Jaguar Corp. SA de CV is ``winnowing low-margin business'' this year en route to projected sales exceeding $130 million, said Jose Juli n Franco, chief executive officer.
``We have increased capacities substantially,'' Franco said March 19 in Zapopan.
Jaguar recorded 2001 sales of $120 million. The facility is getting back on track after a 1999 fire destroyed 60 percent of the plant.
The firm invested $6 million on top of the nearly $22 million insurance proceeds to fund construction. Jaguar built an 80,000-square-foot facility for offices and manufacturing disposable polystyrene cups and plates and expandable PS trays.
The fire did not affect a 20,000-square-foot operation that makes rolls of low density polyethylene film, and converts that film and acquired high density PE film into bags and packaging materials.
About 30 percent of Jaguar's production deals with private-label items for leading Mexican retail-grocery chains. Another 10 percent goes to the United States.
Capacity includes about 450 million cups per month and 297 tons of foam trays, Franco said.
Jaguar started selling disposable bags in 1975, manufacturing PE bags in 1977 and producing PS cups in 1990. Now, Jaguar employs about 1,500, has four plants, operates 22 distribution centers and, through its Servicio Terrestre Jaguar SA transportation unit, runs more than 300 satellite-monitored tractor-trailer trucks that deliver products.
Key Jaguar managers have received stock equity, although the family of Carlos Salvador Reynoso remains majority owner.
