Who’s Who in the Mariel Zone
HAVANA — Eight companies have been approved for participation in the Mariel Special Development Zone (ZEDM). Five of them are wholly owned by foreign companies (two Mexican, two Belgian, one Spanish), one is a joint venture, one is wholly national, and one is a Cuban company under foreign management.
The ZEDM office continues to evaluate the applications from other companies, in sectors such as chemical industry, logistics and construction.
Mariel Container Terminal, S.A. (a Cuban entity managed by PSA international of Singapore)
The first user of the Zone since the Terminal was inaugurated in Jan. 27, 2014.
Charles Baker, its director general, said that, during the first six months of operations, the labor consisted of transferring maritime services from Port of Havana. “We expect to close this year with a record of about 310,000 containers, more than twice the volume we handled in 2014,” he said.
Baker said that he was satisfied with the interest shown by international shipping companies in bringing their largest ships to the Terminal and include Mariel in their destinations.
“The operations are very good when compared with other terminals in the region and others of our group in other countries,” he said. PSA International has the most ports and container terminals under its management and investment in the world.
Richmeat de Cuba S.A. (100 percent Mexican capital)
The company will manufacture sausages made of pork, beef and chicken. Luis Alberto González, president of Richmeat, recalled that the company reached out to Cuba 15 years ago; later on, Richmeat began providing several Cuban distributors.
At first, production will utilize raw materials imported from Mexico. The plant will occupy between 2,500 and 3,000 kilometers square. Production target is 1,000 tons per month, although the company will begin with 300 tons and boost production gradually.
The company will hire between 25 and 45 Cuban workers and only two or three technicians from Richmeat de México.
Profood Service S.A. (100 percent Spanish capital)
A branch of the Spanish company Hotelsa Alimentación, which produces food and beverages for tourist consumption. In fact, Hotelsa has been servicing the sector in Cuba for the past 23 years. “During that time, we have seen that some of our products can be a lot more competitive if we manage them right here,” said Antonio Vicens, Profood Service administrator.
The executive said that the company plans to incorporate Cuban raw materials, such as sugar, glucose, molasses and distilled spirits. At this time, the company is negotiating contracts with Cuba companies such as Tecnozúcar and Cítricos Caribe, to bring them aboard. Some of Profood Service’s products could be directed to the retail market and exported to nearby countries.
BDC Log S.A (100 percent Belgian capital)
BDC International has invested in Mariel through two companies: BDC Log S.A., and BDC Tec S.A.
Benoit Croonenberghs, president of both projects, said that the former provides logistics service, such as the transportation of containers and dry goods, leasing of handling equipment and construction machinery, and will offer services to its own teams and those of third parties.
Once installed, BDC Log will have 80 workers. The project was presented to the Zone little over a year ago. By next April, they expect to finish the construction of its buildings and the service warehouse, measuring 1,500 meters square.
BDC Tec S.A. (100 percent Belgian capital)
BDC Tec deals in technological products, specifically temperature sensors, electric boards for industrial application, and the manufacture and assembly of water treatment systems for industrial and pharmaceutical use.
According to Croonenberghs, those three lines correspond with the experience of branches in other countries, particularly in Belgium and the Dominican Republic.
“Then we will do a technology transfer and install ourselves in more than 1,000 meters square in the Mariel Zone, where we’ll have a staff of about 20 people.”
Devox Caribe S.A. (100 percent Mexican capital)
In late November or early December, the Devox plant will be built in Mariel. It will produce paint and coatings. Jaime Murow, its president, said that the company tried to invest in Cuba but couldn’t — until now.
“It is an automatic plant with very low energy consumption, because of the hight technology used in the processes. It will be powered by solar energy mostly, if the weather permits.”
In Murow’s opinion, the process of approval was “really professional.” His recommendation: “To invest in Mariel, you need — in addition to money — a lot of willingness and the desire to do it. Look first for a benefit for the Cuban people, secondly for export business.”
Servicios Logísticos Mariel (100 percent Cuban capital)
Belongs to Almacenes Universales, S.A. Previously known as the Mariel Zone of Integral Development, it has changed its name in view of the new project. Until 2013, it provided logistical support for the oil companies that drilled in the Cuban Exclusive Economic Zone in the Gulf of Mexico.
Ania Quintana, director general, announced that the company will soon inaugurate a 5,000-cubic-meter refrigerator that will guarantee the exportation of refrigerated cargo. The first ZEDM business center is expected to be ready by early 2016. It will occupy 4,500 meters square and will have commercial offices and other services so that the local investors can attend to the settling-in process from there.
Brascuba (a Cuban-Brazilian joint venture)
“The Cuban cigarette market grows every year, because of the tourism and the increase in the average wages,” said Adriano Rusak, industrial director of Brascuba. “Where we are today, we have no facilities to produce more.”
Because of that, Brascuba, which has operated in Cuba for more than two decades, signed up for 40 years more, at a cost of 116 million dollars. The new plant should begin operations in 2018. It will hire 600 workers in two shifts and will produce 10 million cigarettes, part for the domestic market and the rest for export.
That volume is similar to the amount generated by Souza Cruz (Brascuba’s Brazilian half) in Mexico, the same amount as Chile and more than Argentina. Souza Cruz is present in more than 180 countries.
