FLSmidth recently opened its newest service center located in Zacatecas, Mexico. The grand opening took place on August 29, coming just 358 days after the company held its groundbreaking ceremony at the site. This first phase of completed construction on the service center site includes a 1,000-m2 warehouse along with 250-m2 offices and training facilities. The service center is located on a 12,400-m2 parcel of land, with room for planned phases of future development.
The official opening was attended by Miguel Alonso Reyes, Zacatecas state governor, Patricia Salinas, secretary of economy and social development, Ingeniero Horacio Franco, mayor, representatives from the state government administration and the Mexican mining community, and the press. FLSmidth was well represented with key management personnel attending from the Salt Lake City, Santiago and local Mexican offices. In all, around 200 individuals — including mining executives representing up to 80% of all industrial mines in Mexico — were on hand for the opening.
Rather than the typical cutting of a ribbon for the opening of the service center, FLSmidth managers instead planted a tree to symbolize the forthcoming growth and construction. The Ligustrum Lucidum, a small evergreen tree that grows up to 10 m tall and broad, was specifically chosen “because its qualities mirror those that FLSmidth looks for in a service center: it grows fast — both in sunshine and shadow — and its resilience enables it to thrive in ever-changing conditions;” said Romy Gibbons, FLSmidth’s global supercenter director.
“FLSmidth’s service centers and supercenters represent a forward-thinking step in customer service because of the unique and specific ways each local center can interact with the particular needs of the customer in its immediate area,” Gibbons said. “This includes everything from the convenience and availability of services and parts to training programs and job creation for members of the local community.”
“Zacatecas was a natural choice as a service center location because of its proximity to many of Mexico’s major mining projects,” said Richardt Fangel, FLSmidth Mexico country head. “In all, nearly 70% of Mexico’s mining production takes place within a radius of 500 km from Zacatecas.”
The Zacatecas region is located in north-central Mexico. The FLSmidth Mexico offices were officially established in the region in 1963. FLSmidth has been successfully involved in business activities into Mexico for more than 80 years, with its first sales coming to fruition in the 1930s.
