Monterrey, Mexico-based steelmaker Villacero is planning a number of growth and investment opportunities over the next few years in the international arena, particularly in Germany.
Villacero already holds a 33 percent share in global steel trading company Coutinho & Ferrostaal (C&F) and has a 25.1 percent stake in MPC, a company involved in the development of investment funds related to shipping and ship building, real estate, oil rig and infrastructure projects in addition to being one of the shareholders of C&F.
In a recent interview, Julio Cesar Villarreal Guajardo, CEO of Villacero, said, "International steel trading is a vital element of our business plan, and as such, we have the intention of consolidating our presence in external markets, which is why in the final months of last year, a regional approach was implemented that divides the world into eight commercial regions, in order for us to be able to take advantage of thriving economic regions such as south and southeast Asia."
Over the coming years, Villacero plans to optimize its involvement in international markets, with investments in Germany becoming the driving force behind its international program. Villacero intends to strengthen C&F, giving Villacero the commercial platform from which to access regional markets on a global scale and reach farther down the value chain and develop market segments that require high flexibility and specific terms and conditions for each customer.
Villacero is confident that 2011 will be the year in which the worldwide economic recovery is completed, allowing the company to achieve sustained sales growth abroad.