Yesterday, business executives and political figures gathered in Sala- manca, Guanajuato to inaugurate Mexico’s first Mazda assembly plant. With a total investment of $770 million, Guanajuato is now the country’s leading state in the automobile industry, opening two factories of the world’s largest car companies, Mazda and Honda, within the same week.
For Mazda, this move is part of the transnational’s strategy to expand its presence on the Ameri- can continent. And not only will Mazda completely revolutionize the city of Salamanca, it will play a key role in the economic expan- sion of the state and the country.
More precisely, Mexicans will benefit from this investment through the strengthening of the national economy and the state of Guanajuato—in the heart of Mexico—will become the leading hub of the automotive industry across Latin America.
“We are proud that the hands of the people of Guanajuato are as- sembling the cars that circulate the world, and most importantly that our people are the primary beneficiaries because this move opens up more employment opportunities
for the people of Guanajuato in a bid for a better quality of life,” declared the state governor, Miguel Márquez Márquez, at yesterday’s inaugural ceremony.
Mazda currently generates 3,000 jobs, but foresees that this number
will reach 4,600 once the plant is operating at full capacity. Forecasts also point to a production of 230,000 units per year (Mazda2 and Mazda3 5-door hatchbacks), which will be exported primarily to North, Central and South America and Europe.
The benefits of this consider-able investment in the automotive industry will extend to 21 municipalities in the state, including Irapuato, Silao, Apaseo el Grande, Celaya and León, in addition to the city of Salamanca.
