31
MEXICO
REGIONAL REPORT
NOVEMBER 2014
ACT
Large-scale projects
GruasABCalsokeeps a tight focuson
customers it chooses to serve.
“In themarketswe identify to serve,
weonly look for triple-A customers,”
Cortez explained. “We trynot tomarket
to smallerorganizations.Webelieve larger
companies are smarter in that they look
formuchmore than the lowest price. They
seevalue inour technology, our safety
performance and reliable communication.”
Though that thirdMonterreyMetro
route is today’smost visibleGruasABC
project, it’snot theonly largeone.
In2015, the companywill relocate two
steel foundries from theU.S. toMexico.
The larger jobwill bringon flatbeds and
lowboys a large foundry fromVirginia to
theMonterreyarea.
Cortez said, “That is thekindofwork
inwhich the customer can count onour
benefits. Inprojects this large, there’s a
lotmore tonurturinga customer than
offeringa lowprice.”
MammoetMexicoalso sees growing
demand in2015.
According to itsmanagingdirector,
HomeroCardona, “Wehadahardyear
in2013.Wedida littlebetter this year. I
guaranteenothing. But I think2014has
beena run-up for abig2015. I thinkour
Observersoftenpoint toMexicoas
an exampleof anation thatmixes a
productive,modern economywitha
low-production, traditional economy.
Tradelossa’shand in theBajaproject
demonstrates the former.
Perhaps therewill be increaseddemand
formorewind turbines anda company
withTradelossa’s experience tohaul them.
Proponents believewindpowerwill
trim thehigh cost ofMexico’s industrial
electricity. It runs about 80percent higher
thanU.S. industrial costs.
More infrastructureprojects lie ahead.
BernieCortez loves to thinkabout
howpotential infrastructure jobs could
stimulate thenation’s economy.
GruasABC ismoving forwardwith
an elevated/undergroundpublic-transit
system thatwasdesigned tokeeppace
withMonterrey’s growth. The area
populationhas soared tomore than4
million,which strains the city’s ability to
get people fromplace toplace.And there’s
noprojectionof apopulation slowdown.
MonterreyMetrohas respondedwitha
third transit line thatwill bring elevated
train service to the city’snortheast and
southeast sections.
“Each stationwill be lifted intoplace,
with thatwork continuingwell into2015,”
Cortez said. “Our companywill do that
lifting.”
RelyingonTerex craneswith capacities
of up to80 tons,GruasABCwill place
eight elevated stations and theirplatforms
aboveMonterrey streets.Muchof the
liftingmust be completedat night.
The company’s successful completionof
each lift, combinedwith its emphasison
safety,wouldbe factors shouldMonterrey
Metromove forwardwithapossible
fourth train route.
“Wedon’t hire craneoperators from
other companies,”Cortez says. “We like
tohireyoungerpeople andprepare them
in the safewaywegoabout doingour
business.”
businesswill be takingoff in theNew
Year.”
Cardona identifies at least twoqualities
to support that takeoff.
The companymaintains remarkable
safetyperformance. Since its 1999
beginning, it hashadnoaccidents.
MammoetMexicoalso concentrateson
customers that it canbest serve.
“Wedonot pretend tobe competitive
with smaller, local companies,”Cardona
emphasized. “Our specialty is theheaviest
lifting.Weperformprojectswith liftsof
300 tonsormore.”
Cardonaalsobelieves theopening
ofMexico’s energy industry can spark
economicgrowth. Thenational energy
company, Pemex, nowmust compete for
the first timewithglobal rivals.
“I believewewill see companies like
Shell andChevrondoingwell inMexico,”
hepredicted. “I expect important
developmentsboth indeepoffshore
productionand inMexico’s shallow
waters.”
SuperTransport International, or STI,
operates from twoneighboringbases.
Itmaintains a30-acre facility inNuevo
Laredo,Mexico.Directlyacross theborder
inLaredo, TX, STIhas a13-acre site.
The companyhas succeededby
linking its transportation capabilities
with customerneeds inMexico, the48
continentalU.S. states andCanada.
According toAlejandroDuque, Jr.,
STI’s specializeddivision supervisor, the
24-year-old company’s growthappears to
begatheringmomentum for a strong2015.
Duquepointedout thatMexico’s
Tradelossa has been bringing blades from
Plaster City, CA to the new Bajawind farm.
The company has also carried three-section
towers, nacelles, hubs and drive trains from
Mexico’s Ensenada port to Baja.
While heavy haul projects have
been down in 2014, Gruas ABC has
experienced a 15 percent growth
in cranework this year.
