forgotten that the most beautiful thing in it is art. Technique is not art. n
Step By Step
w1990: Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco. 1998: Begins his studies with Héctor Hernández, his father.1999: Wins first prize in his category in the State Children and Youth Classical Ballet Com-petition and third place in the National Children and Youth Classical Ballet Competition. 2000: Obtains first place in the State Children and Youth Classical Ballet Competition for the second time and the gold medal in the International Children and Youth Classical Bal-let Competition in San Salvador, El Salvador. 2001: Wins the Grand Prix in the National Children and Youth Classical Ballet Competi-tion; the gold medal in the International Children and Youth Classical Ballet Competition in Guatemala and the silver medal in the First International Competition of Dance Educa-tors of America (DEA) in San José, Costa Rica, where he is offered a scholarship for a DEA seminar in New York. 2002: He obtains the Grand Prix in the Concourse International Odyssée de la Danse in Lyon, France, as well as first place in the Prague Dance Festival. He also auditioned and obtained a scholarship to study at the National School of Dance of the Paris Opera, where he did not go due to technical differences. Obtains an annual participation scholarship in the Summer Intensive Course of American Ballet Theater (ABT) of New York. 2003: Wins first place and recognition as the best male dancer in the Youth American Grand Prix. In Mexico he is acknowledged with the National Youth Prize. He joins the National Training Program of ABT as a scholarship holder. He also joins The Rock School for Dance Education of Philadelphia with a scholarship. 2004: Wins the Grand Prix in the Youth American Grand Prix in New York; first place in the International competition for Ballet Students in Havana, Cuba, and becomes the first foreigner to be awarded that prize. Participates in the Giants of the Dance tour with internationally acknowledged dancers such as Julie Kent, José Manuel Carreño, Carlos Acosta and Tamara Rojo. 2005: Obtains the bronze medal and a medal for technical excellence in the Moscow Inter-national Dance Competition. 2006: Wins the gold medal in the USA International Ballet Competition, where he also re-ceives the International Award as Top World Dance Promise. Receives the Jerome Robbins Prize for artistic excellence and the Alexei Yudenich Scholarship award in Philadelphia.2007: Obtains the Alexei Yudenich Scholarship Award for being an outstanding student. 2008: Joins the San Francisco Ballet. 2009: Debuts as a soloist of the San Francisco Ballet interpreting Tchaikovsky’s Pas de Deux at the War Memorial Opera House.
interview isaac hernándeZ
58 Negocios i The Lifestyle Photos courtesy of Gobierno del estado de chiaPas / ricardo ibarra
destination chiapas
The barren road surrounded by continuous thick greenery leads to almost fantastic natu-ral scenarios that in Chiapas nurture an ex-tensive family descended from various ethnic groups, most of them Maya.
Archaeological ruins, active ritual tem-ples, commercial or indigenous villages, orig-inal landscapes, the abundant jungle of Chi-apas, in the southeast of Mexico, has allowed the growth of a multiplicity of elements that make up a universe that captivates sight and imagination.
San Cristóbal de las Casas is considered the state’s cultural capital. It is a Pueblo Mági-co (Magical Town), catalogued thus by the Mexican Ministry of Tourism, surrounded by impressive pine and oak-clad mountains.
This city has a temperate climate and is home to a cosmopolitan community. Along its streets of buildings constructed in the 16th and 17th centuries walk mainly Tzotziles and Tzetzales, descendants of the Maya, who live from their harvests and handcrafted art. There are Europeans and Asians, some South Americans and, of course, Mexicans.
The main attraction of this town, in addi-tion to its people, is the colonial architecture of buildings such as the cathedral, with its viv-id yellows and reds, or the Arco del Carmen, next to the church of the same name.
San Cristóbal is not only a place of pas-sage but also of temporary lodging, as staying there for a few days makes it possible to visit
chiapas, the fantastic JungleThe routes of Chiapas have a multiplicity of voices, as if the extensive jungle had allowed the development of various cultural beings. They are also a place for discovering Mexico’s past, as well as its future.
by ricardo ibarra
the attractions of the surrounding area.Some 20 minutes away by road is the larg-
est settlement of Tzotzil people, in San Juan Chamula, where there is a synchronicity be-tween the Roman Catholic religion and ritu-als associated with the Maya calendar, such as purification or the patron saints, led by tradi-tional priests within their main church.
There are few photographs –if any– of the interior of that church, for taking photographs is forbidden. But a visual portrait would show the interior of this enclosure to be a sacred place. To begin with, there are no benches to sit on to listen to a sermon. Here the purifica-tion and nourishment of the spirit is personal, by contact through prayer with one of the dozens of saints safeguarded in glass cabinets or with the advice of the priests. The floor is carpeted with fresh greenery, which depend-ing on the season of the year can come from the branches of nearby pines or any species of green grass. Mysticism is accentuated by incense smoke, which dominates the high, aged walls. The only lighting comes from the flames of candles and from the entry door. Ceremonies are performed kneeling or standing and there can be several priests assisting the members of the congregation at the same time.
Outside, right opposite the church, is the main square. That is where the life of the town is. There the natives set up a market that provides food, clothing and products for daily
use. Visitors wander through the market cor-ridors clicking their cameras or buying some of the many products sold there.
Near the main square is the cemetery, un-der open skies and unprotected by any walls. The wooden crosses and small mounds of earth, one next to the other, give the necropo-lis a mystical nature. The lack of barriers em-phasizes how close death is from life.
To the north, highway 199 leads to towns such as Ocosingo, Toniná and the small, stepped waterfalls of Agua Azul, so called be-cause of the turquoise hue that characterizes the waters of the Tulijá River in that area.
In addition to excellent photographs, this place affords a natural landscape like no oth-er, for the water gives life to the dense tropical vegetation that borders it.
There are cabins where you can find shelter to fully enjoy the surroundings of this area, declared a Forest Protection and Wild-life Refuge Zone in 1980.
A few kilometers further north on the same road, close to Palenque, is the high water-fall of Misol Ha. Next to the lake that forms the waterfall, you can find rest areas and cabins. Behind the waterfall, which has a drop of ap-proximately 30 meters, there is a cave that can be explored with the aid of lamps and a guide.
A few more kilometers northward, less than an hour by road, are the ruins of Palenque, the emblematic Maya city declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in 1987.
60 Negocios i The Lifestyle Photos ricardo ibarra / JaGuar conservancy
One of the particularities of this archaeologi-cal zone is the only pyramid outside Egypt that contains the tomb of a king, in this case of Pakal.
One of the great mysteries surrounding Palenque is how and why the city was aban-doned, uninhabited since before the Spanish conquest in 1521.
Among the main structures of this site, built around the year 100 B.C., in the Classic stage of Mesoamerica, is the Temple of the Inscriptions (the tomb of King Pakal), a stepped pyramid that owes its name to three rock panels with hi-
eroglyphic inscriptions. The sarcophagus con-tained in its interior, unique in world archaeol-ogy, is decorated with bas-reliefs showing the descent of Pakal to the underworld, where he had to defeat the masters of this netherworld to reach immortality.
There is also the Palace, the series of cross-es, an aqueduct, the ball game and the temples of the Lion and of the Count.
But the charm of the Maya area in the 21st century does not end there. There are still many routes to travel, people and towns to know. n
The main attraction of San Cristóbal de las Casas, in addition to its people, is the colonial architecture of buildings such as the cathedral, with its vivid yellows and reds, or the Arco del Carmen, next to the church of the same name.
feedback Jaguar conservancy
by cristina ávila-Zesatti
Director Roland Emmerich’s (The Day After Tomorrow, 2004, Independence Day, 1996) last film, 2012, premiered in November 2009. It is his latest version of the end of the world, in-spired this time by the Mayan Calendar, which marks the year 2012 as the end of a cycle and has generated many predictions about the fu-ture of the human race.
The Mayas, extraordinary mathematicians and astronomers, were one of the wisest civi-lizations ever known. They had a deep knowl-edge of the heavens and the way they governed the environment with the endless succession of seasons.
This Mesoamerican culture, which covered the now Mexican states of Campeche, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Tabasco and Yucatán, as well as those parts of Central America we now know as Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salva-dor, has 3,000 years of erudition. It has left us with one of the world’s most beautiful areas, coveted by national and international tourists not only because of the cultural wealth and impressive buildings of Mayan settlements but also because of its incredible natural di-versity that includes turquoise, crystal-clear seas, beaches, tropical forests, wetlands, semi-tropical forests and mangroves.
And while the Mayan sounds still echo to-day with renewed strength, modernity, attract-ed by the endless wealth of the Mayan region, is eroding what the ancient Mayans protected above all: the land, its vegetation, its animals and the perfect balance between human life and nature.
Regrettably, what we know today as Riviera Maya is the home of many species and ecosys-
Recovering a Legend to Save NatureThe Jaguar, king of America’s tropical forest, is in danger of extinction. Its importance to ancient civilizations was acknowledged by the fact that many pre-Columbian people regarded the big cat as a god. Being the largest predator, its existence was a guarantee of natural balance in its habitat. In Mexico there are only some 3,000 jaguars left, mainly in the Mayan jungle. That is why Jaguar Conservancy has decided to save the most powerful American feline by recovering its habitat and cleaning the whole ecosystem in the Mayan region, one of the most diverse ones in Mexico and the world.
tems that do not have to wait for the end of the world that the Mayan codices foretell. For them, destruction is a phenomenon that has been creeping ever closer since 1999 —the year of the darkest, modern-era solar eclipse, also foretold by the Mayas. The Riviera Maya was inaugurated as Mexico’s most successful tour-ist corridor because of the revenues it gener-ates but it is one of the most expensive in terms of loss of natural resources.
From majestic legend to reality in extinctionThe Chilam Balam (foreteller of secrets) is a collection of documents, written after the Spanish conquest, which capture Mayan tra-dition, medicine, cosmology, astronomy and chronology. Translated literally, Chilam Balam means “Jaguar’s Mouth”. The priest (Chilam) was the only one who could interpret the gods’ messages and the Jaguar (Balam) was one of those gods.
For the Mayas, the Jaguar was the god of the sun who became a feline to visit the world of the dead. But the jaguar was also the crea-ture whose jaws devoured the sun at twilight —the spots on its skin were the stars in the sky.
Apart from being the god of day, the jaguar was also the god of night, land and heaven. But it was not by chance. The Mayas, the Aztecs, the Incas, the Olmecs, the Toltecs and the To-tonacas all knew how to recognize and honor the most powerful predator in their lands: a key species whose ferocity kept everything around it in complete balance.
Since 1900, this species was completely exterminated in the US, while in the rest of its large dominions it has been slowly cornered. Today, it is one of the 17,000 species that are in danger of complete extinction due to weather changes and, mainly, because its habitat is be-ing destroyed. Conserving BiodiversityJaguar Conservancy was established three years ago to save this powerful feline that was, and still is, losing its battle against human at-tacks in the shape of road infrastructure and large tourist developments.
The organization was formed by a group of science scholars, professionals and research-ers who had been committed to this cause for a long time on their own and who decided to unite their efforts and share their knowledge. Their aim was to combine their pressure groups in one unique initiative to make the world understand that this ancient Mayan god needs more land, in order to protect thou-sands of species belonging to the lower levels of the food chain and to preserve the Mayan For-est, America’s second largest forest area after the Amazon.
“Jaguars are considered an ‘umbrella’ spe-cies because by protecting their habitat, we protect all the other elements that share it: their direct prey, their prey’s prey, birds, am-phibians and the surrounding vegetation. Unlike other animals, jaguars are unable to adapt to the
Jaguar Conservancy was established in Mexico
three years ago to save this powerful feline that was, and still is, losing its battle against
human attacks in the shape of road infrastructure and
large tourist developments.
62 Negocios i The Lifestyle Photo archive
damage caused by human intrusion, they need large surfaces to survive and travel. In order to preserve their ecosystem, we must recover the health of the area where we are currently work-ing,” says Eugenia Pallares, Chair of Jaguar Con-servancy.
A recent study revealed that a jaguar can hunt close to 80 different species, even more than tigers or lions because its natural habi-tat is much more diverse. Originally, this fe-line could afford these nutritional luxuries because its packs were able to travel around almost the whole continent, north to Arizona and Texas and south to Argentina.
Today, these conditions have changed. Tropi-cal forests are being destroyed and turned into tourist resorts, livestock fields and roads, to name only a few, which has have slowly fragmented jag-uar populations and, in many cases, completely exterminated them.
In the Mayan area, 60% of the tropical forest has already disappeared, according to Edmundo Huerta, technical manager of the organization. “The Lacandon Jungle used to cover 1.5 million hectares. Today it covers less than 500,000 and only 300,000 of them are protected. That makes it an extremely vulnerable area, [as] happens with the Yucatán Peninsula, Tamaulipas and Ve-racruz,” says Huerta.
A King Without a Throne?The jaguar is the largest feline in the western hemisphere and the world’s third largest one.
Due to the damage caused to its habitat and the decrease that its populations have suffered within its distribution area, it has been classified as a highly vulnerable species.
Today, its distribution spreads from Mexico to Argentina, covering the arid areas of Northern Mexico, tropical forests in Mesoamerica and South America and the grasslands of the Brazilian Pantanal.
Even though its distribution area might seem large, it only represents 54% of its historical range. Most of the loss is due to change in the use of soil for agricultural and livestock activities, which has also increased the amount of conflicts between humans and jaguars.
Pallares and Huerta agree that the areas where jaguars develop and live normally are completely virgin or carefully protected ones, planned in a sustainable way, where modernity, if present, is neither intrusive nor destructive. This is exactly what Jaguar Conservancy is working for: saving biodiversity by recovering the legend of the jaguar god.
The Predator Became the PreyIt is estimated that the jaguar population in Mexi-co stands at between 2,500 and 3,000. Research-ers from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) are currently performing a national census to calculate accurately the ac-tual size of jaguar populations in the country. The truth is that the largest populations of jaguar in Mexico live in the Mayan jungle, where current inhabitants not only have stopped adoring jaguar but also hunt it as it may attack livestock.
According to Huerta: “One of the main issues in the Mayan jungle is habitat fragmentation. This is one of Mexico’s main tourist attractions, so infrastructure has become a priority and now the environment is suffering.”
And he is right. Several economic reports have positioned the Riviera Maya as the area with the largest growth in tourist infrastructure but, as explained by the members of Jaguar Con-
feedback Jaguar conservancy
servancy, “selling paradise” has also had a high environmental impact.
“One of the main areas of focus for jaguar conservation is informing authorities of this risk. We have found that many institutions, such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), the Ministry of Communications and Transpor-tation (SCT) and the Federal Electricity Com-mission (CFE), are very open to the issue. For example, the CFE agreed to redesign one of its high-tension cabling projects after finding out about our environmental impact research,” as-serts Huerta.
Modernity is based on immediate cost-bene-
fit analysis. Jaguar Conservancy is slowly chang-ing the culture of this wealthy area to prove that, for example, a highway project can destroy all the surrounding natural wealth that today is, para-doxically, one of the main reasons to promote such infrastructure.
The idea is to protect this older brother of the jungle and, by doing so, safeguard almost 200 species of mammals, 300 species of bird, 4,000 species of plants and more than 250 species of invertebrates.
Jaguar Conservancy has been working to-wards this goal for three years and, regardless of what the Mayan codices say about 2012, the organization has future plans to prevent “the end
of the world” for jaguars and other species that survive thanks to them.
For researcher John Major Jenkins, this mythical date —December-January 2012— only means the end of a cycle that will bring transfor-mation and renewal to our planet. This may be the time to reconsider our ideas and to think that our real wealth is in our natural resources.
That is the spirit that moves members of Jaguar Conservancy, that upon the wake of Balam’s ancient legends, the jaguar god, try to wake the conscience of those who are making important decisions today regarding the area that originally belongs to the “King of Ameri-ca’s tropical forest.” n
Red Carpetw
For more than five decades, environmen-tal studies have developed what is called “road ecology”, which is responsible for making research to determine the effect that roads have on wildlife and to suggest solutions and measures to counteract any damages that this expression of moder-nity may cause to the natural habitat of animal species.
The loss of connectivity within fauna populations is among the main conse-quences of road construction in natural areas. One of the most effective measures to minimize this problem is building “wildlife bridges” or “fauna passages”, which, when built in the appropriate places —those points where animals usu-ally travel—, help recover this connectiv-ity.
Jaguar Conservancy is involved in a project with other NGOs and with the SCT to implement risk mitigation measures in the Escarcega-Xpujil road portion in the state of Campeche, in the heart of one of the areas with the largest jaguar population.
This road is being expanded and poses a risk of breaking the connectivity of two very important ecologic reserves, Balam Ku and Calakmul. Thus it can fragment large populations of mammals, such as jaguars, pumas, deers and tapirs, which used to cross freely from one reserve to the other.
Jaguar Conservancy has worked with researchers from the Max Plank Institute
in Germany, to develop a probability model based on the real movements of jaguars, reg-istered with radio telemetry collars. This in-novative methodology allows to evaluate the probability of a jaguar moving from a specific point, based on variables such as distance from roads, population density in human centers and type of vegetation in the area. In this way, the model helps to determine where to build “fauna passages” on roads.
Based on this methodology, the organiza-tion has identified 17 potential jaguar cross-ing points and it proposed measures such as “wildlife bridges”, signals for drivers and speed reducers. Today, the SCT is building the first “fauna passage” and is working to modify
the road expansion project to make this a high-biodiversity, low-speed road.
This is the first project of its kind in Mexico and the first project in the world to be executed in a tropical area. Most of the fauna passages that have been built around the world are locat-ed in forests and grasslands in Europe, the US and Canada, where there is a smaller biodiversity.
In this way, Jaguar Conservancy has positioned itself as leader and pioneer in road ecology in Mexico and it is proving that this is one of the most appropriate scientific tools to win the battle against the extinction of species such as jaguars.
Road to Calakm
ul
Escárcega Xpujil
CalakmulReserve
Mexico
Campeche
FemalesMales
Conhuas
San José
inF
og
ra
Ph
ic o
ld
eM
ar
The pink and blue spots in the map indicate female an male jaguar crossing points in the Escárcega-Xpujil
road, identified by Jaguar Conservancy based on the research Jaguars on the move: modeling movement
to mitigate fragmentation from road expansion in the Mayan Forests (2009), conducted by Colchero,
Conde, Manterola, Rivera and Cevallos .
64 Negocios i The Lifestylein
Fo
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aP
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In Favor of Biodiversity
Jaguar Conservancy is working on three active programs and it has another program that will be executed in the future. Its main influence realm is the heart of the second largest jungle patch in America, after the Amazon, known as the Mayan jungle. This is one of the main components of the “Mesoamerican Hotspot” and it includes the Petén in Guatemala, Belize and a large part of the states of Campeche and Quintana Roo in Mexico, where the Mayan Biosphere and the Calakmul reserves are located.
ProgramsCultural elementFuture completion of a “Jaguar Sanctuary”, a center where protected jaguar communities will be held in their wild state within a specific area; information and cultural activities to recover the adoration for these animals among locals.
ResearchCapture of jaguars to apply radio telemetry collars, which, through satellite tracing, provide data on the feline's behavior, such as movement area, feeding habits, population and prey availability. Blood and genetic analysis are also performed to find out the origin and health of existing individuals.
MexicoBelize
Guatemala
Calakmul
Social programsEducation and awareness programs with communities that live near the areas inhab-ited by jaguars, with the purpose of finding sustainable solutions in productive projects that do not pose a risk to their habitat.
Environmental projectsCollaboration with government institutions and tourism entities to execute mid and long-term sustainable development projects. Environmental impact studies performed before building roads, searching for alternatives such as construction of wildlife bridges, allowing vehicle flow and natural animal migration.
www.jaguarconservancy.org