Manufacturing Options: Mexico Vs. China by Enrique Esparza

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EDITORIAL COUNCIL UNITED STATES - MEXICO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Albert C. Zapanta, President & CEO, Binational Headquarters; Francisco López Espinoza, CEO, MULTICOLOR Industria Gráfica; Eric Rojo, Vice-President/Mexico Liaison; Joseph R. Chapa, Vice-President, International Trade Development Centers; Gerardo Funes, Vice-President of Communications; Cecilia López, Publishing Manager; Alberto GarcíaJurado, Director Cultural of Effectiveness Center; Jill Martínez, publisher, www.IrvingOnline.com; and Francisco López Rivera, General Manager of MULTICOLOR Industria Gráfica.

PROMEXE´S ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL Rafael López Rivera rafa.lopez@multicolorig.com Francisco López Espinoza fjlopez@multicolorig.com Francisco López Rivera fco.lopez@multicolorig.com

PUBLISHING COORDINATORS Executive Director Rafael López Rivera rafa.lopez@multicolorig.com Vice-President of Communications Gerardo Funes gerardo@usmcoc.org Publishing Manager Cecilia López ceci.lopez@sbcglobal.net

CONCEPT & MAGAZINE DESIGN Editorial Coordinator Yolanda Ivette Castillo Vázquez icastillo@promexe.com Graphic Designer Areli Jeanette Sayas Hernández asayas@promexe.com

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Alejandro Ramos Sergio Ponce Blanca Berthier Nicandro Ortiz Eduardo Bialostozky Marlen Marroquin Elba Hentschel Anja Miroslaw

José Antonio Pérez Bravo Nani.

Rivadeneyra, Treviño & De Campo, S.C. Scott Sneckenberger Partner - Plante & Moran, PLLC Alejandro A. Rodriguez Country Manager - México Plante & Moran, PLLC. Dr. Itzam de Gortari CEO - TechBA Seattle

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For advertising inquiries, contact: Rafael López rafa.lopez@multicolorig.com Executive Director Gerardo Funes gerardo@usmcoc.org Vice-President of Communications Cecilia López ceci.lopez@sbcglobal.net Publishing Manager Cover photography by FONATUR ALLIANCE is a quarterly publication of the United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce and Promotora Mexicana de Ediciones S.A. de C.V., for the binational enterprise sector. Mexico office: Av. Jose Maria Chavez No. 3408, Ciudad Industrial; Aguascalientes, Ags., Mexico (www.promexe.com) United States office: United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, 5510 Cherokee Ave. Ste. 120, Alexandria, VA 22313-2320. Mailing address: P.O. Box 14414, Washington, D.C. 20044.

Printed by Multicolor Industria Grafica, S.A. de C.V. Av. Jose Maria Chavez No. 3408, Ciudad Industrial; Aguascalientes, Ags., Mex. Specifications: Total production; 2,000 units, covers: couche paper 135 grs. Varnish UV, interiors: couche paper 135 grs. Impression: offset full color.

The views expressed in this magazine are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect official positions of the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, its members or supporters. Our goal is to present a broad range of perspectives on shared bilateral issues.

Editorial

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elcome to this edition of Alliance Magazine, a publication by the United States – Mexico Chamber of Commerce, designed to inform and inspire our audience about the activities of the Chamber and the U.S. – Mexico Cultural and Educational Foundation.

In this edition of Alliance we see how FONATUR is developing three Integrally Planned and Sustainable Development (IPSD) sites. The first, in the State of Sinaloa, located on the Pacific Coast of México, will be called Playa Espiritu. This development will have a total of 43,981 accommodation units, 11,614 hotel rooms, and 15,882 residential houses. The second site is called Costacampo, located in the state of Nayarit in Lima de Abajo, approximately 29 milles north from Litibú and 37 miles from Puerto Vallarta. The benefits expected from this development, through 2017, are to generate 7,354 direct jobs, 16,877 indirect jobs, guarantee an annual inflow of 523,000 tourists, count on a private investment of $1,447 million and a public investment of $128 million to benefit the population in the region. Finally, the last site is Marina Cozumel, located in the beautiful State of Quintana Roo, only less than two miles from the center of Cozumel. This destination´s main attraction will be a marine with capacity for 333 boats, 15 to 60 feet long.

Also in this edition, we are pleased to present contributions by Tony Jimenez, President and CEO of MicroTech, who has written a piece on the future of cloud computing and the enormous potential for growth that the industry has in Latin America. We would also like to thank Enrique Esparza, President, Co-Prodution International, for his article on Manufacturing Options: China vs Mexico; Dr. Itzam De Gortari, for insight on Technology in Mexico and its application in the U.S and Programa de Aceleracion de Empresas Tecnologicas/ foreign trade; and Scott Sneckenberger, Partner Global Services at Plante & Moran and Alejandro A. Rodriguez, Country Manager México Plante & Moran, PLLC., for their article, “Mergers and Acquisitions in Mexico — Reducing Risk and Adding Value through Due Diligence.”

The Chamber hosted its Annual Binational Meeting and Awards Gala Dinner in México City on November 30-December 1. This conference, entitled “U.S. – Mexico Challenges and Opportunities for 2012,” addressed many of major issues that will be facing both of our countries in this coming year. The gala dinner was a huge success, with awards being presented to Genaro García Luna, Mexico’s Secretary of Public Security, and Rodolfo López Negrete, Chief Operating Officer, Mexico Tourism Board.

Thank you to everyone who helped put this publication together. We hope you enjoy this edition of Alliance Magazine. We look forward to seeing you on April 25-27 as we host our Annual Conference, “Good Neighbor Awards”, and Binational Board of Directors Meeting in Washington D.C.

Albert Zapanta

President & CEO

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CHAPTER OFFICES

OFICINAS DEL CAPÍTULO

3 4

OF INTEREST

DE INTERÉS

EVENTO BINACIONAL

CHAPTER ACTIVITIES...

BRIEFS BREVES

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18 ACTIVIDADES DEL CAPÍTULO...

ESPACIO DEL MIEMBRO

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BINATIONAL EVENT

MEMBERS CORNER

THE COVER

ARTÍCULO DE PORTADA FONATUR, Converts Vision into Investment

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OPINION OPINIÓN

Ready or Not, Here Come the Clouds! • Manufacturing Options: Mexico vs. China • An Emerging Strategic Imperative in Oil & Gas • The Social License to Operate

MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS MIEMBRO DESTACADO

44 • Kraft Foods make your day delicious • Tony Jimenez, Leader of Fastest Growing Hispanic-Owned Business, Finds Success in Technology Innovation

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CHAPTER OFFICES THE AMBASSADOR OF GOOD BUSINESS www.usmcoc.org

Gerardo Funes Vice-President of Communications gerardo@usmcoc.org Tel: 703-752-4751 x 107 Fax: 703-642-1088

Joe Chapa Vice-President International Trade Development Centers jrchapa7@usmcoc.org Tel: 214-329-4559 Fax: 703-642-1088

BINATIONAL HEADQUARTERS / OFICINAS GENERALES 6800 Versar Center. Ste. 450 Springfield, VA 22151 Mail to: P.O. Box 14414, Washington, D.C. 20044

California Regional Chapter Los Angeles, CA Marlen Marroquin Executive Director 2450 Colorado Ave., Suite 400E Santa Monica, CA 90404 Tel: 310-586-7901 Fax: 310-586-7800 marlen@usmcocca.org

Mid-America Chapter Chicago, IL Blanca Berthier Executive Director Blue Cross Blue Shield Building 300 E. Randolph Dr. 49th floor Chicago, Il 60601 Tel: 312-729-1355 / 312-729-1356 Fax: 312-729-1354 blanca.berthier@usmcoc.org

Pacífico Chapter Guadalajara, Jal Jesús Galván Álvarez Executive Director Córdoba #2606, Col. Providencia Guadalajara, Jal. CP 44630 Tels: 52 (33) 38173475 Tels: 52 (33) 38173798 jgalvan@usmcocpacifico.org

Aguascalientes Chapter Aguascalientes, Ags. Alejandro Vázquez Executive Director Av. Independencia 1602 Col. Fátima Aguascalientes, Ags. Tel.: (449) 914-6863 y (449) 153-3553 www.usmcocags.com.mx alejandro.vazquez@usmcocags. com.mx

Southwest Chapter Dallas, TX Josie Orosco Executive Director 901 Main Street, 44th. Floor Dallas, TX 75202 Tel: 214-747-1996 Fax: 214-747-1994 swusmx@netzero.com

Inter-American Chapter Miami, FL Elba Hentschel Executive Director 1441 Brickell Ave. Suite 1400 Miami, Florida 33131 Tel: 305-374-7401 Fax: 305-374-7405 interamerican@usmcoc.org

Guanajuato Chapter León, Gto. Sergio López Ponce Executive Director Blvd. Campestre No. 1215, Int. 12 Col. Panorama León, Gto. 37160 Tel: (477) 779-5670 Fax: (477) 779-5671 splopez88@gmail.com

Golfo Chapter Veracruz, Ver. Jorge Alejandro Vega Executive Director Simon Bolivar no. 705. casi esquina con España.

Despacho 3 Colonia Zaragoza C.P. 91910 Veracruz, Ver. México Tel: (229) 937-0598 Fax: (229) 100-3857 naftaforum@gmail.com

International Trade Development and Assistance Center Joe Chapa Executive Director 207 Mandalay Canal Irving, TX 75039 Tel: 406-839-1796 jrchapa7@gmail.com

Pacific Northwest Chapter Seattle, WA Jorge Madrazo Cuéllar President 15100 S.E. 38th Street, #728 Bellevue, WA 98006-1765 Tel: 206-306-4881 jmadrazo@usmcocnw.org

Puebla Chapter Puebla, Pue. Vidaur Mora Executive Director 31 Poniente No. 4128 2-B Col. Reforma Sur Puebla, Pue. 72160 Tel: (222) 403-2908 Fax: (222) 249-2361 puebla@usmcoc.org http://usmcocpue.org

Valle de México Chapter México, D.F. Anja Miroslaw Executive Director Av. Insurgentes Sur 1605 Torre Mural, Piso 25, Mod. 3 Col. San José Insurgentes Benito Juárez, 03900 México, D.F. Tel: (55) 5662-6103 Fax: (55) 5683-2700 a_miroslaw@usmcoc.org

Northeast Chapter New York, NY Alejandro Ramos Executive Director 1540 Broadway, Suite 1400 New York, NY. 10036-4086 Tel: 212-471-4703 Fax: 212-471-4701 alejandro@usmcocne.org

Las Vegas Chapter Las Vegas, NV. Carlos Olamendi President 10728 Royal Pine Ave. Las Vegas NV 89144 Tel: 310-586-7901 Fax: 310-586-7800 colamendi@gmail.com

Querétaro Chapter Querétaro, Qro. Marcela Soto Executive Director Isas y Asociados Contadores Públicos Rufino Tamayo # 2 Col. Pueblo Nuevo Querétaro, Qro. 76900 Tel: (442) 295-0272 msoto@usmcoc-qc.org.mx

Noreste Chapter Monterrey, N.L. Roberto Fuerte Executive Director Av. Fundidora No. 501.

Edificio Cintermex P.B. Local 114 Col. Obrera Monterrey, N.L. 64010 Tel: (81) 8191-7800 rfuerte@usmcocmtymx.org rfuerte@gmail.com

The Woodlands - Gulf Coast Chapter Pete Garcia Executive Director 10077 Grogan’s Mill Road, Ste. 530 The Woodlands, TX 77380 713.854.1577 pete@chambergc.org

Mid-Atlantic Chapter Washington, D.C. Vacant Trade Representative 6800 Versar Center, Suite 450 Springfield, VA 22151 Tel: 703-752-4752 Fax: 703-642-1088 gerardo@usmcoc.org

Cancun Chapter Cancún, Q.R. Evelyn Pintado Cervera Executive Director Calle Chacá 19 Mz. 1 Sm.23, Cancún, Q.R. C.P. 77500 Tel. (998) 193-1260 Fax (998) 887-8848 evelyn.pintado@gmail.com

Michoacan Chapter Morelia, Mich.

Nick Ortiz Presidente Melo 166-B Morelia Michoacan C.P. 58000 Tel: (443) 353-2927 usmcocmich@gmail.com

CHAPTER OFFICES / OFICINAS DEL CAPÍTULO

Al Zapanta President & CEO zapantaz@usmcoc.org Tel: 703-752-4751 Fax: 703-642-1088

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Technology Business Accelerator Program

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echnology-based businesses have great potential to create innovative products and services. In order to take advantage of this potential, the Mexican Ministry of Economy and the U.S.Mexico Foundation for Science (FUMEC) formed TechBA (Technology Business Accelerator Program), an organization that identifies highly innovative Mexican businesses with great promise for growth and assists them in forging international partnerships in order to successfully participate in global markets.

The main objectives of TechBA are to nurture successful Mexican technology companies as they move into global markets and to facilitate their interaction with international ecosystems in order

to generate sales, strategic partnerships and attract investment.

TechBA was created in 2004 and currently has eight accelerators dedicated to assisting businesses with defined innovative proposals. The TechBA offices are located in regions that have developed highly dynamic ecosystems: Silicon Valley in California; Austin, Texas; Michigan; Arizona; Seattle, Washington; Montreal, Quebec; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Madrid, Spain.

TechBA has increased its presence in the Pacific Northwest region with several success stories. Between 2010 and 2011, 45 Mexican technology companies have participated in the TechBA program at the Seattle office. Ten of these companies incorporated in the U.S.

American Safari Cruises Launches Eighth Vessel

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MEMBERS CORNER / ESPACIO DEL MIEMBRO

merican Safari Cruises, a division of Seattlebased InnerSea Discoveries, is adding to its fleet with the launch of Safari Endeavour which embarks on the new Baja’s Bounty Adventure cruises beginning in November 2012 and cruising through April 2013. Weeklong expedition cruises sail round trip from La Paz, Mexico to explore this UNESCO World Heritage Site & Biosphere Reserve.

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With this new addition, American Safari Cruises increases its fleet to eight vessels with itineraries in southeast Alaska, the Columbia and Snake Rivers, the Pacific Northwest, Mexico’s Sea of Cortés and the Hawaiian Islands.

American Safari Cruises specializes in upscale adventure cruises with its focus on close-up experiences at each destination, taking guests into areas that are not generally accessible to larger ships.

For additional details, point your browser to www.InnerSeaDiscoveries.com.

Mexican Government launches NEEC (Nuevo Esquema de Empresas Certificadas)

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n December 15, 2011, the Mexican government announced that, as part of its commitment to facilitate safe and secure international trade across its borders, it was launching NEEC (Nuevo Esquema de Empresas Certificadas). According to www.logisticsportal.org, “In its simplest form, NEEC is the Mexican version of the U.S. C-TPAT that is modeled after the World Customs Organization’s framework for secure trade. Xtrategas, a law firm based in Mexico City, specializing in international trade, customs and tax laws (with offices at the main Mexican borders as well as in the U.S., China and Hong Kong) is one of the authorized firms to carry out NEEC certification.

The program is voluntary and offers participating companies fewer inspections and faster clearances for meeting specified supply requirements at the U.S.-Mexican border.”

NEEC offers benefits to qualified companies. Among those are: • Fast track lanes

• New technology, non-invasive inspections • Simple and easy administration • Easier customs clearance and dispatch at the border • High level of confidence for all parties • Rapid and efficient • Major security The procedure for certification takes about fourand-a-half months during which a company must submit information about its facility and records security, financial well-being, process flowcharts, risk analysis, emergency plans, ID of workers and visitors and corporate personnel. The company must also have five years background in exports.

Through the NEEC, Mexico’s Tax Administration Service (SAT) and its counterpart in the U.S., Customs and Border Protection, intend to initiate a certification process involving all organizations and personnel in the supply chain. It is expected that in 2012, around 2,000 import and export companies shall be certified.

Banamex USA Opens New Branches in Texas

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Some of the benefits Banamex USA offers its customers are no-fees transfers between accounts and other money transfers. Customers can also make payments to their Banamex USA credit cards or change checks in either dollars or pesos at a preferential exchange rate, and are able to open a Banamex USA account at any Banamex branch in Mexico.

Additionally, these branches allow customers to access their accounts 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through ATMs. Future in Laredo and Brownsville will soon join the existing branch network in Texas and will be part of an expansion strategy that already includes the states of Arizona and California.

INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE MEMBERS CORNER IS PROVIDED BY MEMBER COMPANIES WHO ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT.

MEMBERS CORNER / ESPACIO DEL MIEMBRO

anamex USA opened two new branches in Texas in November 2011. The Houston and San Antonio branches offer the same quality service that characterizes Banamex in Mexico as well as Banamex USA.

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Public-Private Partnerships: the Key to Meeting

2012 Road Infrastructure Goals

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s part of the strategy to meet the objectives of the Mexico National Development Plan 2007-2012 (NDP), the government, through the Ministry of Communications and Transportation (SCT) has built, maintained and rehabilitated the road and highway infrastructure of the country, without which, much of its economic activity would be impossible. This investment has set new records in funds allocated to infrastructure, a cumulative investment at the end of the current administration of almost $23 billion (approx. 300 billion pesos).

PPPs To ensure that the standards required by the country will be met, and in order to implement the enhancements as quickly as possible and maximize the sustainability of the country, the federal government has implemented several courses of action, one of the most relevant is PublicPrivate Partnerships (PPPs), which, as its name implies, is a set of strategies to attract private capital investment into roads. These PPPs are essential to achieving the goals of the National Infrastructure Program (NIP) 2007-2012, and constitute an important tool for completing critical projects in a shorter time.

SCT In order to improve continuity and strengthen the PPP program, SCT performs the following activities: • Follows up the execution of works and solves construction contingencies, • Supports efforts to finance concessions already awarded, • Provides intensive monitoring for the bidding process, • Heads up the resolution of legal and financial matters necessary to ensure the execution of works associated with existing concessions and secures its funding, • Improves the preparation of new projects and schedules related biddings.

In this way, the SCT demonstrates its strong commitment ensuring a sustainable, safe and state of the art intermodal Mexican transportation system.

SCT models The three models designed by the SCT are: • Concessions • Provision of Project Services (PPS) and • Use of Assets Concessions are a structure that establishes an association between the SCT and a private company to design, finance, construct, maintain and operate a road for terms of 15 to 30 years. Currently there are 27 projects in varying stages of development using this structure (operation, construction, bidding and preparation).

The Project for Provision of Services or PPS is a PPP model for modernization and maintenance of toll-free roads, the service is provided by private companies in exchange for periodic quarterly payments. Currently, there are seven PPS projects in different stages of development (preparation, bidding, construction and operation).

Use of Assets is designed to unincorporate highway assets belonging to the National Infrastructure Fund (FONADIN). These “packages of assets” are contracted to the private sector in exchange for a fee paid to FONADIN. There are 13 packages of asset utilization under different development stages (preparation, bidding, construction and operation) Budgetary Public Works and Non-Budgetary Public Works Complementary to these three models, the SCT has also designed two programs related to PPPs to boost the country’s roads: non-Budgetary Public Works and works related to already existing concessions.

Non-Budgetary Public Works (OPNP) are performed with

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PPP Projects Currently Underway CONCEPT

No. Projects

Investments

Length (mi)

(billions of USD)

FONADIN resources so they do not come from the Federation’s Expenditure Budget, and once work completed, it will be licensed to the National Works and Public Services Bank (BANOBRAS).

CONCESSIONS -operational -construction -awarded -bidding -preparation

27 13 4 2 2 6

963.25 464.04 151.30 76.18 53.75 217.98

$4,477.03 $1,567.17 $907.43 $438.74 $288.45 $1,275.24

PPS -operational -construction -awarded

7 4 2 1

346.60 148.38 93.08 105.14

$1,522.12 $253.54 $567.94 $700.64

In order to improve continuity and strengthen the PPP program, SCT performs the following activities:

USE OF ASSETS -operational -construction -awarded -preparation

13 1 2 8 2

274.77 17.27 16.78 218.97 21.75

$1,492.64 $33.85 $141.42 $1,256.64 $60.73

NON-BUDGETARY PUBLIC WORKS -operational -construction -bidding -preparation

15 3 5 4 3

1,022.70 33.43 334.61 137.39 130.05

635.48 $184.53 $2,419.09 $862.68 $766.66

WORKS RELATED TO EXISTING CONCESSIONS -awarded -construction -preparation -deferred

10 1 2 6 1

269.30 10.19 29.52 113.34 14.29

167.34 $72.87 $123.25 $1,183.57 $37.95

• Follows up the execution of works and solves construction contingencies, • Supports efforts to finance concessions already awarded, • Provides intensive monitoring for the bidding process, • Leads up legal and financial engineering necessary to ensure the execution of works associated to existing concessions and secures its funding, • Improves the preparation of new projects and schedules related biddings.

TOTAL

72

2,387.43

$13,142.40

As of January 6, 2012. Source: SCT / Secretary for Infrastructure

Works related to existing concessions are additional works linked to sections of existing concessions.

In this way, the SCT shows its commitment towards structuring the Mexican transportation system within a sustainable, intermodal, safe and state of the art context.

Main PPP Projects:

APP’S IN OPERATION

Durango - Mazatlan highway Lenght: 230.0 km

Rio Bravo - Donna international bridge Lenght: 4.6 km

APP’S IN PROCESS

Reynosa - Anzalduas international bridge Lenght: 10.0 km

Avila Camacho - Tihuatlán highway Lenght: 56.4 km

Nuevo Necaxa - Avila Camacho highway Lenght: 36.6 km San Luis Rio Colorado International Bridge Length: 0.4 km

Tepic - Villa Union highway Lenght: 152.0 km

Mexico City’s North Arc bypass Lenght: 224.0 km

Irapuato - La Piedad highway Lenght: 75.0 km

Guadalajara - Colima highway Lenght: 34.0 km

Queretaro - Irapuato highway Lenght: 93.0 km

Nueva Italia - Apatzingan highway Lenght: 31.7 km

Ejutla - Puerto Escondido highway Lenght: 104.0 km Inversión: 4,646.3 mdp

Arriaga - Ocozocoautla highway Lenght: 93.0 km

OF INTEREST / DE INTERÉS

Perote Xalapa bypass Lenght: 59.7 km Inversión: 4,133.7 mdp Termina: Noviembre 2012

Source: SCT / Secretary for Infrastructure

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La importancia de implementar efectivas políticas anticorrupción en las empresas

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anar o mantener un contrato lucrativo, obtener beneficios personales o tener influencia política, aunado a la existencia de un ordenamiento jurídico inadecuado a la realidad nacional, la inoperancia de las instituciones públicas así como la existencia generalizada de una cultura de la ilegalidad son sólo algunas de las causas de este mal llamado corrupción.

OF INTEREST / DE INTERÉS

La corrupción es un problema que afecta gravemente la credibilidad de las instituciones, desestabiliza la competitividad económica y constituye un factor de desintegración social. Es por esto que muchos países ya han puesto en marcha medidas para combatir este añejo problema. De ello son conscientes los Gobiernos de los países más industrializados por lo que al día de hoy ya existen leyes y acciones que faciliten la erradicación de este problema.

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La lucha contra la corrupción es tal vez uno de los campos en los cuales la acción colectiva de los Estados y las empresas no sólo es conveniente, sino absolutamente necesaria. Las empresas extranjeras con actividades en México afrontan la tentación y riesgo de realizar pagos indebidos a funcionarios de gobierno con el fin de obtener

ciertos beneficios o prerrogativas relacionadas con sus actividades comerciales, situación prohibida por distintas leyes y jurisdicciones a nivel internacional, como por ejemplo el Foreign Corrupt Practices Act de los Estados Unidos (FCPA). La mayoría de dichas jurisdicciones, como es el caso de los Estados Unidos criminalizan y castigan los actos de corrupción y soborno cometidos en el extranjero. En los últimos años en los Estados Unidos, las sanciones impuestas por casos de corrupción y soborno superaron los mil millones de dólares.

Adicionalmente a la Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), el Reino Unido recientemente aprobó la llamada Bribery Act la cual fue diseñada para adaptar la legislación británica a las normas internacionales contra la corrupción.

Esta ley considera como delito, dar o recibir sobornos e introduce el concepto de delito corporativo por no evitar la práctica del soborno.

Según el índice de Percepción de Corrupción del año 2011, México ocupa la nada prestigiada posición 100 de entre 182 naciones. Es por eso que los dueños, consejos de administración y directivos de empresas mexicanas no pueden y no deben postergar

la implementación de políticas anticorrupción al interior de las mismas debido a la creciente ejecución de medidas internacionales por parte de las empresas multinacionales así como la creación de leyes en contra de la corrupción por parte de los países industrializados las cuales incluyen fuertes sanciones internacionales en contra de las empresas y personas que buscan establecer una competencia comercial leal.

La implementación de códigos de conducta, la práctica de auditorías, y la imposición de fuertes sanciones son sólo algunas de las medidas con las que se puede combatir la práctica de actos de corrupción en las empresas.

Las empresas en México deben actuar de inmediato para diseñar e implementar las políticas anticorrupción acordes a las legislaciones internacionales, de igual forma deberán destinar parte de sus recursos económicos, humanos y legales primero para contribuir al cambio en la forma de hacer negocios en México y con esto no perder competitividad internacional, ya que para hacer negocios de manera global es necesario demostrar solidez moral, legal y corporativa acorde a las necesidades y estándares internacionales.

Provided by: José Antonio Pérez Bravo Nani.

Rivadeneyra, Treviño & De Campo, S.C.

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OF INTEREST / DE INTERÉS

La USMCOC en el camino de la competitividad

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n 2011, la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente y la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo Industrial reconocieron y aceptaron el proyecto del Centro

de Producción más Limpia del Bajío soportado por la USMCOC como uno de los 43 Centros Nacionales de Producción más Limpia a nivel mundial dentro de la “Red Global de Producción más Limpia y Recursos Eficientes”.

Provided by: Sergio Ponce, Excecutive Director - USMCOC Guanajuato chapter.

Technology: A Main Component for Economic Development

OF INTEREST / DE INTERÉS

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echnology within the business world provides a direct competitive advantage; conversely, it can also create a barrier to entering new areas of business and markets.

relative to GDP are Israel (4.53 percent), Sweden (3.73 percent), Finland (3.45 percent), Japan (3.39 percent), South Korea (3.23 percent), Switzerland (2.9 percent), Iceland (2.78 percent) and United States (2.62 percent).

Products with high technology components are difficult to replicate, require large investment in research and development (R&D) and have long cycles of production but technology does need to be a foundation for economic development for many countries. The eight countries with the highest spending on R&D technology

Technology cannot be viewed as narrowly as devices such as computers and mobile phones; rather, it must be viewed in the broader context of economic development. Technology as a national strategy is more complex, must be given special attention in education, tax and labor policies, and private investment.

The human resources required for technology-intensive industries are costly because they call for more years of education, higher degree of specialization and constant training. In addition, academic programs are not always aligned to industry needs and private companies often invest the first few years after hiring in training their personnel.

National policies, especially in developing countries, often do not include strategies for technological advances. Over the long run, advances in technology and productivity lead

to higher wages for the workforce as a whole. Technology can also lead to more effective and cleaner production lines, which is not necessarily the case when policies address only tax and labor regulations to encourage the use of technology in companies.

Investment in R&D is risky. Private investment and financial institutions do not necessarily invest in highly innovative or long term projects with a large component of R&D, more risks and longer time to see returns, therefore venture capital typically funds such projects. While Mexico spent only 0.04 percent of GDP in its venture capital last year, the U.S. venture capitalists invested $16.7 billion in 2,497 start-ups and accounted for 21 percent of U.S. GDP. In order to effectively incorporate technology as a main driver for economic development, Mexican businesses must foster relationships between educational institutions and industry to grow the necessary human resources, and must educate politicians and financial institutions about developing long term strategies and encouraging more investment in innovation.

Provided by: Dr. Itzam de Gortari CEO - TechBA Seattle

Mergers and Acquisitions in Mexico Reducing Risk and Adding Value through Due Diligence

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ost companies contemplating a merger or acquisition recognize that due diligence is a best practice. What’s odd, then, is the number of organizations that move forward with either no due diligence or due diligence that’s conducted too quickly or too narrowly.

however, they tend to miss the intricacies of the IETU (Mexico’s version of the dreaded alternative minimum tax) and the rules related to VAT. Although we’re called in after a transaction to assist with many unforeseen occurrences, we almost always find issues—many of which are significant— related to VAT and IETU.

Conducting a thorough, multidisciplinary due diligence process is the only way to know you’re getting what you’re paying for and to significantly reduce any unhappy surprises after a transaction. Here are just a few of the top concerns that should be part of the due diligence process when contemplating a merger or acquisition opportunity in Mexico.

For example, we recently worked with a company that was attempting to recoup $1 million of VAT from the Mexican government. The government had essentially blacklisted the company, who had no plan in place to get that money back.

This problem was caused by incorrect tax filings and resulted in a receivable that, in our opinion, was well overstated— and something that we discovered and addressed during the due diligence process.

IMMEX Labor

Let’s say you’re importing 12 components used to manufacturing one export. You have to track everything associated with each finished product, including scrap and any items that may become obsolete. The rules get very complex, very quickly. We’ve had clients that ended up with significant exposures on the customs side that either neglected to conduct due diligence altogether or conduced very limited due diligence—and later encountered a very unhappy surprise.

VAT/IETU Most companies understand basic Mexican income tax;

The United States is one of the few countries that allows atwill employment. Most, including Mexico, have labor laws that favor employees and can require significant payment upon their termination.

In Mexico, whenever an employee is terminated, he/she may be entitled to a significant severance package—typically three months’ pay plus 20 days’ pay per year of service. In the event of a merger or acquisition, it’s critical to have a strategy in place for a smooth transition to avoid or manage this liability.

In Conclusion In our experience, approximately one-third of due diligence investigations uncover serious problems—potential deal breakers. Of those, approximately half fail to complete the merger/acquisition process.

It’s crucial therefore, that organizations contemplating a merger or acquisition not only conduct due diligence but consider all aspects of it—strategic, financial, operational, IT, and human capital—to assure a successful transaction.

Provided by: Scott Sneckenberger / Partner - Plante & Moran, PLLC Alejandro A. Rodriguez / Country Manager - México Plante & Moran, PLLC.

OF INTEREST / DE INTERÉS

This is a consideration that won’t be found on any balance sheet. IMMEX (also or formerly known as maquiladora) is a program where, if you meet certain criteria and track components appropriately, you don’t have to pay the 16 percent Mexican value-added tax (VAT) on the temporary importation of equipment and materials. It can also allow participants to defer or eliminate import duties. If you run afoul of the rules, however, there are significant penalties (up to 400 percent of the value of the item in question, suspension of the company’s import/export license, etc.).

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As a result, the Single Window for Trade reduces transaction costs to importers and exporters by 20%.

The Single Window for Trade process consists in only four steps. First, all the importers, exporters, companies or people interested in trade have to fill out an electronic form on the Single Window for Trade website (www. ventanillaunica.gob.mx), which is easy to follow because the program will properly guide the user.

Second the information is submitted through the internet to the relevant government agencies for its analysis and approval. Hence, customs can have the information in advance in order to conduct a risk analysis.

BRI

EFS

Mexico Enhances Trade Facilitation through a Single Window

M

BRIEFS / BREVES

exico has recently launched an innovative Single Window for Trade (Ventanilla Ăšnica) to significantly facilitate trade with its main trading partners and the rest of the world. Promoting trade is not just about reducing or eliminating tariff and non-tariff barriers, but also about moving increasing volumes of imported and exported goods through the borders faster. This is why Mexico has rapidly adapted new technologies and better regulations to make trade more agile and easier, improving its global competitiveness.

In order to make trade with other countries more efficient, Mexico has invested about $700 million to implement the Single Window for Trade. This smart tool allows exporters and importers to meet government requirements on trade by instantly sending relevant information such as type of product, volume, destination,

and mode of transportation at one time.

By using this tool, Mexican exporters and importers receive tangible benefits such as: low costs and less time in the application process; the information is captured only one time; importers, exporters and companies can log on at any time in any place around the world; the logistics process is faster; the information is secure; and the process is more transparent.

The Single Window for Trade replaces the need for making 165 proceedings and submitting 40 documents and more than 200 different pieces of data, such as importing or exporting licenses, certifications of origin for products, insurance to protect the merchandise, invoices, and shipping verification orders, creating a lot of paper work. In addition, the agencies increased attendance capacity from 1,100 to 9,900 applications in a month.

Third after the trade operation has been approved by the agencies, the appropriate taxes are calculated and subsequently collected from a bank account that the Mexican importer / exporter might need to provide.

Fourth, once the merchandise arrives to the crossing point the carrier must present a summary of the shipping transaction to the customs verifier at the customs facility. The customs official will check electronically, with a simple touch, all the information provided by the carrier through a portable digital device in order to allow the merchandise to continue its journey.

It is important to note that to be able to use the Single Window for Trade, the users need to have a valid electronic advanced signature (FIEL) which is easy to obtain in the Tax Administration Office (SAT).

With this important improvement, Mexico will be able to climb to 32nd place in the sub-index Border Trade of the World Bank’s Doing Business Report, climbing 26 places. The Single Window for Trade expedites Mexico’s trade operations by sharing information among the interconnected government agencies involved in trade and the customs facilities throughout the country. This results in better services provided to exporters and importers that everyday move more than $1.6 billion in traded goods across the border.

Source: NAFTA Works. January 2012* Volume 17, Issue 1

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USMCOC Introduces Newest Chapter: The Woodlands-Gulf Coast Chapter in Texas U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce (USMCOC) took another step in the growth of the organization and expansion of its national presence. One of the regions previously underserved in the Chamber’s network was the South-Central United States. The creation of the new chapter fortifies efforts to continue increasing business with Mexico.

On December 7, 2011, USMCOC held a joint press conference with The Greater Houston Partnership to officially launch the new chapter which will cover the U.S. Gulf Coast from the Rio Grande Valley north through Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, as well as other areas of Texas including the cities of Houston, Austin and San Antonio.

At the press conference, attended by Al Zapanta, Chamber CEO; Ronda Butler-Harkey, chapter president; and Julie Charros-Betancor, chapter vice president. Jeff Moseley, president /CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership stated, “The Greater Houston Partnership is pleased to open the doors to the new chapter. The USMCOC represents an advantage for Houston businesses that are interested in increasing their income and creating employment as a result trade with Mexico.”

Pete Garcia, the Chapter’s executive director noted, “In particular, The Woodlands and the Gulf Coast region are in a position to grow along with Mexico as global competitors in the energy sector.”

In addition to energy, the region also offers a major

medical center, tourism, prestigious universities, regional investment centers, great shopping, is a great place to do business and live, and is a hub for the world’s largest airline, thus “it is imperative to continue establishing and growing relations between our two countries. We aspire to serve as a catalyst for new relations, solutions and investments. Our primary mission is to help [members] connect with Mexico. Our role is to help our members in seeking to maximize revenues in trade between our countries,” Garcia added.

The press conference was covered by numerous local and Mexican media, receiving coverage by Univision, KTRK ABC Channel 13, Houston Chronicle, Houston Business Journal, Telemundo, KHUF-Radio.

The founding members of the new chapter are Amegy Bank, ExxonMobil, Lucia Oaks, Memorial Hermann Hospitals, MFR P.C., OBT-Orgain Bell & Tucker, LLP, Rice University, The Woodlands Development Co., United Airlines, Univision, and the Consulate General of Mexico.

The membership has since added BlackForest Ventures, Oasis Bank, Greenspoint District, Interbrands, Crown Point Regional Center, R & MGlobal Advisors, Port Isabel Offshore, Uptown Realty, CallFast Call Centers, State Farm Insurance, Royal Bank of Canada and Gonzalez Distribution, with others pending.

Chapter contact information: 10077 Grogan’s Mill Rd., Suite 530, The Woodlands, Texas 77380. E-mail pete@ usmcocgc.org or call (713) 854-1577.

Left to right: Ronda Butler-Harkey attorney with OBT and president of the Chapter; Dan Leverett, (bi-national member) V.P. Commercial at The Woodlands Development Co. and member of the Strategy Committee; Pete C. Garcia, executive director of the new chapter; Al Zapanta, CEO USMCOC; Craig Richard, GHP’s Chief Economic Development Officer; Julie Charros-Betancor, director of sales at Latin America The Woodlands Resort and Conference Center.

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Fall 2011

Binational Meeting & Award Gala Dinner

The United States México Chamber of Commerce hosted its fall Binational Meeting & Award Gala Dinner November 30 through December 1. The theme for the meeting was “U.S.–México Challenges and Opportunities 2012.” The conference brought together over one hundred business executives and government officials.

CONFERENCE The keynote address was presented by Juan de Dios Barba, president of México City’s Economic and Social Council.

His comments focused on the importance of education and creating jobs for the entire population, emphasizing the need to improve education levels in lower income communities so that they are not left behind in the 21st Century economy. His office also distributed a book on México City called, “México City, A Knowledge Economy.”

BINATIONAL EVENT / EVENTO BINACIONAL

United States Ambassador to Mexico, Earl Anthony Wayne with México’s Secretary of Tourism, Gloria Guevara Manzo and Al Zapanta, President and CEO of the USMCOC

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RECEPTION The kickoff to the conference began with the traditional welcome reception at the newly appointed United States Ambassador Anthony Wayne’s residence. The ambassador greeted and addressed the attendees, noting the economic importance of the U.S.- México relationship. Making a surprise visit to the reception was México’s Secretary of Tourism, Gloria Guevara Manzo, who also addressed the audience about the importance of the United States-México relationship, particularly in the area of tourism. She stated that a large increase in American tourism to Mexico was imperative in order for México to achieve its goal of becoming one of the top five tourist destinations in the coming years.

John Donoghue, President & CEO, National Fiber Networks de México

• Panel: Innovation & Information Technology and the Use of Social Media The keynote speaker for this panel was Claudia Ivette García, Director General of Commerce and Digital Economy, México’s Secretariat of the Economy. Also on this panel were Bruno Rangel, Director of Finance, Grupo Salinas; John Farrell, President, Google México; Marcos Perez Oyamburu, Director, Product Development, Ford de México; Carlos Funes, Vice President for México & Central America at Softek; and John Donoghue, President and CEO, National Fiber Networks de México.

Marcos Perez Oyamburu, Ford de México; Carlos Funes, Softek; John Farrell, Google de México; and John Donoghue, National Fiber Networks de México.

Federico Gutierrez, Banobras and Richard Downie, Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies

• Panel: Transportation, Logistics & Infrastructure

• Panel: Trade, Commerce, & Finance

Héctor Rangel, NAFIN/Bancomext; Federico Gutierrez, Banobras; Sergio R. Kurczyn Banuelos, Banamex.

The third roundtable highlighted the topics of trade, commerce and finance.

Principal speaker for this panel was Eduardo Ramos, Assistant Secretary for Trade, Mexico’s Secretary of Economy (SE). Also on the roundtable were Héctor Rangel, Director General for NAFIN/Bancomext; Sergio R. Kurczyn Bañuelos Director General, Banamex; and Carlos Galves, vice president, CONCANACO.

BINATIONAL EVENT / EVENTO BINACIONAL

Fausto Barajas, Undersectretary of Infrastructure, Mexico’s Ministry of Transportation and Communications

This topic was presented by Fausto Barajas, Office of Mexico’s Secretary of Transportation and Communication (SCT). Additional speakers: Federico Gutierrez, deputy director of Roads, Railroads and Urban Transportation, Banobras; Edgar Guillaumin, vice president of Right of Way Protection and Corporate Affairs, Kansas City Southern de México; and Richard Downie, director, Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies.

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• Panel: Preparing for the 2012 Presidential Election The final roundtable , Preparing for the 2012 Presidential Election, featured Gustavo Madero, president, National Action Party (PAN); Jesus Zambrano, president of the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD); and Heriberto Galindo, Adjunct Secretary General, Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). The three party leaders spoke passionately, but respectfully, about the issues México is currently facing, and how their respective parties would work to resolve problems should they win the Presidential election.

GALA To close out the binational meeting, the Chamber sponsored its gala reception and awards dinner, always a first-rate affair.

Genaro García Luna, Mexico’s Secretary of Public Security and Rodolfo López Negrete, Chief Operating Officer, Mexico Tourism Board received the Buen Vecino Awards for their efforts in promoting and strengthening the relationship between the United States and México.

BINATIONAL EVENT / EVENTO BINACIONAL

In his acceptance speech, Lopez Negrete echoed the words of the

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Rodolfo Lopez-Negrete, Chief Operating Officer of México’s Tourism Board speaking after receiving the Buen Vecino Award

José García Torres, President USMCOC; Jesus Zambrano, PRD; Al Zapanta, USMCOC; Gustavo Madero, PAN; Ildefonso Guajardo, PRI.

Secretary of Tourism by stressing the importance of the Americans to the Mexican tourism industry.

Additionally, he spoke about the new campaign called “México, the place you thought you knew,” geared towards people who have visited tourist areas of México, but have not explored other parts of the country.

Secretary García Luna emphasized the need to continue the war against the drug cartels in Mexico. He remarked that police officers and military units make less money per month than what the drug cartels offer them for one day of their collaboration as a reason

behind the ever present corruption, which makes this war more difficult to win. Additionally, he stressed the need to create jobs in México as a way of dissuading youth from joining the ranks of the cartels.

From the reception at the Ambassador’s residence to the informative conference and the Awards Gala Dinner, the Binational Meeting & Award Gala Dinner 2011 was a great success. We look forward to seeing you in late April at our Annual Conference and Good Neighbor Awards, Binational Board of Directors Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Al Zapanta presenting the Buen Vecino Award to Genaro García Luna, Mexico’s Secretary for Public Security

UNITED STATES-MEXICO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CÁMARA DE COMERCIO MÉXICO-ESTADOS UNIDOS USMCOC Thanks its Sponsors for Supporting the: “U.S.- Mexico Economic Recovery and Stability 2011& Good Neighbor Awards” Sponsors

GALLÁSTEGUI & LOZANO

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BINATIONAL EVENT / EVENTO BINACIONAL

COSTACAPOMO

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FONATUR

Converts Vision into Investment

Cancun Since 1974, FONATUR has helped build a vacation and tourism destination in this area of unlimited natural beauty and close proximity to the most important Mayan archaeological areas of the country. Nowadays more than three million international and domestic tourists travel to Cancun each year. It was transformed into a modern planned city that is currently the most recognized Mexican tourism center worldwide and one of the most important of the Caribbean. It boasts hotel districts, commercial and residential areas, convention centers, an excellent international airport,

good roads and world-class theme parks such as Nizuc, Xcaret and Xel-Ha. CIPs Over the years, FONATUR fostered five more CIPs (Los Cabos, Loreto, Ixtapa, Huatulco and Litibú) which also became a worldwide tourist destinations. Like Cancun, these CIPs also take advantage of the beauty and amenities of the areas to draw a large share of the tourist industry—an industry with great economic and social benefits that bring employment and greatly improve the quality of life of the inhabitants. FONATUR is, without dispute, the most important engine for generating investment in tourism infrastructure.

New Developments, New FONATUR Destinations In the future, FONATUR has very precise plans to boost tourism in three destinations in different beaches of the country: • Playa Espiritu in Sinaloa.

• Costacapomo in La Riviera Nayarit.

• Marina Cozumel in Quintana Roo.

THE COVER / ARTÍCULO DE PORTADA

T

hanks to the historical wealth of Mexico, its climate variety and its unequalled natural resources, FONATUR has created Integrally Planned Resorts (CIPs, the Spanish acronym) in different destinations of the country. The most well-known is Cancun, which was once viewed as a humble fishering village on an uninhabited spot, without much connection to the rest of the country, and without even minimal infrastructure.

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PLAYA ESPIRITU

THE COVER / ARTÍCULO DE PORTADA

The new Integrally Planned Sustainable Resort (CIPS) Playa Espíritu located in Escuinapa, is a project that is being developed by utilizing a new paradigm based on integration of the project with the environment.

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Based on the concept of sustainability rather than damaging the region, the goal is to recycle, make the most of natural assets and minimize the usage of water and energy. From the detailed examination of the location’s deterioration, designs and development seek to reduce the pressure, establishing programs and measures for its regeneration. The respect for the natural elements is a core value.

Beginning with the planning, the underlying priority is to retain a full understanding of the physical characteristics of the site and its environment through every phase of the project. Usage of studies such as the LIDAR (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) not only allow for an environmentally-friendly integrated design, but also an interdisciplinary approach for the different specialists that, over time, will work on the projects. This integrated plan of attack will promote the continuity, the structure, the cohesion and the balance of the original design.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CONSTRUCTION: • Accommodation units: 43,981 • Hotel rooms: 11,614 • Residential houses: 15,882 • Land zoning: - Tourist, residential, single-family, low medium and high density - Mixed uses - Hotel-tourism

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS: • Total surface: 5,883 acres.

• Marketable surface: 3,354 acres.

• Developable surface: 4,806 acres.

• Beach front: 7.5 miles LOCATION: • Teacapán, Sinaloa - Distance: 62 miles from Mazatlán, Sinaloa - Travel time: 1 hour

ACCESSIBILITY: • Aeropuerto Internacional de Mazatlán (Mazatlán International Airport) - Distance: 53 miles - Travel time: 1 hour 20 minutes

The energy plan is also different.

The use of fossil fuel energy will be avoided as much as possible, favoring renewable sources, particularly solar.

Additionally, certified low consumption equipment will be installed.

This will be a CIPS that invites physical activity, that encourages a clean development and wellbeing based on the concept of “nodes” or “compact cities” enabling residents and guests to have everything within reach without having to make long car travels. The connectivity to other areas will favor public transportation, bicycles and walking. The project calls for urban

planning with a large number of intersections, sidewalks and open and continued paths, green spaces, parking in the back of buildings and squares and centers that invite interaction.

The architecture will be customized in the design of each of the buildings.

The energy efficiency will depend on the orientation, volumes, shadows, ventilations, heights, views, materials, winds, insulations and other bioclimatic elements that add to the comfort and quality of life of the inhabitants.

From the beginning of operations, a sustainable waste handling policy will

be promoted not only to reduce, but to make the most of, all wastes. The wastes produced must be separated for recycling and final disposal, taking into account the possible production of energy and use of compost, apart from encouraging their reduction through escalated rates and other specific programs.

The plan is to create a CIPS that will be accessible and attractive to all, promoting the equity confronting diversity. A CIPS that will invite all visitors to participate, enjoy and live it. The CIPS Playa Espíritu will be a referral center for everybody now and forever.

THE COVER / ARTÍCULO DE PORTADA

• Aeropuerto de Teacapán (Teacapán Airport)

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TOTAL SURFACE: 631 acres.

MARKETABLE SURFACE: 450 acres.

AREAS: • Boca de Becerros • Anexo Cuevitas • Boca de Naranjos

HOUSING CAPACITY: 4,822

PGA CLASS 18-hole golf course (197 acres.)

COSTACAPOMO

THE COVER / ARTÍCULO DE PORTADA

Another great FONATUR project is the Integral Tourism Project (the Spanish acronym is PTI) Costacapomo in the state of Nayarit in Lima de Abajo, Compostela, approximately 29 miles north of Litibú and 37 miles from Puerto Vallarta. Since operations began in 2005, it has become an important tourist spot in the Mexican Pacific.

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The PTI Costacapomo was oriented to promote the tourist corridor running from Bahía de Banderas to port of San Blas, seeking to position the Compostela and San Blas towns on the national tourism map.

This area has good accessibility thanks to the existing infrastructure in Puerto Vallarta and Nayarit, among which are the International Airport of Puerto Vallarta, the National Airport of Tepic, the Puerto Vallarta Cruise Port, the Riviera Nayarit Marina in La Cruz de

Huanacaxtle, the San Blas Nautical Scale and the 200 Federal Highway that goes from Colima to Tepic.

Thanks to its strategic location, its beautiful landscape and the natural wealth of the state, Costacapomo is a great opportunity for the investor seeking to make the most of the opportunities of a planned tourist development, backed by FONATUR and with the support of the state government.

The available urban reserve has a 631-acre land mass where a potential of 4,821 rooms will be developed, anchored by a PGA quality 18-hole golf course. The purpose of this project is to meet the demand of sun and beach tourism, golf, vacation housing and ecotourism in a low density design that both minimizes the environmental impact and promotes the respect for nature.

It is an urban reserve made up of three distinct environments: Anexo Cuevitas, a cliff area with slopes that are over twenty percent covered by low jungle with panoramic views; Boca de Naranjos, a flat area with palm and mangrove vegetation confined by two rain run offs; and Boca de Becerros, which is primarily a plain.

The urbanized development will include beach clubs, entertainment centers and a commercial district.

It will also guarantee the supply of drinking water, sewage treatment plants and electricity, as well as roadways with designed road surfaces, lighting, landscaping and comprehensive signage.

Thanks out by Partial in the Nayarit

to the administration carried FONATUR, the Costacapomo Urban Development Plan, municipality of Compostela was authorized, thus

reinforcing the coordinated local, state, federal and private sector participation.

The expected benefits between 2013 and 2017 are to generate 7,354 direct jobs, 16,877 indirect jobs, guarantee an annual inflow of 523,000 tourists, ongoing private investment of $1.5 billion and a public investment of $128 million to benefit the population in the region.

HUATULCO

Given its location—the same latitude as Hawaii—Costacapomo enjoys a mild tropical climate with average temperature of 80° F, offering visitors the perfect escape.

THE COVER / ARTÍCULO DE PORTADA

LOS CABOS

CANCÚN

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For further information call +52(55) 5090-4249 / 01800-800-1020 or www.fonatur.gob.mx

MARINA COZUMEL

FonaturMX

@FonaturMX

THE COVER / ARTÍCULO DE PORTADA

Located in the beautiful State of Quintana Roo, Marina Cozumel emerges from the need of expansion of the current Cozumel. Only three miles from the center of Cozumel and few steps from the international cruise port of Puerta Maya, this destination´s main attraction will be a marina with capacity for 333 boats, 15 to 60 feet long.

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The development has a total surface of 103 acres, more than half of the land being classified as marketable.

With such extension, the hotel and residential offering is varied; there will be a total of 1,647 accommodation units, 572 of which will be hotel rooms, while 537 are projected for residential housing.

Marina Cozumel will also provide the island with four hotels, a commercial boulevard contiguous to the marina and a commercial, residential and multifamily area.

Its location is privileged, as it is only

five miles—10-minute travel time— from the International Airport of Cozumel.

In Marina Cozumel, the sun shines all year long with an average temperature of 80° F which makes it a travel destination any time of the year. The landscape features white and turquoise blue colors, amazing coralline cliffs, mangroves and dunes.

Cozumel is an unbeatable destination for luxury tourism. The most experienced travelers who seek the comfort of a sun and beach destination, find amenities to satisfy any taste: large full services hotels with dedicated personal attention, delicious seafood, first-class golf courses, tireless night life and, of course, high-end shopping for the best world brands and the exclusive traditional crafts from different states of the country. As if that weren´t enough, Cozumel is the Mexican port most visited by luxury cruises which makes for an-impossibleto forget trip in the Caribbean.

Chapter Activities...

Actividades del capítulo...

Northeast Chapter. New York, NY

California Regional Chapter. Los Angeles, CA

Guanajuato Chapter. León, Gto

Mid-America Chapter. Chicago, IL

Inter-American Chapter. Miami, FL

Valle de México Chapter. México, DF

Michoacan Chapter. Morelia, Mich 25

Northeast Chapter. New York, NY EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES OF THE NORTHEAST CHAPTER (2011 FOURTH QUARTER)

T

he U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, Northeast Chapter (USMCOCNE), located in New York City, had a very good 2011 and a particularly active fourth quarter. Last year, we were instrumental in organizing fifty public and private events. Among them there were conferences with government officials; conversations with leaders in the financial, economic and political areas; seminars led by recognized academics; and conversations with high ranking investors pursuing investment in both the United States and Mexico. We also took the lead in promoting many cultural events.

in the law firm Shearman & Sterling LLP, welcomed Bruno Ferrari, Mexico’s Secretary of Economy, in late 2011.

Through these activities, the Chapter has been able to expand its presence and also promote businesses and trade between the two countries.

VISIT BY GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF TLAXCALA

CHAPTER HOSTS MEXICO’S SECRETARY OF ECONOMY

CHAPTER ACTIVITIES / ACTIVIDADES DEL CAPÍTULO

Members of the Chamber and partners

Ferrari addressed Mexico’s competitiveness and the incentives to invest in the country. He explained how Mexico has become a secure and profitable region. This event facilitated discussion of Mexico’s competitive international ranking and the success and growth of industries in various areas of the country. He also described many of the incentives for direct foreign investment within the context of Mexico’s international trade policy.

During the month of November, member Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP and the USMCOCNE were visited by the Governor of the State of Tlaxcala, Mariano González Zarur, who announced that the state

From right to left: Alejandro Ramos (US-Mexico Chamber of Commerce), Malcolm Montgomery (Shearman & Sterling), Bruno Ferrari (Mexico Minister of Economy), Carlos Sada (Consul General of Mexico in NY).

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became one of the first 10 states to guarantee full health access to all.

He explained the state has not only made great progress in the area of health care, but also in infrastructure, noting the state is home to three industrial cities, three industrial parks, and three industrial zones.

Tlaxcala has welcomed businesses in many areas of industry such as the production and exportation of automotive parts, textiles, machinery, electrical harnesses, rubber and plastics. In fact, Tlaxcala has been recognized by INEGI1 for its infrastructure.

SEMINAR: MEXICO AS PREMIERE SOURCE OF HUMAN CAPITAL FOR GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS For the fourth consecutive year, A.T. Kearney and the USMCOCNE partnered to organize an event to discuss business and competitiveness.

The seminar featured several experts on the topic: Sergio García Bulle, General Director, Conocer; Guillermo Fernández de la Garza, CEO, United States-Mexico Foundation for Science (FUMEC); Ricardo Haneine, Partner, AT Kearney (Mexico); Blanca Treviño, CEO, Softtek; Ernesto M. Hernández, President and Managing Director General Motors de México; and, Fernando Salgado, Secretary of Political Affairs, Mexico’s National Confederation of Workers (CTM).

The speakers described the great investment opportunities available in Mexico: a hard-working and skilled work force and the ongoing educational support offered by many employers to grow the skills and knowledge of their employees.

National Institute of Statistics and Geography INEGI (for its acronym in Spanish).

Sergio Garcia Bulle (Director General of Conocer) and Blanca Treviño (CEO, Softtek).

One of the last events of 2011 was the II Annual Conference on Mexico’s Pension Fund System: Evolution, Regulation and Business Opportunities, cohosted with BNY Mellon and Pine Bridge Investments.

Conference attendees had the opportunity to hear representatives from several international businesses discuss the Mexican pension fund system and how it has aligned with the depth and liquidity of the markets while simultaneously strengthening the economy and facilitating the efficient use of financial resources.

Suisse: Steven Costabile, PineBridge Investments; Alejandro Echegorri, Principal Financial Group; Oscar Franco, AMAFORE; Thomas D. Higgins, Standish Mellon Asset Management; and Pedro Ordorica Leñero, CONSAR.

For more information about the Chapter visit www.usmcocne.org. For sponsorship opportunities contact alejandro@usmcocne.org or call (212) 471- 4703.

CELEBRATION OF ANNIVERSARY OF MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE The Chapter commemorated the 201st anniversary of Mexican Independence on September 15. The party was a great success and was attended by a huge crowd of Mexican professionals and friends in New York. We very much appreciate the participation of Mr. Carlos Sada, Consul General of Mexico, who conducted “the Grito” during the celebration.

CONTINUED NETWORKING

Presenters were: Alonso Cervera, Credit The Chapter continues to promote interaction among members with the people who visit our region. As a result of our efforts, there has been greater communication between our members and Mexico’s business firms and politicians. This networking has encouraged investors to look to Mexico for greater success as well as an increase in the number of meetings with New York-based Mexican companies.

2012

Ernesto Hernández, President, General Motors de México.

innovating interaction in further events.

We are very eager to continue to organize events that promote binational trade and the exchange of ideas, strategies and knowledge. We look at 2012 as a marvelous opportunity to reinforce the already created relationships this past year, and of course we look forward to

Alexis E. Rovzar We are very sad to share that Alexis E. Rovzar, member of the management committee of our Chapter, passed away on January 7, 2012 in Mexico City.

Mr. Rovzar was a partner in the Latin American law firm White & Case, a regional chamber member. He also sat on the board of directors of a number of multinational firms such as: Fomento Económico Mexicano (FEMSA), Coca-Cola Femsa (KOF), Canada’s Scotiabank, Grupo Bimbo, Grupo COMEX, Compañia Occidental Mexicana (COMSA), Grupo ACIR, Appleseed, the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas, Qualitas of Life Foundation, Procura, the Board of International Overseers of Tufts University, NFL Mexico, Patronato del Instituto Nacional de Pediatría (The National Children’s Hospital Institute), Momentum Real Estate Partners, and was a former Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Center on Philanthropy of Indiana University in Indianapolis.

He will be greatly missed by his loved ones and his many friends and colleagues. May he rest in peace.

CHAPTER ACTIVITIES / ACTIVIDADES DEL CAPÍTULO

II ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON MEXICO’S PENSION FUND SYSTEM: EVOLUTION, REGULATION AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

Mexican Pension Funds Conference.

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Mid-America Chapter. Chicago, IL “MEXICO MEANS OPPORTUNITY” Investment, Sourcing and Manufacturing Opportunities in the Aerospace Industry

M

exico has become a major innovation and manufacturing center in the aerospace industry.

In the last decade, several of the world’s leading aerospace companies have discovered that Mexico is a great locale for the development of their manufacturing strategies given the many available resources. These companies cite the availability of human talent and competitive costs as the main strengths of Mexico’s aerospace industry.

CHAPTER ACTIVITIES / ACTIVIDADES DEL CAPÍTULO

Today, Mexico is the country with

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the largest investment in aerospace manufacturing and holds the sixth place in aerospace research and development and is ranked 12th among the world’s major aerospace exporters with $3.26 billion in aerospace exports in 2010.

The U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, Mid-America Chapter hosted the Third Quarterly Mexico Update Seminar on November 29, 2011, which provided a status update and forecasts for Mexico’s business environment. Among the areas of discussion were Mexico’s economy

Blanca Berthier, Executive Director USMCOC Mid-America Chapter; Jose Luis Paz, Representative of the Ministry of Economy in Washington; Dolores Campos (intern USMCOC) y Ralph Biedermann, President USMCOC Mid-America Chapter.

Jose Luis Paz, representative of the Ministry of Economy in Washington.

and its relation to the U.S., a legal and tax overview, and an analysis of the aerospace industry as a whole with concrete opportunities for investment.

TOPICS AND PRESENTERS • Opening remarks: Eduardo Arnal Palomera, Consul General of Mexico in Chicago • Overview, state and forecast of the Mexican economy: José Luis Paz, Representative of Economy at the Mexican Embassy in D.C. • Tax and legal update: Marie Galindo, Miller Canfield P.L.C. THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY AND ITS GROWING PRESENCE IN MEXICO • Overview of the Mexican Aerospace Industry: Miguel Leaman, Promexico Chicago • Analysis and Forecast on the Aerospace Industry: Neal Dihora, Equity Analyst Aerospace Industry Morningstar • Trends in manufacturing in the aerospace industry in Mexico: Steve Colantuoni, The Offshore Group and Tim Meador, president Incertec.

Marie Alsace Galindo, Attorney, Miller Canfield P.L.C.

California Regional Chapter. Los Angeles, CA

CALIFORNIA REGIONAL CHAPTER UPDATE

Manuel Sanchez, Vice Governor of Mexico’s Central Bank at the 14th Annual Mexico Economic Review and Political Outlook 2011.

T

he United States Mexico Chamber of Commerce California Regional Chapter worked on many different projects during the latter part of 2011.

• Signed a partnership with the CDT (Consejo de Desarrollo de Tijuana) to promote both organizations and coordinate our activities in the Tijuana/San Diego Region.

• Became the official Ambassador of Tijuana Innovadora, a program to promote Tijuana investment and maquiladora industry.

• Developed a manual to help U.S.

companies export to Mexico and Mexican companies export to the United States. The Chamber will be taking several trips to Mexico cities to educate Mexican exporters on how to export to the United States.

• Organized Mexico Resort Development with FONATUR and the Secretary of Economic Development of the States to promote the states of Jalisco, Queretaro and Guanajuato for promotion, real estate investment opportunities, resort development and tourism.

• Planned the annual 2012 Maquiladora Partnership California-Mexico focusing on Mexico as the best destination to manufacture products at a better cost.

• Held the second annual seminar, The Golden Triangle, Mexico-USA-China/ Hong Kong: Business Opportunities, Trade, Manufacturing, Transportation.

• Developed effective and efficient customer service and sales communications among the organizations.

• Participated in Expo Emprende LA Convention Center promoting the Chamber’s services.

• On September 23, officially signed the agreement to Jointly Promote Cooperation, Friendship and

Robert Lucas, Executive Director of The World Is Just a Book Away (WIJABA); Marlen Marroquin, Executive Regional Director USMCOC California Chapter; James Owens, president, WIJABA.

Mutual Work on Prospering the Trade Relationships in California.

Organizations that participated in the agreement were: - Valley International Trade Association (Darcy Winters) - Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (Ricardo Tejada) - CHINA US Business Association (Ben Lai) - Latino Business Chamber (Jorge Corralejo) - Center for International Trade Development (Maurice Kogon) - COFEM (Mario Cardenas) - US-Mexico Chamber of Commerce (Marlen Marroquin) • The British American Business Council and the USMCOC organized a joint mixer for their members and friends.

• Held a cocktail reception at the U.S. Embassy in Tijuana in honor of Hospital Infantil de Las Californias with the Consul of the United States in Tijuana.

• Presented the 14th Annual Mexico Economic Review and Political Outlook 2011 on December 9.

CHAPTER ACTIVITIES / ACTIVIDADES DEL CAPÍTULO

Jorge Corralejo, Latino Business Chamber; Ricardo Tejada, Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Mario Cardenas, COFEM; Marlen Marroquin, Executive Director U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce; Maurice Kogon, Center for International Trade Development; Ben Lai, China U.S. Business Association.

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Inter-American Chapter. Miami, FL FORO DE TURISMO, Southeast Mexico Meets Southeast USA

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l 2011fue declarado el Año del Turismo en México por el Presi¬dente Felipe Calderón, con el propósito de “alinear a todos los sectores relacionados con esta actividad para que se pongan en marcha acciones que permitan que más turistas hagan de México su principal destino de viaje”. Por este motivo, la Cámara de Comercio México-Estados Unidos, decidió sumarse a esta iniciativa y encauzó sus esfuerzos en promover proyectos de inversión en el sector turístico de México a través de una serie de Foros de Turismo en distintas ciudades de los Estados Unidos.

CHAPTER ACTIVITIES / ACTIVIDADES DEL CAPÍTULO

Por lo que respecta al capítulo InterAmericano con sede en Miami, Florida, contando con el continuo e invaluable apoyo de la Secretaría de Turismo (SECTUR), Fondo Nacional de Fomento al Turismo (FONATUR), Consejo de Promoción Turística de Méxco (CPTM), ProMéxico, Aeroméxico y Citigroup, organizó dentro de las actividades de Septiembre Mes de México en Miami, el foro Southeast Mexico meets Southeast USA en el que el Sureste de México se encontró con el Sureste de Estados Unidos.

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Yucatán, Campeche y Quintana Roo fueron los estados invitados para presentar proyectos de Turismo e Inversión a empresarios del Sur de la Florida a fin de fortalecer los lazos comerciales con estos estados del sureste de México y aprovechar la cercanía geográfica que se tiene en común con el sureste de Estados Unidos.

Ante una audiencia especializada, Juan Miguel Gutiérrez Tinoco, Cónsul General de México en Miami y Presidente Honorario del Capítulo Inter-Americano, junto con Michael

Kabah, Yucatán, México.

Ronan, Presidente Ejecutivo del mismo, dieron la bienvenida a los asistentes y al grupo de expositores: el Secretario de Turismo del Estado de Yucatán, Juan José Martín, el Subsecretario de Finanzas e Inversión del Estado de Campeche, Ramón Rodríguez Aram, el Secretario de Turismo del Estado de Quintana Roo, Juan Carlos González, la directora de AMPI Quintana Roo, Ana Beatriz Muñoz Pérez, Lizzy Cole del Fideicomiso para el Desarrollo de la Riviera Maya, Jose Barquín, Director de Turismo en Miami y César Bueno, Director de ProMéxico en Miami y

Laszlo Farkas de la Dirección para Latinoamérica de Citigroup.

Todos ellos presentaron muy diversos proyectos para intensificar el intercambio comercial y turístico entre el sureste de México y el de Estados Unidos, obteniendo una aceptación inmediata por parte de inversionistas y empresarios locales, lo cual, en palabras de Elba Hentschel, Directora Ejecutiva del Capítulo InterAmericano “repercute en importantes vínculos comerciales entre ambas zonas, por lo que el Foro cumplió ampliamente con su objetivo”.

Guanajuato Chapter. León, Gto EL CENTRO DE PRODUCCIÓN MÁS LIMPIA DEL BAJÍO, VA A NAIROBI

1. Agroindustria 2. Fabricación 3. Turismo y servicios 4. Desarrollo de parques ecoindustriales 5. Reducción de emisiones de Carbono y Recursos eficientemente fabricados

Sergio Ponce, Director de la USMCOC, en la presentación de su taller en el evento GIET.

6. Productos sustentables y ecoetiquetado 7. Modelos de negocio innovadores para la eficiencia de los recursos 8. Producción más Limpia en PyMES. Asimismo, se declaró inaugurada y en funcionalidad la RECP, destacando la Declaratoria de Nairobi, en la cual se establece que 41 Centros de Producción más Limpia (incluido el CPLB) a nivel mundial conforman la RECP y que éstos deben ser el principal organismo generador e impulsor de conocimiento, capacitación y desarrollo de proyectos que a nivel local y regional beneficien a la sociedad, a las empresas (principalmente PyMES) y al medio ambiente.

Por otra parte, durante el segundo semestre de 2011el CPLB fungió como operador del proyecto municipal denominado “Carbono Neutral”.

Mediante este proyecto busca que las empresas y sociedad en general disminuyan el uso de energía eléctrica y térmica, y reduzcan y compensen sus emisiones de CO2. A la fecha se tienen 40 empresas participantes de las

Empresas reconocidas con el distintivo de “Carbono Neutral.”

cuales 25 ya obtuvieron su certificado de “Carbono Neutral” incluido el propio CPLB. Apoyando el evento Global Infraestructure and Ecotecnology Al World Trade Center Ciudad de México los días 29 y 30 de noviembre de 2011 asistió la oficina de Guanajuato, con el objetivo de integrarse al evento organizado por la USMCOC capítulo Valle de México Global Infraestructure and Ecotecnology (GIET), llevando al presidente y vicepresidente de la Cámara Nacional de Empresas de Consultoría representación de Guanajuato, a fin de que participaran en un taller para hablar de la importancia de la consultoría a nivel mundial y regional. Asimismo se llevó al Ing. Manuel López Santamaría, Director de Turismo municipal, León, Gto. para aportar sus conocimientos en la Mesa de Turismo Sustentable.

Por último, el director ejecutivo de la oficina de Guanajuato participó en un taller para hablar de sustentabilidad en el ámbito empresarial.

CHAPTER ACTIVITIES / ACTIVIDADES DEL CAPÍTULO

D

el 17 al 19 de noviembre de 2011, la Cámara de Comercio México Estados Unidos Capítulo Guanajuato, a través de su proyecto denominado Centro de Producción más Limpia del Bajío (CPLB), participo en el Second Global Network Conference on Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP 2011) denominada Green manufacturing driving low carbon, resource Efficient and Cleand insustralization in developing and transition economies en las instalaciones de la ONU en Nairobi, Kenya. El objetivo de esta reunión fue conocer qué proyectos y actividades se han realizado por los diferentes Centros Nacionales de Producción más Limpia a nivel mundial y discutir las nuevas propuestas de trabajo y mecanismos enfocados en los temas de:

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Valle de México Chapter. México, DF EXPO+CONGRESO GIET, UN EVENTO ÚNICO EN MÉXICO DE EDIFICACIÓN SUSTENTABLE “Una cultura de edificación verde se traduce a un modelo de sustentabilidad corporativa que trae como beneficio la competitividad de las empresas y un detonador sistemico.”

E

l pasado 29 y 30 de noviembre, el Capítulo Valle de México de la Cámara de Comercio MéxicoEstados Unidos organizó la Expo+Congreso GIET, Global Infrastructure & Eco-Technology, un evento único en México referente a Edificación Sustentable.

CHAPTER ACTIVITIES / ACTIVIDADES DEL CAPÍTULO

Se dieron cita al Expo+Congreso GIET destacadas personalidades del medio que impulsan iniciativas para reducir el impacto de las edificaciónes en su entorno. En la intervención Inaugural, el Premio Nobel de Química mexicano,

32

Mario Molina, señaló que México debe tomar la iniciativa para intensificar acciones en materia de vivienda sustentable, ya que el consumo energético en los hogares es uno de los cinco principales emisores de contaminantes al ambiente.

En un espacio de exposición de 3,000 metros cuadrados, se reunieron importantes empresas de México y los Estados Unidos para presentar soluciones y productos para la construcción apegados a criterios de sustentabilidad. Entre ellas se destaca

la presencia de ICA, Marhnos-Turner, E-Group-Parks, Autodesk, y Helvex entre otras.

Con un contenido amplio y de gran riqueza, se discutió en el Congreso GIET sobre los retos de la edificación que cada vez requieren de un mayor compromiso. La integración de temas como Metodologías de Certificación para Edificios Sustentables, la Viabilidad de Energías Renovables en la Edificación, Accesibilidad y Urbanismo Sustentable, Desarrollos Turísticos Sustentables y Proyectos de Edificación con Causa Social permitieron generar un dinámica entre especialistas, organizaciones y empresas del sector sin precedentes en México.

El gran contenido generado demuestra que en México contamos con grandes figuras y profesionales en la materia comprometidos con el medio ambiente y su regeneración. Ademas, fuimos testigos del gran compromiso de las nuevas generaciones por lograr un cambio en nuestra sociedad con propuestas y proyectos que alientan el desarrollo de nuestra población.

La participación de ponentes internacionales como Michael Deane, Bill Reed, Agustín Sarasola y Reinhold Ziegler, que actualmente colaboran de manera directa en proyectos en nuestro país, hacen énfasis del avance y las oportunidades que se tiene en México en el tema.

Al micrófono: Mario Molina, Premio Nobel de Química 1995 y Presidente del Centro Mario Molina. Presidium: Michael Deane, VP Turner International; Carlos Sandoval Olvera, Presidente Consejo Nacional de Industriales Ecologistas (CONIECO); Ing. Juan Manuel Félix, Director General Expo+Congreso GIET; José García Torres, Presidente Cámara de Comercio México–Estados Unidos, Capítulo Valle de México; Jorge Barbará Morfín, Director General Helvex; Antonio Cuéllar Steffan, Socio Cuéllar Salas y Cuéllar Steffan Abogados; y Darío Ibargüengoitia, Presidente Nacional Sustentabilidad para México A.C. (SUMe).

La Cámara de Comercio México-Estados Unidos, consciente de la problemática ambiental, se dedicará entre una

de sus actividades a promover una mejor comprensión de la edificación sustentable, con el objeto de que se adopte y se difunda su implementación en beneficio de inversionistas, usuarios

ICA, participando en el evento.

y el medio ambiente.

Empresas que deseen implementar programas para reducir su impacto ambiental podrán empezar por sus

bienes raices, donde además de ahorrar cantidades importantes en sus costos de operación, promoverán un ambiente de bienestar y productividad para sus colaboradores.

José García Torres, Presidente de la Cámara de Comercio México – Estados Unidos, Capitulo Valle de México; y José Andrés García R., Presidente del Comité Organizador Expo+Congreso GIET.

E

l pasado mes de diciembre, la Cámara de Comercio MéxicoEstados Unidos A.C. junto con otras cuarenta entidades, entre ellas empresas, organizaciones, instituciones educativas y profesionales, preocupados por desarrollar proyectos sustentables reales y eficientes, presentaron “SUMe”, Sustentabilidad para México, A.C., que nace como una respuesta imperante a lo que sucede en nuestro país en materia de salud ambiental, pues experimenta un crecimiento que lo rebasa.

Para quienes trabajan en impulsar a México les es familiar enterarse que desde el año 2000 a la fecha, México se encuentra con una tendencia de crecimiento exponencial y aunque se espera una desaceleración para el año 2012, aún se sitúa en los primeros lugares con índice demográfico acelerado a nivel mundial. Lo anterior, requiere de una intervención positiva ya que —como es de esperarse—, este incremento demográfico afecta los recursos naturales del país y deja su huella negativa en el medio ambiente.

Por esta razón, el desarrollo sustentable

se ha vuelto un asunto urgente por atender, siendo uno de los motivos de la creación de SUMe. Sustentabilidad para México A.C. es un espacio plural generado durante el año 2011 a fin de congregar a todas las organizaciones interesadas y comprometidas con el futuro sustentable que la nación necesita y merece, y que nos aproxima de forma positiva y activa a la sustentabilidad de nuestro país comprometidamente; una asociación cuyo manifiesto promueve sumar esfuerzos intersectoriales, y experiencias, para con ello, difundir el conocimiento en materia de sustentabilidad y apoyar las mejores prácticas sustentables. Asimismo, es el espacio plural donde se considera a la sustentabilidad como un asunto incluyente y global que debemos resolver y atender de máxima urgencia, integrado por una sociedad civil que piensa la sustentabilidad, es un tema que nos compete a todos y que lo sitúa por encima de diferencias ideológicas, políticas o intereses económicos individuales.

“En SUMe creamos un equipo en el cual todos los participantes son pieza clave para cambiar la manera de hacer sustentabilidad en México. Debido a lo amplio que es la sustentabilidad tratamos de llegar a empresas de distintos rubros para tener opiniones valiosas en los diversos temas que se puedan presentar en esta materia”.

Creando conciencia, uniéndonos y trabajando en equipo en este organismo, aseguran, se sumarán todas las cualidades y oportunidades que tiene nuestro país para convertir los sueños en resultados tangibles en lo que a sustentabilidad se refiere. Es de suma importancia que individuos y empresas se unan a este esfuerzo colectivo en el cual encontrarán un foro abierto donde la meta es crear la base para que se generen cambios significativos en México.

La Cámara de Comercio MéxicoEstados Unidos impulsará de la mano con SUMe un movimiento entre sus empresas afiliadas que promueva una ética de sustentabilidad en los negocios, así como acciones responsables con el medio ambiente.

CHAPTER ACTIVITIES / ACTIVIDADES DEL CAPÍTULO

DE LA SUMA DE ESFUERZOS EN EL PRESENTE, DEPENDERÁ LA CALIDAD DE NUESTRO FUTURO

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Michoacan Chapter. Morelia, Mich AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION CENTER OPENS

N

icandro Ortiz, president of the USMCOC Michocan chapter, was in attendance at the signing of the legal constitution of the Agro-food Innovation and Development Center, Centro de Innovacion y Desarrollo Agroalimentario (CIDAM) of the State of Michoacan, on January 12, 2012.

The Center is a joint effort among the different levels of government, academics and the private sector with the main purpose to increase the value added to the produce grown in the state which is the number one producer in the country. The value of the vegetables and fruits grown in the state is estimated at $2.3 billion.

Increasing its value added should bring enormous additional income to the

state economy. The total investment of the center was approximately $10 million.

The center was formally introduced to multiple state association presidents representing the private sector, academics and government officials The Center has 11 laboratories specializing in biotechnology, quality control, product handling, product transfer, logistics and certification among others.

Commenting on the importance of the Center, the president of the state university said, “The main benefit this Center will bring is the positive social impact this project will have on the producers of the state as well

as the businessmen of the state of Michoacan.” The state university will actively participate through projects of applied research.

OBITUARY Don Nicandro Ortiz Gaspar Nicandro Ortiz Gaspar, active member of the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce and father of the president of the Michoacan Chapter passed away August 2011. A son, father, friend and industrialist, he left a long legacy of community involvement and good corporate practices.

He came from a very humble origin to found Grupo Ortiz, a national leader in the conversion and manufacturing of textiles, packaging and plastics. In fact, Ortiz Gaspar was considered “the king of the plastic industry.”

The companies that jointly form Grupo Ortiz have almost two thousand direct employees and several thousand more indirect employees. It has ventures in the real estate, hotel, transportation and financial consulting markets.

Nicandro Ortiz became very popular for

CHAPTER ACTIVITIES / ACTIVIDADES DEL CAPÍTULO

officially promoting the soccer team now

34

known as Monarcas Morelia, taking it to the top national league and by building the Morelos stadium with a seating capacity of 41,500 The private sector representatives were present at the signing ceremony.

people, the seventh largest in the country. In later years, due to poor health, he sold the team to TV Azteca.

Always a good corporate citizen and employer, he was proud of the fact that many of his former employees became entrepreneurs and were generating jobs. He was a pioneer in the plastics industry and many people followed his steps.

We join the sorrow shared by friends and relatives for such an important loss.

Representatives of the three levels of government, the president of the state university, business leaders including the President of the USMCOC chapter Mich., during the presentation of the strategic plan for the center.

An Emerging Strategic Imperative in Oil & Gas The Social License to Operate

By Linda Brewer and Ryan McKeeman / Environmental Resources Management

INTRODUCTION

R

egardless of industry, today’s operating environment faces an ever increasing level of stakeholder scrutiny. Many large institutional lenders and insurers are protecting the risks to their own bottom lines by assuming proactive stances on industry best practices and the reputational capital of companies seeking project funding. In oil and gas in particular, this re-pricing of risk carries the potential to significantly impact the ability of asset owners to finance major, capital-intensive projects.

As the technical difficulties in accessing resources has risen, so have the contributions of social media escalated the rate of attention to new development plans, creating a layer of socially diffical oil as well. This has created a greater focus then every before on oil and gas organizations ability to maintain a “social liscence to operate”.

OPINION 1 / OPINIÓN 1

Global markets have consistently demonstrated a preference for corporations with a strong record of health, safety, and environmental performance.

In addition to being a powerful source of market differentiation, sustainability performance can also help manage critical Non-Technical Risks (NTRs). The identification and early

35

management of NTRs, such as communityrelated issues and sensitive environments can significantly protect and even improve the project’s net present value (NPV) and an asset owner’s ability to operate in critical areas of market growth. These same NTRs can account for the fact, the ‘average major project’ experiences a 12-month schedule delay and 33% cost overruns.1 In the form of project delays and cost overruns, lost deal opportunities, and host of stakeholderrelated issues.

As investor scrutiny escalates in response to billions of dollars lost to NPV erosion, compounded by the Macondo incident, the need to better manage oil and gas non-technical performance has abruptly escalated.

To address both internal organizational change and deliver on nontechnical performance, we have found that NTR must be owned by the business and managed by clear connection of each function (technical and non-technical) to the projects’ business objectives. NTR functional expertise must now be clearly expressed in the language of the business with a strategic internal organizational change management process to ensure the implementation of this clarified need.

Now is the time to relook at how oil and gas organizations are lined up to address their NTRs, by correctly:

• Balancing short-term versus long-term business needs. While business has long been aware of the potential imbalance of the short-term focus on numbers (e.g., quarterly shareholder concerns, disclosure, cost-cutting for efficiency, pushing schedules to mitigate outgoing capital), recent events accelerate the need to rebalance this focus with a more proactive, strategic, and longer-term view.

In addition, this short-term focus offers a false economy—it is the very acceleration of schedules and the cutting of cost that can lead to increased risks to project quality, and as we have seen, a compromise to quality can lead to catastrophic events.

It is not just business leaders, but the non-technical specialists who must have the ability to move beyond a short-term compliance mindset to a proactive and strategic stance on NTRs, as well as nontechnical opportunities.

• Integrating technical and non-technical risk management. Over the past year we have seen an urgent need to aligning all the functions in managing risk in an integrated fashion. This interconnectedness can show up as technical solutions to NTRs or nontechnical opportunities such as developing a traffic plan that minimizes the impact on a community near an onshore fabrication yard, or as a non-technical solution to a technical risk such as preventing foreign algae to enter the Gulf of Mexico on foreignbuilt constructs. In integrated leadership teams, both at the corporate level and the project/asset level, looking at the complete set of risks allows for more options to mitigate the risks and opportunities.

• Making informed non-technical decisions grounded in facts. Knowing the facts about each asset’s social and environmental impact is critical to meeting these new business requirements. In order to be able to make

OPINION 1 / OPINIÓN 1

Figure 1. Secondary and tertiary impacts to NTRs: regulatory changes to contracting requirements

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ORIGINATING EVENT

New regulation impacts local contracting requirements for hull construction

Prolonged contractor evaluation & selection leads to Project delay

Pressure to hire locally leads to less qualified contractors

Contractor H&S incident at a project site

1 Offshore Technology Conference (May 2011). www.ipaglobal.com/News-Room/Presentations/IPA-President-Ed-Merrow-to-Present-at-OTC-2011---ERM analysis. http://www.tight-oil-shale-plays.com/media/downloads/inline/melinda-truskowski-erm.1296414430.pdf http://www.marinemoney.com/forums/SIN10/presentations2010/Fuglerud.pdf

These factors have led to an important shift in understanding of the drivers necessary to integrate non-technical performance into a company’s core business. For progressive companies which have already made significant investments in developing and integrating programs, valuable stakeholder and market recognition has resulted. Others are still seeking to understand the link between non-

Strategic Portfolio

Reg

Executive Leadership

Gov SD

Specific Asset

Com Asset Mgmt

Asset Mgmt

Asset Mgmt

technical performance and positive market recognition as a key precursor to building reputational capital. They are beginning to ask a key set of questions: • What is the value of NTR at the portfolio and project level? Is it material to our business?

• Do we have the right systems in place to manage and improve our non-technical performance?

• Are we structured correctly to deliver optimal non-technical performance?

• How will better non-technical performance help build and protect our social license to operate and license to grow?

Asset Mgmt

Asset Mgmt

HSE

organization. This can be done working Non-Technical Risks and opportunities at the: • Strategic Portfolio Level • Specific Asset Level • NTR Functional Support Level It is only through implementation of the management of NTR at each organizational level that a wholistic and sustained change in managing risk can be accomplished. This building of the capability and capacity at each level will enhance the line’s ability to understand, anticipate, and eventually own the NTRs, ensuring access to resources today and more importantly, tomorrow.

IMPLEMENTING THE NEW BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS The new NTR assessment process for major capital projects must begin earlier in the development lifecycle, ideally starting in the pre-lease phase.

An in-depth understanding of the ecosystem, the potential socio-economic impacts of developing and then retiring an asset, and the community relationship to development projects for the oil and gas industry, must all be taken into consideration to ensure that NPV will be optimized. Proactive lifecycle assessments of regional considerations and local content by teams of anthropologists, economists, and environmental specialists and contribute significantly to necessary financial decisions by both investors and leadership.

There is a rational process to building non-technical capability that can be executed within an oil and gas

About the authors Linda Brewer is a Partner in ERM’s Sustainability and Climate Change Practice. She is the Americas Practice Lead for Leadership and Change Management working across our Oil & Gas, Mining, and Utilities sectors.

As an organizational anthropologist, she has over 20 years experience in identifying emerging trends in organizational management.

Ryan McKeeman is a Senior Program Manager in ERM’s Sustainability and Climate Change Practice. With a background in mathematics and financial risk management, he focuses on managing programs that use the monetization of Non-Technical Risk in major Capital Projects to drive critical changes within organizations, in both operations and leadership.

OPINION 1 / OPINIÓN 1

• Addressing internal organizational interfaces and fragmentation.

Tapping into the intelligence of the organization, including those functions that focus on peoplecentric issues, whether external or internal (e.g., corporate affairs, socio-economic specialists, human resources, as well as financial, legal, and procurement) is essential in identifying innovative solutions to NTRs. However, the new oil and gas business context insists on a heightened ability to bridge the expert silos that often exists within organizational structures.

Speed to data, expertise, relationship status, and the interdependencies of all three are vital and will not tolerate inefficiencies in internal communications, making internal interfaces a NTR itself. The ability to work in an integrated manner across organizational boundaries can be accomplished by putting the results of the project over the separate functional agendas.

Figure 2. Non-technical performance must be lifted up at three different levels of the organization

NTR Functional Support

efficient and effective development or production decisions, the organization must understand its stakeholder touch points at a deeper level—they must gather and assimilate the facts regarding the community, governmental agencies, influential NGOs, and the environmental conditions.

Furthermore, they must understand how their socio-economic footprint can be interpreted or misinterpreted by each of their stakeholders.

Gathering and interpreting the facts is not enough. Some hard decisions may have to be made with regard to building up the interfaces and relationships with stakeholders.

Increasingly including stakeholders in some of the decision-making may, in the longer-term, be the less risky route to take.

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Ready or Not, Here Come

the Clouds!

By Tony Jimenez / President & CEO, MicroTech

C

loud Computing is a global technology significantly impacting economic and social environments worldwide. Here are some thoughts about this important emerging technology and its implications for future business in Latin America. In the end, the question is not “will cloud technologies drive significant changes to our business?” but “how much and how soon?” Ready or Not, here come the Clouds!

Despite the pervasive bullishness for cloud computing across the industry, only two things really seem certain about it. First, there is no common understanding of the term “cloud” as it is one of the most casually used terms in IT today! Second, although it also seems that everyone is talking about cloud, it also appears that so far only early adopters have actually moved beyond the low hanging fruit of cloud.

OPINION 2 / OPINIÓN 2

For our purposes, we will call cloud computing the delivery of computing as a service rather than a product, provisioned on demand and priced on a usage basis where shared resources, software, and information are provided to computers and other devices as a metered service over a network, typically the Internet.

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To provide this service requires a common infrastructure/platform where services, data, and network solutions can be easily accessed, scaled, centrally managed, reused, and protected. I am talking about a big consolidated one-stop shop to get all the IT we need by the drink, when, where and how we want it. But most important at

a big savings! Sounds simple? In fact, many would argue that the IT community has been moving to the cloud for years. They have called it enterprise, thin client, grid computing, utility computing, SOA, and maybe even data center consolidation, but today we call this total solution a “cloud.”

Despite the fact that it remains early in the technology adoption lifecycle, many in the industry are confident that hundreds of billions of dollars in future IT spending are destined for migration to cloud solutions. So the question for private and public sector IT leaders around the world remains, “To Cloud or not To Cloud: that is the question!”

Cloud computing is more than just a hot topic. Now more than ever, doing more with less is a way of life in both the public and private sectors and few would question the value that IT business automation plays in helping organizations deliver more and better services for every dollar they spend.

The private sector has clearly taken the lead with mega-cloud environments like Amazon’s, Google’s, etc. Similarly, the U.S. government has embraced private sector cloud success and is attempting to get on board as quickly as possible.

In early 2011 the U.S. government initiated “cloud first.” This policy mandates a strategy intended to accelerate the pace at which the U.S. government will realize the benefits of cloud computing by requiring all agencies to evaluate safe, secure cloud options before making any new information technology investments. The ultimate result of this huge transformation is expected to manifest

Just how big is this trend in computing today? Gartner, a leading Global Information Technology (IT) consulting firm, forecasts that the worldwide cloud solutions market

will be over $148.8 billion by 2014 and exceed $68 billion for this year alone.

Cloud computing in Latin America is still in the initial stages, but the enterprise adoption rate is expected to grow to 69 percent in five years and move from $170 million to about $1 billion in the next few years, according to the vice president for Research and Consulting at IDC, Ricardo Villate.

“Cloud computing is more than just a hot topic.

Now more than ever, doing more with less is a way of life in both the public and private sectors.”

Currently, Brazil has the highest adoption rate in the region at 25 percent. Chile, Argentina and Colombia are at an intermediate level, while Peru and Mexico have lagged behind. Since numbers are still relatively small, it’s difficult to identify a clear trend toward the public or private cloud. So, the good news is that there is still time to become an early adopter and that the cloud market is clear and open for investment.

So the answer to the question, “To Cloud or not To Cloud” is a resounding, “To Cloud” at least for much of the Latin America region and the world, but perhaps less so in Mexico.

Which roles best fit your future focus, needs and/or capabilities?

Only time will tell. Where is the next pot of gold? It’s at the end of that rainbow coming out of that cloud.

Now go see if you can find it!

OPINION 2 / OPINIÓN 2

itself in increased efficiency and effectiveness. The business opportunity is unmistakable— billions of dollars are up for grabs!

39

Manufacturing Options:

Mexico vs. China

By Enrique Esparza Jr. / President at Co-Production International

I OPINION 3 / OPINIÓN 3

n today’s dynamic manufacturing environment, companies have several attractive options to consider when expanding, relocating or simply starting a new manufacturing facility. The global economy is still healing from the economic downturn of the past years, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Mexico and China are poised, standing ready, willing and able to attract world class manufacturing to their shores.

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How do corporations facing today’s challenges weigh their manufacturing options? One would assume that cost is at the top of the list for most, and, to no surprise, China—as well as other Asian countries—has held the top spot for low-cost manufacturing in the last two decades.

However, recent studies have shown that although cost is an influential factor, it is not always at the top of the list. There are other important factors to consider such as strategic location, quality and experience just to name a few. In this playing field, Mexico certainly makes a compelling case for itself when compared to China.

LOW-COST MANUFACTURING In the last decade Chinese labor rates have increased significantly. Today the average wage of a manufacturing employee in China is between $1.65 and $1.85 per hour. Of course, labor rates are contingent upon the location of the factory as well as the industry they serve.

Mexico, for the most part, has remained stable

Other cost components to consider are the duties and tariffs imposed on Chinese products imported to the U.S. Be they finished goods or raw materials, costs can be significantly higher than those imposed on Mexican products. In many cases, because of NAFTA, Mexican raw materials pay zero duties and finished goods pay only on the value added portion of their cost component when entering the U.S. and some European countries.

STRATEGIC LOCATION As the saying goes “location, location, location” and Mexico’s location is ideal for companies selling into the North American and European marketplace.

Having a manufacturing site hours from the consumer saves on transportation costs.

The average transit time from the moment a shipment departs China to the time it arrives in the U.S. is 30 days resulting in higher costs. Mexico delivery times are far less; depending on the origin of the shipment, it can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days for a product to arrive at its destination.

Mexico’s strategic location is ideal for several other reasons. First, companies can maintain “just-in-time” delivery to their consumers and distributors. Second, reaction time to any production or operational issues on the factory floor can be resolved in hours, not days or weeks. Third, maintaining greater operational control of the manufacturing base is less challenging because of its proximity to the corporate office.

And let’s not forget about South America. It has also developed an insatiable appetite for North American and European goods from cars to electronics to household appliances and everything in between. Having a Mexican manufacturing base provides companies with an opportunity to tap into the South American marketplace while at the same time supplying their North American and European consumers.

QUALITY AND EXPERIENCE Mexico’s entry to the manufacturing arena began more than 50 years ago.

At it’s inception, the draw for foreign manufacturers was its low-cost labor rates. Today the manufacturing landscape is much different; Mexico has attracted global corporations such as Volkswagen, GM, Bombardier, Bose, Eaton and other world class companies by proving it has the technical skills and capabilities to compete not only in North America, but on the world stage as well.

Many of today’s Mexican manufacturing plants reach far beyond simple assembly.

It is not uncommon to find companies that design, develop and manufacture some of the most complex products in the marketplace in a variety of industries.

Aerospace, automotive, medical and electronics manufacturing companies find themselves at home in Mexico. From pacemakers to airplanes, Mexico meets and exceeds the standards set by world class companies. A close working relationship between industry and higher education has made this possible. Curricula at universities and technical schools are now shaped by the specific demands of industry.

“BIENVENIDO A MÉXICO”...WELCOME TO MÉXICO One last key component to consider when discussing Mexico vs. China is culture and language. Though they are not mutually exclusive, cultural and language barriers can pose a threat to the success of any manufacturing site. Working in the manufacturing sector, it is almost certain that a Mexican national will speak English and, along the border, the workforce is not only bilingual but bicultural as well.

Mexican and U.S. cultures are no doubt different in many ways, but they are both western cultures and in that regard, share more similarities than North American and Asian cultures do. The U.S. and Mexico also share common interests and are more likely to concur in best practices as they relate to global competitiveness. In a nutshell, the U.S. and Mexico cultural similarities will undoubtedly ensure the global competitiveness and economic prosperity of those companies willing to venture into new horizons.

OPINION 3 / OPINIÓN 3

in its labor rate averaging anywhere from $1.85 to $2.25 per hour (also contingent upon location and industry). Something else to consider is the hours an employee works per week. For example, China has a 44-hour work week and Mexico has a 48hour work week. Mexico has roughly a 10 percent advantage in this respect.

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HELVEX www.helvex.com.mx

New members to the United StatesMexico Chamber of Commerce

ICA, Ingenieros Civiles Asociados www.ica.com.mx Sector: Construcción (Construction)

INPROAMBIENT, S.A. de C.V. www.inproambient.com Medical DDS Services, S.A. de C.V. Internationa www.ddsmedical.com Sector: Medical Turism

Mitsubishi Electric Climas de México www.mitsubishiclimas.com.mx Naviera Integral, S.A. de C.V. www.navinsa.com.mx Sector: Transportation

Interbrands www.interbrandsgroup.com Sector: Marketing Lucia’s Oaks WWW.LUCIASOAKS.COM Sector: Real Estate Maya Contadores/CPA’s (Mabe International) www.mayacpa.com Sector: Financial

PPG Industries www.ppg.com

Memorial Hermann Hospital System www.hermannmemorail.com Sector: Medical

Ronald E. Monard Amanda Monard Sector: Law/Legal

Revitaliza Consultores www.revitalizaconsultores.com Sector: Consulting Services

MFR PC www.mfrpc.com Sector: Financial

MID-AMERICA CHAPTER CHICAGO, IL

Arent Fox (Jennifer Terry) www.arentfox.com Sector: Law/Legal

Morton Kuehnert www.mortonkuehnert.com Sector: Auctioneers

The International Business Law Group, LLC. www.intblg.com Sector: Business Law

The American British Cowdray Medical Center, I.A.P www.abchospital.com Sector: Medical Turism

Diana Alicia Diaz-Dawley Sector: Marketing

Motorola Solutions motorolasolutions.com Sector: Technology

Corporation for International Business/ATA Carnet www.atacarnet.com

NW CHAPTER Community Attributes International (CAI) www.communityattributes.com Sector: Economic Development / Research American Safari Cruises / InnerSea Discoveries www.innerseadiscoveries.com Sector: Tourism Choosing Mexico, LLC www.choosingmexico.com Sector: Real Estate Esparza + Business Communications www.esparzaplus.com Sector: Marketing / Advertising Milagro Foods, Inc www.milagrofoods.com/store/ home.php Sector: Food and Agriculture

NEW MEMBERS / NUEVOS MIEMBROS

Inter National Bank www.internationalbank.com Sector: Banking

CALIFORNIA REGIONAL CHAPTER Los Angeles, CA

BINATIONAL MEMBERS

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Greenspoint District www.greenspoint.org Sector: Municipal

GUANAJUATO CHAPTER León, Gto. Vgames Factory www.vgames.com Sector: Tienda de videojuegos (Videogames) Aviplant Sector: Calzado (Footwear) Euroamericana de Calzado S.A de C.V. www.calzaweb.com euroamericana Sector: Calzado (Footwear)

Jordan Refrigeration Sector: Services/Refrigeration Raul Arechiga Sector: Developer Shuly Hirsch www.raypress.com Sector: Printing, labels, systems, promotions

XTRATEGAS, Bufete Jurídico www.xtrategas.com Sector: Comercio Exterior y Defensa Fiscal (Foreign Trade and Fiscal Defense) DESMEX, S.A. de C.V. www.desmex.com

Reliance Protection Group Inc. www.relipg.com Sector: Security System

THE WOODLANDS-GULF COAST CHAPTER The Woodlands, TX

1st Group Realty Sector: Real Estate

Caliber Components Sector: Manufacturing Parts stoves

AeroMexico www.aeromexico.com Sector: Air Transport

CRG, LLC Sector: Export/import International Trade with China

Amegy Bank www.amegybank.com Sector: Banking

Ajax Systems www.ayaxsystems.com Sector: Internet Systems/ Customer Service Decision

Banamex Sector: Banking

MICHOACAN CHAPTER Morelia, Mich.

Servicios Ciudadanos Intl.

Gas de Uruapan GV Contadores

VALLE DE MÉXICO CHAPTER México, D.F. Adelmar International, S.A. de C.V. www.adelmarinternational.com/ adelmar Sector: Industrial and Commerce E- Group / PARKS www.e-group.com.mx Sector: Real Estate

Berlin Heart Inc Sector: Medical Black Forest Ventures www.blackforestventures.com Sector: Real Estate Call Fast Call Centers Sector: Call Center

Oasis Bank www.bankoasis.com Sector: Banking OBT www.obt.com Sector: Legal Pete Garcia International Inc www.petegarciainternational.com Sector: Consulting Port Isabel Offshore Sector: Marine R&M Global Advisors www.rmglobaladvisors.com Sector: Consultancy Rice University www.rice.edu Education Royston Rayzor Attorneys www.roystonlaw.com Sector: Legal United Airlines www.united.com Sector: Air Transport Univision www.univision.com Sector: Communications Uptown Realty www.uptownrealty.com Sector: Real Estate

Consul General Luis Malpica Sector: Government Crown Point Regional Center www.eb5tx.com Sector: Financial

PACIFICO CHAPTER Guadalajara, Jal.

ExxonMobil www.exxonmobil.com Sector: Energy

Royal Cargo Integra, S.A. de C.V. www.royal-cargo.com.mx Sector: International Solutions in international logistics, import and export of air cargo, maritime and land

Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau-Regional Level www.visithoustontexas.com Sector: Tourism

Cultivos Barragán, S.P.R. de R.L. de C.V Sector: Production and commercialization of vegetables (hot house)

Pan America Legal, Servicios Jurídicos Empresariales Personales S.C. Sector: Administrative Consultans in Administrative and Family Matters

INTER-AMERICAN CHAPTER Miami, FL

Horeb Energía y Combustibles Ecológicos, SRL de CV

Isonomia Abogados www.isonomia.com.mx Sector: Labor Consultants

Tempus Quo www.tempusquo.com Sector: Finance Deya Tarno Design Sector: Design

Brickell Motors www.brickellLuxurymotors.com

METAGALP, S.A. DE C.V. www.ultimamorada.com.mx Sector: Manufacturer of wooden Ash Urns.

Go For Languages www.goforlanguages.com Sector: Languages

Orthopedic Rehab Clinic Sector: Medicine

A1 Avalúos & Unidad de Valuación www.a1avaluos.com Sector: Servicios de Valuación de bienes y servicios, tangibles e intangibles Grupo Iclar www.grupoiclar.com Sector: Real Estate and Housing Developments TERMO MOTOR www.termomotor.com Sector: Metal Stamping and Radiators

Symphony Of The Americas www.symphonyoftheamercias.org Sector: Arts, Entertainment & Recreations Eckstein Schester Law www.ecksteinschesterlaw.com Sector: Law State Of Campeche www.campeche.gob.mx Sector: Government and Tourism Yucatan Golf www.yucatancountry.com Sector: Sports and Tourism UM - School Of Business www.bus.miami.edu Sector: Education State Of Quintana Roo www.qroo.gob.mx Sector: Government and Tourism

Thunderbird-Tec Monterrey www.thunderbird.edu/globalmba Sector: Education Gabriela Aran Dds Sector: Education

Díaz Mirón & Associates www.diazmiron.com Sector: Law & Legal Aztlán Foods Sector: Food

Star Software Marketing Sector: Service Sleep and Sync www.sleepnsync.com Sector: Education Ana Carrera Floral Design Sector: Design Acape www.acape.com.mx Sector: Consulting John de Leon Law Firm www.chavez-deleon.com Sector: Law CDI Capital Intelectual www.cdicapitalintelectual.com Sector: Law Energy Health And Fitness www.energyandfitness.com Sector: Service

Producciones Ochoa Sector: Music

Ayuntamiento de Mérida www.turismo.merida.gob.mx Sector: Government and Tourism

Comcast www.comcast.com

J & G Trade World Group LLC Sector: Medical Products

Evolution W www.evolutionw.org Sector: Education Garces Law Firm P.A. www.garceslaw.com Sector: Law & Legal Gables Dental Care www.gablesdentalcare.com Sector: Medicine

Avellino Global www.avelinoglobal.com Sector: Law

Mid-Atlantic Chapter Global Telesourcing Sector: Telecommunications

To register please visit: www.usmcoc.org

u.s.-mexico 2012

A Year of Presidential Elections Annual Conference / Good Neighbor Awards / Binational Board of Directors Meeting WASHINGTON, D.C

united states-mexico chamber of commerce

NEW MEMBERS / NUEVOS MIEMBROS

Administración y Soluciones ARH S.A. DE C.V. www.arh.mx Sector: Consulting Services and Human Resources outsourcing, Administration, Marketing and Information Technologies.

Safra Bank www.safra.com Sector: Finance

Fideicomiso Riviera Maya www.qroo.gob.mx Sector: Government and Tourism

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For Kraft Foods Mexico, corporate social responsibility must be reflected in all its activities at all levels, building trust everyday with the generation of longterm commitments.

Kraft Foods >> make your day delicious

44

K

raft Foods Inc. (NYSE: KFT) is a global snacks powerhouse with an unrivaled portfolio of brands created to make today delicious. The company proudly markets delicious biscuits, confectionery, beverages, cheese, grocery products and convenient meals in approximately 170 countries.

Twelve of the company’s iconic brands – Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oreo, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Tang and Trident – generate revenue of more than $1 billion annually. On Aug. 4, 2011, Kraft Foods announced plans to divide and create two independent public companies: a high-growth global snacks business and a high-margin North American grocery business. The transaction will take at least 12 months to complete, during which time plans regarding the structure, management, governance and other matters will be announced.

The company has a well-deserved reputation in terms of regulations compliance and respect to the community. A leader in innovation, marketing, health & wellness and sustainability, Kraft Foods is a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Standard & Poor’s 500, Dow Jones Sustainability Index and Ethibel Sustainability Index.

As the world’s second largest Food & Beverages company, Kraft Foods had 2010 revenue of $49.2 billion, providing employment to 140,000 people.

Kraft Foods is a company that participates in the snacks, confectionery and ready-to-prepare food markets in Mexico since 1955. Currently, it has operations in more than 70 countries with sales in more than 160 nations. The company has 11 Research & Development Centers worldwide, which enable the development of knowledge for the consumers’ benefit.

The company started its operations in Mexico in 1955. Later, in the year 2000, Kraf Foods acquired Nabisco, in 2008 opened its Research & Development Center in Mexico City’s Victoria Plant. Additionally, in 2008 the company opened the Kraft Mexico Gastronomic Center in order to train chefs, vendors/ suppliers and customers for the creation of new gastronomical trends.

Leon. This biscuit manufacturing plant exports 100% of its production to the US market.

• Puebla Plant located in the beautiful city of Puebla, produces Gums & Candies. It is the world’s largest chewing gum manufacturing plant. 73% of its production is for the domestic market and 27% for export to US, Canada, the Caribbean and Central America.

For Kraft Foods Mexico, corporate social responsibility must be reflected in all its activities at all levels, building trust everyday with the generation of long-term commitments.

As part of the Social Responsibility accomplishments of this long-term project, in 2010 Kraft Foods Mexico was recognized by the Expansion Magazine and Top Companies as the #1 Super Company to Work For in Mexico. Also, in 2011 and for the sixth straight year, the company received the Socially Responsible Company distinctive and was ranked in the 4th place by Top Companies. Additionally, it received recognitions in Environmental, Health & Safety Excellence and a State Quality Award won by the Puebla Plant.

Among the Social Responsibility projects that have been carried out are a program to promote healthy lifestyles called “Alimentarnos para Vivir Mejor” (Feed Us to Live Better). This program is jointly conducted with Save the Children Mexico since 2006 and through the creation of different materials we have had a positive impact in the life of 18.500 children nationwide, 8.500 parents, 800 community educators and 60 health promoters, working on subjects such as nutritional education, active games, physical activity and human development.

The last material developed by the company is called “Manual Familias Saludables” (Healthy Families Manual) and was created to address one of the most important social sectors: families.

This material creates consciousness among all family members on the importance of acquiring and fostering healthy lifestyles.

The material breaks down this information in a clear, simple, practical, fun way and starting with the family in order to lead by example with children.

Kraft Foods Mexico has more than 8,000 employees and more than 50 Promoters Attention Centers. Also, it has four Manufacturing Plants in the country: • Victoria Plant, located in Mexico City. This plant manufactures biscuits like Oreo, Chips Ahoy! And Ritz. 97% of its production is for the domestic market and 3% for export.

• Ecatepec Plant, located in Mexico State. It is the manufacturing plant of powdered beverages such as Tang and Clight; cheese such as the traditional Philadelphia cream cheese that is enjoyed by consumers in snacks and several dishes; as well as mayonnaise and maple syrup. 91.5% of its production is for the domestic market and 8.5% for export.

• Monterrey Plant, located in the State of Nuevo

MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS / MIEMBRO DESTACADO

Kraft Foods is the leader in the manufacturing of gums, candies, chocolate and cream cheese. The leading brands people love are Trident, Tang, Clorets, Bubbaloo, Philadelphia and Halls.

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W

MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS / MIEMBRO DESTACADO

hen MicroTech president and CEO Tony Jimenez was named Entrepreneur of the Year, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell offered his congratulations, saying, “Thanks for your commitment to improving the lives of others.” That is an apt description of Tony Jimenez. Even as the head of the Fastest Growing Hispanic Owned Business in the U.S., for an unprecedented third consecutive year—integrity, character and doing the right thing mean as much to him as the bottom line.

46

And when Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley wanted to reach out to the local minority community, he recognized Tony Jimenez with the Chair’s Award for the work he does to better the lives of Hispanics. Jimenez was also named by Hispanic Business in 2011 as one of the Most Influential Hispanics in America.

Tony Jimenez Leader of Fastest Growing HispanicOwned Business, Finds Success in Technology Innovation

A decorated veteran, innovative entrepreneur, and strong advocate for minority business ownership, Tony Jimenez is also the founder and leader of MicroTech. From the startup at his kitchen table in northern Virginia in 2004, he has nurtured his business into an all-American success story.

Beginning with one single contract with the U.S. Army and only 15

Diverse 100 Top Minority Suppliers, and DiversityBusiness.com selected the company as the No. 1 Veteran Owned Business in Washington DC. CRN called MicroTech the Top Revenue Generating VAR in North America.

MicroTech is a four-time member of the Inc. 500, and the Fastest Growing Solutions Provider in North America.

Digital Software Magazine named MicroTech the Fastest Growing Private Software Service Provider in the World. The company holds more than 100 prime contracts and 28 Federal procurement vehicles, offering over a million tech products and services across the government.

As a passionate advocate for veterans and minority business owners, Jimenez is frequently called upon to testify before Congress and the Senate, address business groups, and get involved with government forums like President Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board and the Department of Commerce Advisory Council on Minority Business Enterprise.

MicroTech is a member of the CRN

In the past year, he was honored with the Corporate Citizenship Award as

Executive of the Year, a government information management group selected him for executive leadership, the Washington Business Journal honored him as a Minority Business Leader of the Year, and he was recognized as a Business Legend by the Maryland Center for Inclusion and Diversity. Named as one of Most Influential Hispanics in Technology by two organizations, Hispanic Engineer also called him one of the Top Latinos in Healthcare IT. MicroTech (www.MicroTech.net) recently opened a new technology center, and significantly expanded its product line of branded cloud computing, unified communications, and mobile data center technology.

MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS / MIEMBRO DESTACADO

employees that first year, the company now has 450 employees in 30 states.

MicroTech continues to aggressively expand and prosper even during these uncertain times, growing over 25,000 percent since its launch.

47

FEBRUARY / FEBRERO CHAPTER

EVENT

DAY

PLACE

BAJÍO CHAPTER. LEÓN, GTO.

Consultant training course on Cleaner Production and Energy Efficiency

15

León, Gto.

splopez88@gmail.com

INTER AMERICAN CHAPTER. MIAMI, FL.

Mexico Vibra! Miami Launching Cocktail

16

Cinco at Village of Merryck Park

interamerican@usmcoc.org

PACIFIC CHAPTER. GUADALAJARA, JAL.

Welcoming Ceremony for the New Board of Directors - USMCOC Pacifico Chapter

23

Cámara de Comercio de Guadalajara, Jalisco.

jgalvan@usmcoc.org

MICHOACAN CHAPTER. MORELIA, MICH.

USMCOC Michoacan Chapter meeting

27

Chamber offices

usmcoc mich. usmcocmich@gmail.com

MID-AMERICA CHAPTER. CHICAGO, IL

Mexico Update: 2012 Economic and Political Outlook

28

Baker & McKenzie, Chicago, Il

Blanca.berthier@usmcoc.org

MID-AMERICA CHAPTER. CHICAGO, IL

Mexico Update: 2012 Economic and Political Outlook

29

Plante & Moran, Detroit, Michigan

Blanca.berthier@usmcoc.org

CALIFORNIA PACIFIC CHAPTER. LOS ANGELES, CA.

The Retail Market in Mexico

29

TBA

marlen@usmcocca.org

MICHOACAN CHAPTER

Presentation of the Long Term Strategic Plan to the New Elected Governor

29

State Government office

usmcoc mich. usmcocmich@gmail.com

BAJÍO CHAPTER. LEÓN, GTO.

Low Carbon. Certification program for hotel sector

TBD

León, Gto.

splopez88@gmail.com

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

MARCH / MARZO CHAPTER

EVENT

DAY

PLACE

CALIFORNIA PACIFIC CHAPTER. LOS ANGELES, CA.

“From Members to Members” Network Breakfast

6

TBD

marlen@usmcocca.org

MID-AMERICA CHAPTER. CHICAGO, IL

Annual Spring Business Mission to Mexico City

22-23

Mexico City

blanca.berthier@usmcoc.org

INTER AMERICAN CHAPTER. MIAMI, FL.

Member’s Annual Luncheon with Consul General of Mexico

TBD

TBA

interamerican@usmcoc.org

BAJÍO CHAPTER. LEÓN, GTO.

Low Carbon. Certification Program for hotel sector

TBD

León, Gto.

splopez88@hotmail.com

THE WOODLANDS - GULF COAST CHAPTER

Luncheon

TBD

TBA

pete@chambergc.org

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

APRIL / ABRIL

UPCOMING EVENTS / PRÓXIMOS EVENTOS

CHAPTER

48

EVENT

DAY

PLACE

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CALIFORNIA PACIFIC CHAPTER. LOS ANGELES, CA.

“FROM MEMBERS TO MEMBERS NETWORK BREAFAST”

3

TBD

marlen@usmcocca.org

CALIFORNIA PACIFIC CHAPTER. LOS ANGELES, CA.

Maquiladoras Project with the US-Commercial Service and the USMCOC. Road Trips

18-19

TBD

marlen@usmcocca.org

MID-AMERICA CHAPTER. CHICAGO, IL

U.S. Mexico China Forum

19

TBD

blanca.berthier@usmcoc.org

BINATIONAL EVENT

Annual Meeting, Conference and Good Neighbor Awards 2012

25-26

Washington, D.C.

eduardo.bialos@usmcoc.org

INTER AMERICAN CHAPTER. MIAMI, FL.

Inter-American Chapter’s XIV Anniversary at Royal Caribbean’s Cruise Ship

TBD

PORT OF MIAMI

interamerican@usmcoc.org

BAJÍO CHAPTER. LEÓN, GTO.

Low Carbon. Certification Program for hotel sector

TBD

León, Gto.

splopez88@hotmail.com

MAY / MAYO CHAPTER

EVENT

DAY

PLACE

CALIFORNIA PACIFIC CHAPTER. LOS ANGELES, CA.

“From Members to Members” Network Breakfast

1

TBD

marlen@usmcocca.org

BAJÍO CHAPTER. LEÓN, GTO.

Consultant training course on Cleaner Production and Energy Efficiency

3

León, Gto.

splopez88@gmail.com

THE WOODLANDS - GULF COAST CHAPTER

Trade Mission to Mexico City

18-19

Mexico City

pete@chambergc.org

CALIFORNIA PACIFIC CHAPTER. LOS ANGELES, CA.

“Fifth Celebration of the International Trade Community in Los Angeles” UCLA.

19

TBD

marlen@usmcocca.org

MID-AMERICA CHAPTER. CHICAGO, IL

2012 Double Eagle Awards Dinner

25-27

TBD

blanca.berthier@usmcoc.org

INTER AMERICAN CHAPTER. MIAMI, FL.

Conference: Elections in Mexico and USA and the future of US-Mexico relations

TBD

TBA

interamerican@usmcoc.org

BAJÍO CHAPTER. LEÓN, GTO.

Low Carbon. Certification Program for hotel sector

TBD

León, Gto.

splopez88@hotmail.com

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

49

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50

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