Mexico-Singapore alliance to produce rescue vehicles in Queretaro

QUERETARO - Grupo Ferbel, a Mexican company dedicated to the conversion of specialized vehicles, signed a strategic alliance with the Singaporean company ST Engineering in order to establish a manufacturing center for specialized vehicles for civil protection and disaster rescue.

Edgar Beltrán, CEO of Grupo Ferbel, explained that the agreement will allow the assembly of the ExtremV amphibious vehicle, developed by ST Engineering, which stands out for being a specialized multifunctional vehicle, to be carried out in Mexico.

In the first stage of the agreement, Ferbel will assemble the ExtremV vehicle's cabin. This will imply a joint investment of more than US$100 million and the creation of 180 direct jobs in the municipality and 120 indirect jobs in the region, in addition to the 450 jobs currently generated by Grupo Ferbel.

Beltran emphasized that after this first stage, the goal is that in the future this unit, or any of the other units of the ST Engineering line, can be manufactured entirely in Mexico.

The alliance was formalized at Grupo Ferbel's plant in San Juan del Río, Querétaro. At the ceremony Beltrán was accompanied by the Secretary of Sustainable Development of the State, Marco Antonio del Prete; the municipal president of San Juan del Río, Querétaro, Roberto Cabrera Herrera; Veronica Tan, assistant vice president of ST Engineering America; and Fernando Beltrán Salinas, founder of Grupo Ferbel.

"Today, Grupo Ferbel celebrates its 50th anniversary, within the challenges we have for the future, the possibility of being able to develop new projects of international character stands out, prioritizing the implementation of new knowledge for the benefit of the population," said Edgar Beltran.

Since 1973, Grupo Ferbel has been dedicated to the design, advanced manufacturing, conversion and adaptation of vehicles. The company develops bodies and accessories to create mobile units for specialized purposes.

Its portfolio includes medical and emergency units (ambulances), security and defense (patrols), labor and social development (mobile clinics), logistics (dry and refrigerated boxes) as well as the development of special projects for the public and private sectors.

ST Engineering is a Singapore-based company that develops technology and solutions for the aerospace, smart cities, defense and public safety sectors.

The Asian company has expertise in manufacturing cabins and other structures for aircraft and specialized vehicles. It also produces specialized rolling containers, turbine parts and composite materials. It also provides rebuild and maintenance (MRO) services for civil and military aircraft.