10/31/08

Galletera del Norte expanding plant

Galletera del Norte, part of Grupo Salomon, is close to completing a US$5mil expansion of its plant in Ate-Vitarte. The Peruvian biscuit-manufacturer's installations are growing by 25% to meet with growing demand and a raft of new launches (over ten a year).

Leandro Mariategui, general director of Galletera del Norte, states that the firm will be looking to enter new markets and to consolidate its presence in southern Peru (Arequipa, Puno and Cusco). The firm reached out to Chile early this year and is also present in Ecuador now. The company has invested US$2.5mil in doubling its pannetoni production too.

Publication: SABI - Business News
Provider: South American Business Information
Date: October 30, 2008

Chema to post 60% revenue growth in 2008

Peruvian industrial group Chema hopes to end 2008 with revenue growth of 60% to end up with sales of US$15mil, says its head of the technical-commercial department at the firm, Percy Morales. This looks set to be the fourth year in a row that Chema has posted such high levels of growth but for 2009 the target is just 30%.

The operation has grown its provincial sales to the extent whereby they now represent 40% and not 20% of production. Exports should be rising soon since Chema only exports 5% of its output to the US, Costa Rica and Colombia at present. The firm is looking into building two new plants outside Lima since currently it runs three shifts and is at 100% of its installed capacity.

Publication: SABI - Business News
Provider: South American Business Information
Date: October 30, 2008

10/30/08

Six-airport concession to be granted in 2009

The concession of six regional airports in southern Peru is expected to be granted during the first three-month period next year, announced Thursday Peru's minister of Transport and Communications, Veronica Zavala.

"It is almost certain that the concession of six airports located in southern Peru will be awarded during the first three-month period of 2009", he told Andina news agency.

The air terminals included in this second package are the airports of Andahuaylas (Apurimac), Arequipa, Ayacucho, Juliaca (Puno), Puerto Maldonado (Madre de Dios) and Tacna, currently managed by the Peruvian Corporation of Airports and Commercial Aviation (Corpac).

Peru's Promotion Agency of Private Investment (ProInversión) has recently reported that it will call a tender in order to grant the concession of these six regional airports.

The awarded bidder will be in charge of the construction, financing, operation, maintenance, and exploitation of the six airports.

The concession term will be 25 years and will be public co-financed; the competence factor will be the lower amount required by investors for the operation and maintenance of the air terminals.

The estimated investment amounts to 131.9 million dollars for the whole concession period, not including the General Sales Tax (IGV).

This concession aims to improve the quality of airport services in a sustained way, allow the foreign trade and tourism development, increase the flow of passengers in the respective localities, and boost the interest of air companies towards these destinations, resulting in a favorable impact in these regions.

It is worth mentioning that the first package of regional airports, located in Trujillo (La Libertad), Anta-Huaraz (Ancash), Tumbes, Talara (Piura), Pucallpa (Ucayali), Chachapoyas (Amazonas), Tarapoto (San Martín), Cajamarca and Iquitos (Loreto), was granted in August 2006.

Publication: Andina - English Newswire
Provider: Andina
Date: October 30, 2008

10/20/08

Seven Peruvian SMEs close deals worth US$1.55 million during U.S. tradeshow

Seven Peruvian small and medium enterprises involved in the broad natural and organic food sector achieved export sales worth 1.55 U.S. dollars during his participation in the Natural Products Expo East tradeshow in Boston, USA.

Peru's participation in this tradeshow aimed to promote our export-oriented production and explore business opportunities in a booming sector worth nearly 5 billion dollars.

This year's Natural Products Expo East, held October 15-18 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, drew more than 26,000 industry attendees and featured more than 2,100 exhibits.

The show's healthy attendance echoes the continued strength of natural and organic products nationally and in the northeast region in particular.

Publication: Andina - English Newswire
Provider: Andina
Date: October 20, 2008

10/10/08

Cusquena sales soaring worldwide

Sales of the Peruvian beer Cusquena in Chile grew by 270% in the first three quarters of 2008 compared to January-September 2007, states Richard Gallagher, director of exports at Backus. A study by Nielsen suggests that Cusquena has achieved 70%-plus penetration at Santiago de Chile supermarkets. In 2007, Backus and Chile's Vina Concha y Toro began a commercial relationship; in April 2008, the Backus brand Cusquena was presented in Chilean society as a premium beer. It is also available in Valparaiso and Vina del Mar. Cusquena sales rose 45% in the US in the first three quarters of 2008 and by 15% in both Spain and Britain in the same period. This year, Cusquena's home-town plant in Cusco, Ciudad Imperial, is celebrating its one-hundredth birthday.

Publication: SABI - Business News
Provider: South American Business Information
Date: October 9, 2008

Luxury Properties to spend up to US$15mil in five years

Italian hotel chain Luxury Properties plans to invest between US$10mil and US$15mil in Peru over the next five years, says its local general director, Jose Carlos Canales. It will build three boutique hotels, one in Cusco, another in Lima and a third in an as yet undecided location. The hotels will respect the colonial style of the buildings acquired. Luxury carried out a pre-inauguration a few months back of the hotel Casa Cartagena Luxury Properties & Spa in Cusco after spending of US$5mil. The establishment is Patrimonio Historico de Peru, named so by both the Instituto Nacional de Cultura (INC) and the Congreso de la Republica. It now features 16 150-square-metre suites and a big spa as well as a gourmet restaurant and bar. Luxury's next local project is likely to be the boutique hotel in Lima.

Publication: SABI - Business News
Provider: South American Business Information
Date: October 9, 2008

10/9/08

Copeinca close to choosing strategic partner

Before the year is out, Pesquera Copeinca of Peru should have decided on the incorporation of a strategic partner with whom to expand its role in the direct human consumption segment of the fishing sector. At present, it participates in this area via the subsidiary Marinasol. Samuel Dyer, general director at Copeinca, states that the partner should bring both capital and (processing) know-how to the table since his firm will stick to mackerel fishing by and large.

Marinasol plans to build a canned- and frozen-fish plant in Paita for US$10mil soon. Dyer already has a partner in mind, a big international operation allegedly. Copeinca is currently merging with Pesquera San Fermin and Piangesa, two firms bought last year.

Publication: SABI - Business News
Provider: South American Business Information
Date: October 9, 2008

Kimberly Clark Peru to invest $30 million in machinery next year

US Kimberly Clark Peru reported Thursday it will invest 30 million dollars in complementing equipment and new machinery, at its two production plants located in districts of Puente Piedra and Ate.

On February 11 this year, the company announced an investment of 60 million dollars to expand its two production plants, which would increase significantly the number of employees, from 600 to 1,200.

The general manager of the company Blanca Quino, explained that these expansions will improve processes in family care line, because the company will purchase toilet paper rolls converting machinery, as well as some personal accessories for personal care products machines.

"We will make this investment due to the internal demand growth, the privileged geographical location of the country and the competitive costs when exporting from Peru to other countries of the region such as Bolivia, Ecuador, and some Central American countries.

Publication: Andina - English Newswire
Provider: Andina
Date: October 9, 2008

10/1/08

AFPs to invest in electricity and retail to protect customers funds

Private Pension Fund Administrators (AFP) in Peru are evaluating new investment opportunities in the local market to protect their customers' funds from International financial crisis, reported Monday the investment central manager of Integra (AFP), Gonzalo de las Casas.

"At the moment, we are investing in infrastructure projects, but we are also interested in new investment opportunities related to electricity and retail", de las Casas stated.

He said the international financial crisis which is getting worse after US House of Representatives defeated a 700 billion dollar bailout plan, will have a minimum impact on the workers' pension funds.

"The biggest impact will be focused on global stock markets, which expected US Congress would pass the bill in order to overcome the crisis", he told Andina news agency.

He said most of the customers' funds are invested in the local market, so Peru does not have a direct problem with the financial crisis.

Publication: Andina - English Newswire
Provider: Andina
Date: September 30, 2008