Mérida, Yucatán, October 21, 2019.- The head of the Ministry of Economic Development and Labor (Sefoet), Ernesto Herrera Novelo, received representatives from the U.S. Embassy of America in Mexico and technology, logistics and infrastructure companies.
As part of the strategy to attract investment implemented by Governor Mauricio Vila Dosal, the official made a presentation, highlighting the conditions that make the state stand out at national level, in terms of economic growth, connectivity and most of all, in terms of public security, among other competitive advantages.
In the presence of the Consul General of the United States in the Yucatan Peninsula, Courtney Beale, the secretary recalled that, according to the list of “Safer Cities”, of CEO World magazine, Mérida is the safest city in Latin America and the second in the whole American continent, surpassed only by Québec, in Canada.
“Globally, Mérida ranks 21st among the safest cities; One of the reasons is that the majority of our police department is made up of people who were born here and feel honored to serve society, ”he added.
During the presentation, the Undersecretary of Investment, Economic Development and Financing, Gerardo Díaz de Zavala, pointed out the advantages of connectivity offered by our territory, thanks to its geographical location, mainly through the Port of Progress, its services and infrastructure, which facilitate logistics and loading operations.
In representation of the Energy Secretariat, undersecretary Juan Carlos Vega Milke, spoke about clean energy in the state, a sector which already has an installed capacity of 210 megawatts, between wind and photovoltaic power generation sources.
On the labor subject, Sefoet’s official Agustín Menéndez Reyes, underlined the quality of the local educational offer and talked about the high rates of employment generation registered lately in the state of Yucatán.
In turn, the Commercial Affairs officer of the US Embassy in Mexico, Paul Oliva, said that the purpose of the visit is to improve the understanding and interest of American companies in economic development and business opportunities statewide, and specifically in Progreso.
“For us, the state of Yucatán represents the door for the entire peninsula. In addition, infrastructure projects such as the Maya Train and the highway between Mérida and the Port of Progreso, represent a great commercial opportunity, and could provide new cargo routes to the United States, ” added Oliva.
Yucatan and the United States strengthen commercial ties (Photo: SEFOE)
Some of the firms represented in this commercial mission are:
- Andalusian Energy, transportation and compression of natural gas
- Honeywell, manufacturing and technology
- International Machinery Trader, supply and transfer for marine and land works
- Port Manatee, deep sea maritime access in Florida
Carlos Díaz, CEO of the shipping company “World Direct Shipping“, said they currently have two routes to Mexico:
- One from Port Manatee, Florida, to Tampico, Tamaulipas and Tuxpan, Veracruz.
- Another one from Port Manatee, Florida to Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz.
Carlos Díaz, pointed out the possibility of a new route that would connect the state of Florida with Progreso.
“We want to start working here asap, since we have clients in this area. Puerto Progreso is in the same direction towards Port Manatee as Coatzacoalcos, so a change in the route is just a matter of hours; this would mean more options in the market for us, ”he explained.
Other Sefoet officials present at the meeting were: Director of Commerce, Teresa Espinosa Atoche; Director of Financing, Deyanire Salazar Aldana; Special Projects and Support for Women Entrepreneurs, Ana Eugenia Sansores Bernés, and Investment Promotion, Gilda Morlet Méndez. In addition, commercial advisors Alicia Herrera and Adrián Orta participated with the Department of Commerce of the US Embassy.
The Yucatán Times Newsroom
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