Mexican cement firms line up for airport contracts

A group of 20 Mexican cement firms from AMCI, the association of independent concrete companies, are to invest MXN300m (EUR15.90m, US$18.03m) in the installation of a sector cluster to supply concrete for the construction of Mexico City's new international airport (NAICM).

These firms will provide 48 per cent of the concrete required for the project and are currently negotiating with the Mexican construction industry chamber, CMIC, to obtain the association's support for the initiative.

The cluster would require the installation of 20 concrete plants with an estimated annual production of 384,000m3. The facilities would be operational while the construction of the terminal lasts, ie between three or four years.

The Mexican ready-mix concrete sector is undergoing change with large cement comanies such as Cementos Cruz Azul, Coporacion Moctezuma and Holcim Mexico currently selling non-profitable assets to small and medium-sized readymix producers.