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Ziemann Holvrieka, a leading German provider of tanks and process technology for the beer, the beverage and food industry, has broken ground on a new facility in the Amistad Chuy María Industrial Park, located in Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, near the capital city of Saltillo. The ceremonial groundbreaking event, attended by the Governor of Coahuila, Manolo Jiménez Salinas, marks a significant milestone in the company’s expansion efforts and underscores its commitment to the region.

With a projected total investment of 20 million dollars, Ziemann Holvrieka’s new production plant is poised to generate 150 new jobs in the Southeastern region of Coahuila. The facility will specialise in the manufacturing of stainless steel tanks, execution of EPC-Projects and overall customer services tailored to the needs of the liquid food industry and to serve our existing huge installed base, bolstering local employment opportunities and contributing to the economic growth of the area.

Speaking at the event, Governor Manolo Jiménez Salinas expressed his enthusiasm for the project, emphasising the importance of collaboration between government and industry in fostering economic development. “We are delighted to welcome Ziemann Holvrieka to Coahuila,” remarked Governor Jiménez. “Our state is committed to supporting businesses that seek to invest, innovate, and create jobs within our borders.”

Ziemann Holvrieka’s decision to establish a presence in Ramos Arizpe reflects its strategic vision for serving the growing demand for liquid processing solutions in Mexico. Klaus Gehrig, the company’s CEO, highlighted Mexico’s significance as the largest market of the group over the past decade and underlines their dedication to providing exceptional service to the clients from their new facility in Coahuila. Additionally, the company will extend its services and supplies to support the operations of its sister companies, DME and Briggs of Burton, catering to their customers in Mexico.
The new production plant, spanning 48,000 square meters, will feature state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities covering 6,500 square meters and accommodate 1,404 square meters office area across a three-story building. This investment underlines Ziemann Holvrieka’s long-term commitment to delivering high-quality products and services to its customers while leveraging the region’s skilled workforce and favorable logistical advantages.

Ziemann Holvrieka’s expansion represents a testament to Coahuila’s attractiveness to international investors, particularly from Europe. Governor Jiménez reaffirmed the state’s commitment to fostering an environment conducive to investment and job creation, emphasising Coahuila’s status as a prime destination for businesses seeking to thrive and succeed.

The ceremony was attended by distinguished guests, including local government officials, representatives from industry associations, and key stakeholders, underscoring the collaborative effort to drive economic prosperity in the region.

Tate & Lyle PLC, a leading global provider of food and beverage ingredients and solutions, and Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos Mexico (NPH; Spanish for “Our Little Brothers and Sisters”), a charitable organization that provides a home for thousands of orphaned, abandoned and vulnerable children across Mexico, Central and South America, are embarking on a partnership to expand the sustainable production of fresh fruit and vegetables in greenhouses at the charity’s residences in the state of Morelos, Mexico which house over 650 children.

Through corporate funding, pro-bono expertise, and volunteer services, Tate & Lyle will work alongside NPH staff and its residents to help enable the production of fresh fruits and vegetables to be used in the children’s meals. The partnership will also provide nutrition and agriculture education to support student health and well-being and improve the growing practices used.

A number of online and in-person mentorship courses and talks will be run by female employees from Tate & Lyle’s local office, to strengthen and empower the girls of NPH in their own educational development. Using its extensive knowledge of nutrition, Tate & Lyle will also offer training to NPH staff and volunteers, and the children they serve, in the areas of food safety, improving nutrition and quality processes.

This partnership perfectly aligns with Tate & Lyle’s purpose of Improving Lives for Generations by supporting healthy living, building thriving communities and caring for our planet.

About Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos

Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos, transforms the lives of thousands of children and families throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. With the help of people across the world, we provide homes, health services, and educational programs in a safe and loving environment — giving children the best chance for success to become leaders in their own communities.



NPH creates life-changing opportunities for disadvantaged, vulnerable, and disabled children and youth living in extreme conditions. Through a comprehensive approach that embraces the whole child, NPH supports children to become independent, caring adults who give back to their communities—shaping better futures for themselves, their families, and their world.

Kerry, one of the world’s leading taste and nutrition companies, has announced the opening of its new taste facility in Latin America, which will serve mainly Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and the Andean region. 

Located in Irapuato, Mexico, the new state-of-the-art facility will significantly increase Kerry’s capacity in the region and further support customers in delivering local and sustainable taste solutions.

This new site expands Kerry’s offerings across a number of food and beverage categories, including refreshing and alcoholic beverages, snacks, meat, dairy and bakery. It will also play an important role in enabling Kerry’s ambition to bring sustainable nutrition solutions to more than two billion people by 2030 around the globe. Aligned with the company’s commitments under its Beyond the Horizon strategy, the facility incorporates world leading processes and technologies that will support the company’s environmental goals. These capabilities, combined with expertise across sustainable innovation, marketing insights, research, development and applications, and sensory science, will enable Kerry to co-create with customers, exciting products that will be consumed across the region.

“COVID-19 has impacted consumer behaviour and taste preferences across Latin America, and companies need to be in a position to understand and respond to these evolving dynamics. This new taste facility allows us to deliver on consumer demands across the region and we look forward to working with customers to bring innovative taste solutions to satisfy consumer needs and create a world of sustainable nutrition,” said Marcelo Marques, President and CEO of Kerry Latin America. 
Commenting on the announcement, Edson Cortes, Taste Lead for Kerry Latin America, added: “Mexico boasts 35% of the taste market in the Latin America region and presents solid opportunities for growth and innovation. With sustainability at the core of our Taste portfolio, this site will also enable us to deliver tailored solutions for customers in the regions. This important investment positions Kerry as the leader in the flavours market in Latin America as we seek to consolidate our position in the market and deliver great taste solutions with our customers.”

About Kerry
Kerry, one of the world’s leading taste and nutrition companies, provides sustainable nutrition solutions for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day over one billion people around the world enjoy food and beverages containing Kerry’s taste and nutrition solutions. The company has offices in 31 countries, 149 manufacturing facilities and employs 26,000 people globally, including over 1,000 food scientists. We aim to be our customers’ most valued partner by delivering food and beverage products that meet their consumers’ individual taste, nutrition and wellness preferences, while enhancing their lives and contributing to a more sustainable world.

SIG announced that it will construct a new plant in Queretaro, Mexico to serve North American markets. The plant will further expand SIG’s global production network and will enable the company to build on its strong track record of growth in North America.

Through its existing sales and service presence, SIG has been able to forge strong relationships with major dairies in Mexico, a large and growing milk market. In the USA, SIG has a well established co-manufacturing customer base and is ideally placed to serve innovative and expanding new categories.

SIG will invest around €40 million in the new plant over the period 2021-2023. The investment will cover state-of-the art production capacity for the printing, cutting and finishing of carton packs. The plant is expected to open in the first quarter of 2023 and will create around 200 jobs. It will have a highly flexible layout with a focus on ergonomics and the environment. Land and buildings will be financed through a long-term lease with an NPV of approximately €20 million.

The Beviale Family, the NürnbergMesse Group’s global network for the beverage industry, is adding another event to its portfolio. Beviale Mexico will open its doors in Mexico City’s Centro Citibanamex for the first time from 29 to 31 July 2020. Beviale events feature a specialised programme spanning the entire process chain for beverage production, from raw materials and technologies to components and logistics as well as marketing ideas. The programme also covers all segments – alcohol- free and alcoholic beverages and liquid milk products: water, soft drinks, juice, beer, wine and spirits, such as the Mexican specialties tequila and mezcal. Mexico City will have lots to offer the world of beverages in 2020: A congress will begin the day before the exhibition, although the real kick- off will happen in April when ACERMEX (Asociación de Cerveceros Artesanales de México) stages a beer festival. The Mexican craft beer association is a partner of Beviale Mexico.

“We are very pleased to be able to offer another comprehensive beverage exhibition in our international portfolio by adding Beviale Mexico,” notes Andrea Kalrait, who is in charge of the Beviale Family. “More than 124 million residents and good consumer trends make this market appealing to beverage manufacturers. We cannot wait for the first Beviale event in the Americas.”

Mexico is an attractive economic market with stable growth in key industries, including beverages and packaging. The food industry is among the country’s fastest growers. According to the Mexican Chamber of Commerce, Mexico’s beverage sector breaks down into 60 per cent alcoholic and 40 per cent alcohol-free beverages. Soft drinks, water and beer are the main revenue earners. Mexican families spend about four per cent of their money on alcoholic drinks. Seventy per cent of families prefer to drink beer, but national and international spirits are also popular. For instance, tequila revenues jumped 15.7 per cent in the first half of 2018 alone compared with the same stretch in 2017, according to the industry information service Información Sistematizada de Canales y Mercados (ISCAM). Developments in the Mexican craft beverages segment are following the global trend, which is clearly reflected in the growth posted by smaller breweries but also by spirits makers. According to ACERMEX, Mexico had 1,400 breweries in 2018 – and this number is rising. From a global standpoint, Mexico is also in the premier league when it comes to beverages: Mexico is the world’s fourth-largest beer producer with beer production of 110 million hl (2017), coming after China, the US and Brazil. Mexico even takes first place globally when it comes to bottled water with per capita consumption of 254 litres, ahead of Thailand and Italy (International Bottled Water Association).

The focus is on Central and Latin America

The steadily growing beverage market is creating stronger demand for beverage equipment. Beviale Mexico views itself as an intermediary between national and international beverage manufacturers and suppliers to the beverage industry. Kalrait feels that significant opportunities exist for international exhibitors in particular: “The political climate and still low exchange rates lead us to believe that beverage production will continue to grow in Mexico. Another factor that is certainly interesting for equipment suppliers is that engineering is not very developed at all in the country and beverage manufacturers import nearly all of their equipment. With Beviale Mexico, we are offering the industry a promising platform to reap the rewards of growing consumer spending and to find partners to ensure that technology and components are produced in the country.”

More information can soon be found at: www.beviale-mexico.com

SIG partnership showcases recycling in action at Mexico fun park

SIG has teamed up with soft drink producer Sociedad Cooperativa Trabajadores de Pascual (SCTP) and fun park operator Ventura Entertainment to raise awareness of the importance of recycling through special collection bins made from recycled carton packs at La Feria de Chapultepec amusement park in Mexico.

Brand power to raise awareness

SIG’s aseptic beverage cartons are 100 % recyclable, but the rate of packs recycled remains low in Mexico due to low awareness of the value of recycling and a lack of suitable waste collection systems.

The new Coopera Recycling Campaign from SIG, SCTP and Ventura Entertainment aims to use the power of popular brands to raise awareness of the value of recycling among consumers of all ages. SCTP is one of Mexico’s largest soft drinks producers and the name behind Boing!® fruit drinks. Ventura Entertainment is one of the country’s biggest attractions operators and its La Feria de Chapultepec fun park attracts over 1.5 million visitors a year.

In the first phase of the campaign, SIG will provide 15 recycling containers to be placed around the park. Each is made out of a mix of polymer and aluminium that comes from around 7,000 recycled carton packs, providing a tangible example of recycling in action. Accompanying signs promote recycling and Ventura Entertainment will offer discounts on ticket prices for amusement activities for visitors who use the recycling bins. The empty cartons will be recycled by specialist company Alcamare.

Keeping high-quality materials in use

Encouraging consumers to recycle beverage cartons supports the circular economy by returning more materials into the value chain to produce new products. SIG’s cartons are made from mainly renewable materials in the first place so recycling them keeps high-quality renewable materials in circulation.

Contributing to the circular economy by using renewable content, optimising use of materials and promoting recycling after use is part of the company’s commitment to go Way Beyond Good by putting more into society and the environment than it takes out.

Together with its affiliate Stern Ingredients México, the Stern-Wywiol Gruppe based in Hamburg celebrated the enlargement of its production plant in Mexico City and is intensifying product development at the adjoining Technology Centre. The research facility will in future focus on dairy products, beverages and deli foods, too. The plant has two new production lines for food ingredients, and with 4,000 tonnes additional production capacity it will contribute to the group’s success in Latin America. After the facility in Malaysia, this is the second plant to be opened by the Stern-Wywiol Gruppe this year.

By placing greater emphasis on the development of applications in the field of dairy products, deli foods and soft drinks such as juices, nectars and concentrates, Stern Ingredients México, an affiliate of the Stern-Wywiol Gruppe, is now consolidating its position as an ingredients expert for the food industries of the Americas. The new focus of the long-established facility in Mexico will complement the already successful development of enzyme systems under the trade name SternEnzym, stabilizing systems (Hydrosol), vitamin and mineral complexes (SternVitamin) and flour and bakery applications under the brands Mühlenchemie and DeutscheBack – the latter specializing in typical regional products based on maize and wheat. Following the “custom fit” approach of the Stern-Wywiol Gruppe, leading food technologists develop the above functional systems for dairy products and beverages at this state-of-the-art applications laboratory. Furthermore, the owner-managed family business from Hamburg regards the generation of new information on applications at the research centre in Mexico as an opportunity to extend its technical services to North, Central and South America. It has also invested in the plant’s QM laboratory in order to conduct microbiological analyses, heavy-metal detection and a wide range of trial applications according to the latest scientific standards.

With around 100 employees and a total annual production capacity of 10,000 tonnes of food ingredients, Stern Ingredients México is the Stern-Wywiol Gruppe’s biggest plant outside Germany. On the one hand, the additional production capacity of 4,000 tonnes will help to meet Mexico’s increasing home demand, and on the other it will open up new export markets.

The Mexican market is being driven by health concerns and government reforms have pushed the growth of low sugar, healthy goods as it was announced that Mexico had surpassed the US as the country with the highest child obesity rates in the world. Among adults, in 2011, 70 % of Mexicans were overweight, with 30 % of these classed as obese compared to 68 % and 34 % of US citizens, respectively. This trend is predominantly in the rich, urban areas, with large numbers of children and adults in the poorer, rural regions still classed as underweight.

For adults, the problem seems to be longer working hours, which has led to an increase in ‘on-the-go’ consumption and a rise in the sales of fast foods. However, heightened awareness of the nutritional value of food and beverages has led to growth in the sales of packaged water and value-added drinks, such as drinking yogurt and nectars, which have supplementary calcium and anti-oxidant benefits.

In April 2011, the government declared that it would inform all Mexican children of the risks of obesity and has made this a public health issue, highlighting the seriousness of the situation. As part of this, the sale of any food or drink with an excess of 400 calories is now prohibited in schools. This has led many producers to develop drinks with low-sugar content. It has also resulted in an upsurge in the demand for ‘functional’ juice and nectars, with organic products seeing a rise in sales, despite the higher price, as they are generally viewed as healthier.

The rise in obesity has led to a rise in diabetes, further increasing the demand for low-sugar products. Despite this, low calorie variations of several soft drinks categories saw slow growth in 2011. Low-calorie carbonates grew by just over 1 %, compared to its regular counterpart, which experienced 5 % growth. Low-calorie nectars, however, saw a decline of around 17 % as it lost share to the still sweetened flavored water segment, with many producers introducing innovative new flavors.

In contrast to these negative trends, iced/rtd tea drinks saw exceptional growth throughout the year, as these products are increasingly seen as a healthy alternative to carbonates. Low calorie variants grew by around 26 %.

Additionally, regional juice producers have capitalized on the health trend by offering organic variants of soft drinks and marketing certain flavors as health drinks. Canadean expects the trend of low calorie and low sugar products to continue in 2012 and most soft drinks categories are forecast to see growth. However, this is expected to slow as the second wave of economic malaise affects businesses and consumers worldwide. Competition within the soft drinks market will remain rife, for example: juice versus nectars or carbonates versus iced/rtd tea drinks. The promotion of a healthier lifestyle will be the focus of marketing strategies and campaigns.

The information in this press release is from the report, “Mexico Soft Drinks Market Insights 2012”. More details about this report, please click here.