Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: more factories and jobs for Mexico; Penske truck leasing adds Texas facility; BH Properties acquires logistics warehouse in Laredo; and driver and dog killed in crash with tractor-trailer.
More factories, manufacturing jobs headed for Mexico
Five companies recently announced new plants in Mexico or expansions of existing facilities.
The new projects will generate more than $243 million in foreign direct investment in Mexico, creating more than 875 jobs.
Hong Kong-based Impro Precision announced Tuesday it is building a North American production base in the city of San Luis Potosí in central Mexico.
The total investment for the first phase of development, including plant construction, machinery and equipment, will be around $56 million, Impro Precision said in a release.
Impro Precision’s production campus in San Luis Potosí will include five new plants for a total of 2.4-million-square-feet. Construction is scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of 2021.
Impro Precision has not disclosed how many people will work at the new production campus.
Impro Precision manufactures parts that are used in the auto, construction equipment, medical equipment and aerospace industries. Its customers include GE, Bosch, Cummins, Honeywell, Eaton, BMW, GM and Caterpillar.
Pollman International announced Wednesday it will open a $4.45 million production plant in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
The start of production is scheduled for September 2021 and it will generate 75 jobs when the plant is completed.
Austria-based Pollmann International is a Tier 2 automotive manufacturer and will produce door-locking systems for BMW and Daimler vehicles.
Inzi Display America Inc. announced Thursday it is expanding its plant in Tijuana, generating 100 new jobs. The company currently employs 1,450 people in Tijuana.
The company did not disclose the amount of its investment.
Inzi Display manufactures electronic audio and video components for clients such as Samsung. The company was founded in South Korea in 1992 and has its North American headquarters in San Diego.
Sanhua International announced Nov. 13 it is investing $180 million to build a factory in the city of Ramos Arispe, creating up to 700 jobs.
The company currently has 650 workers at four other factories in Mexico. The new factory in Ramos Arizpe is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021.
Sanhua is a Hangzhou, China-based office, home and automotive HVAC manufacturer. The company’s clients include General Motors, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW, Volkswagen, FCA, Navistar, and Johnson Controls.
Fagor Electrónica announced Nov. 9 it has opened a $2.4 million plant in the city of Querétaro, just north of Mexico City.
The new 21,527-square-foot factory will manufacture chassis and powertrain components for the North American automotive sector.
Fagor did not disclose how many employees work at the new plant. The company, founded in 1966, is based in Arrasate, Spain.
Penske Truck Leasing adds Texas facility
Penske Truck Leasing has opened a 21,014-square-foot facility in Selma, Texas, just north of San Antonio along Interstate 35.
Located on 9.5 acres, the new facility will be for new consumer and commercial truck rentals, truck leasing and contract truck fleet maintenance in the San Antonio region.
The facility has five truck service bays, one automatic wash bay and a fuel island.
The facility is also outfitted with Penske’s digital and voice-directed truck fleet preventive maintenance process and connected fleet solutions.
The new Penske Truck Leasing center in Schertz currently employs 30 people, including truck technicians, customer service representatives and drivers.
BH Properties acquires logistics warehouse in Laredo
BH Properties has acquired a 187,392-square-foot dry and cold storage warehouse in Laredo, Texas.
The facility is a short-term sale leaseback transaction with Laredo-based Mastronardi Produce. The cross-dock facility is the first asset in Laredo for BH Properties.
“We have been searching for entry into Laredo for a long time, but not a lot of deals trade there,” said Andrew Van Tuyle, BH Properties senior managing and director of investments. “Now that we have broken into the market, we hope this is the first of many for BH as our goal is to build significant scale in Laredo.”
The facility, located on 19 acres, features 115,194 square feet of cross-dock space. It also includes 56,727 square feet of cold storage, 15,000 square feet of office space and 132 dock doors for trucks.
Los Angeles-based BH Properties is a real estate investment firm that owns and operates nearly 10 million square feet of office/industrial space across 19 states.
Driver and dog killed in crash with tractor-trailer
One person was killed in a crash with a tractor-trailer Wednesday in Atascocita, Texas.
The accident happened in the 5700 block of FM 1960 East, about 25 miles north of Houston, at approximately 10:30 a.m.
Authorities at the scene said a driver pulled in front of a tractor-trailer on FM 1960 and the vehicles collided.
The driver of the car died at the scene. Two dogs were also in the car, and one of the animals died, according to news outlet ABC 13.
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