Waelzholz Will Build a New Plant in Ramos Arizpe
Waelzholz, the German company specializing in cold-rolled steel products, began construction of its first production plant in Mexico, located in Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila, with an investment of US$68 million. The project will integrate the state into the company’s global manufacturing network and aim to meet the demand of industrial customers in North America.
The facility will be built within the Chuy María Amistad Industrial Park and will occupy an area of approximately 60,000 square meters. The company anticipates that production will begin in the near future, and the plant is expected to have an initial capacity of up to 50,000 metric tons per year of cold-rolled steel products tailored to its customers’ specific requirements.
Waelzholz emphasized that the choice of Ramos Arizpe is due to the concentration of vehicle manufacturers and industrial suppliers in northern Mexico and the southern United States, highlighting the proximity to sources of raw materials,
He also reported that steps are already being taken to develop and qualify regional suppliers of hot-rolled strip, a strategy that could increase the share of North American inputs within its production chain.
The Mexican plant complements the Service Center that Waelzholz operates in Cleveland, United States, making it possible to reduce delivery distances for North American customers. The company has also noted that some of the specialized materials destined for Mexican automotive industry suppliers currently travel distances ranging from 2,000 to more than 10,000 kilometers, depending on their technical characteristics and quality requirements.
The groundbreaking ceremony was led by company representatives and Coahuila officials. Governor Manolo Jiménez reported that the investment totals 1.2 billion pesos, and he also highlighted labor stability and favorable investment conditions as factors that have supported the project’s establishment. For Ramos Arizpe, the new operation adds specialized capacity to one of Mexico’s leading automotive manufacturing corridors.
