MEXICO CITY — Concours Mold Inc. is heading for a 50 percent increase in sales in Mexico this year after a $4 million upgrade of its plant in Huejotzingo, in the state of Puebla.
“We're projecting sales of $12 million this year, compared with $8 million last year,” Leonardo Picazo, assistant general manager of subsidiary Concours Mold Mexicana SA de CV, told Plastics News August 25.
The third largest mold maker in North America in 2013, according to Plastics News' ranking, with estimated annual sales of $80 million, Concours Mold completed the Huejotzingo plant expansion several months ago.
According to Picazo, 75 percent of the $4 million spent on improving the facility was invested in new machinery and 25 percent on almost doubling the plant's floor space to 31,000 square feet.
New equipment and services added include an injection mold tryout press, a gun drilling machine, heat treatment capabilities, a sandblast room, a fully enclosed clean room for high polish tools and steel inventory located in house and the capability of saw cutting large blocks.
“We're planning to bring in a 1,500-ton injection molding press [from Milacron LLC] towards the end of the year,” Picazo said, adding that two additional Makino machining units are slated to arrive in September and October. The plant already has a Makino F5 vertical high-speed machining center in operation.
The Huejotzingo facility, which also includes four overhead cranes, with a 20-50-ton capacity, and three jib cranes, is located in an industrial park immediately opposite Puebla's international airport. It was opened four years ago.
“It was born as an engineering changes and repair shop,” said Picazo, who spent 17 years with auto supplier Magna International Inc before joining Concours this year. “The owner [Mark Goggin] saw the potential growth in Mexico. In the past year or so our business plan has been for 50 percent of our revenue to come from new builds and 50 percent from engineering changes and repairs.”
He said the Huejotzingo facility can build up to 100 new builds per year. It employs 70, including 50 shop floor technicians and General Manager Dennis Goggin, who is Mark Goggin's son. The plant runs two eight-hour shifts, Monday through Saturday. Ninety percent of the plant's work is for the automotive industry. Its customers include Magna International Inc. and Faurecia SA.
Concours has 40 design engineers located in its Lakeshore, Ontario, headquarters, where most of the corporation's mold design is carried out. Asked whether the company has plans to design molds in Mexico, Picazo replied:
“We're working towards doing design here in Huejotzingo. We have one engineer designer [Mario Maqueda] and we're in the process of hiring a second.”
He said that “finding the right talent is difficult and so with our four years of experience in the country we have a significant head start on the competition.”
