lines opening in 2014. And Volkswagen has
spent some $400 million refurbishing its
“Bug” plant, from which the new version of
the classic is expected to roll out this fall.
Within the parts industry, Methode
Electronics, of Chicago, Ill., in September
acquired the Monterrey plant of Nylon
specialist Nypro, which included three full
paint lines with a Class 100,000 clean
paint room. An ISO Class 5 cleanroom
has no more than 100,000 particles per
square meter of air. While the purchase
price was not identified, Methode indicated that following a $7.5 million integration process, it anticipates annual sales
of up to $25 million from the facility.
Methode also operates facilities in Mexico at Apodaca and Santa Catarina, in
Nuevo Leon state. Nypro maintains still
has two other operations in Mexico, in
Juarez and in Guadalajara, where it also
operates a Class 100,000 clean painting
room with two fully-automated booths.
Similarly, TRW recently announced plans
for a new plant in Queretaro state.
Manufacturers in Mexico have a dis-
tinct advantage over China in terms of just-
in-time deliveries, since a truck or
double-stack train from Mexico can almost
deliver anywhere in North America within
a week’s time. A ship from China, however,
can take three weeks for crossing time, and
delays in harbor from handlers or U.S. Cus-
toms can be unpredictable at times. As a re-
sult, southbound paint materials from the
United States often are used in Mexican
paint operations. CW
www.coatingsworld.com
Coatings World | 41
