Top manufacturers find innovation at its best at FABTECH Mexico

A record-setting 11,100 qualified buyers visited the co-located FABTECH® Mexico, AWS Weldmex, METALFORM Mexico, and COATech shows on May 5-7, 2015, in Monterrey, Mexico. More than 530 exhibiting companies spanned 125,000 net sq. ft. of exhibit space, which were all record numbers for the 7th edition of the combined event that is now the largest manufacturing show in Latin America.

A robust manufacturing environment and increased demand make Mexico the ideal place to do business. A significant portion of U.S. export-oriented middle- and high-end manufacturing takes place in northern Mexico, especially around Monterrey, which is a major steel-producing area where GDP per capita exceeds $40,000.

“Mexico continues to be an important and growing market for TRUMPF. FABTECH Mexico offers us an excellent opportunity to reach that market. In fact, TRUMPF sold equipment right off the show floor. We will be with FABTECH Mexico again next year in Mexico City and will be increasing our booth size and investment in the event,” stated Sheila LaMothe, marketing manager, TRUMPF.

The event has grown 17 percent every year since 2009 and brought $18 million to the Monterrey economy. The industries attending this year included aerospace, automotive, appliance, energy, contract manufacturing, construction, and agriculture. Top attending companies included PEMEX, Johnson Controls, Chrysler, GM, Caterpillar, Toyota, John Deere, Ford, Lear, BMW, Whirlpool, MABE, Magna, Bombardier, Volkswagen, and Kia Motors.

“The Mexico manufacturing industry is on fire. FABTECH Mexico is a testament that manufacturing in Mexico is booming,” said Jill Sutherland, sales manager, Sutherland Presses.

“We were pleasantly surprised at the turnout for the show and our exhibit. Virtually every visitor had a keen interest in new welding technologies and automation,” added Bill Guest, vice president of sales and marketing, OTC Daihen Inc.

Together, FABTECH Mexico, AWS Weldmex, METALFORM Mexico, and COATech showcase technologies for welding and cutting, thermal spraying, metal finishing, and safety; machine tools and metal forming products, including tool and die, metal stamping, forming, and assembly; bending and fabrication products for laser and plasma cutting, coil processing, roll forming, and plate and structural fabricating; and saws and cutoff machines, tooling, press brakes, shears, punching machines, and tube and pipe equipment.

The event, which rotates each year between Monterrey and Mexico City, is sponsored by SME, Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Intl. (FMA), American Welding Society (AWS), Precision Metalforming Association (PMA), and Chemical Coaters Association International (CCAI).

The next event is scheduled for May 4-6, 2016, at Centro Banamex in Mexico City, Mexico. For additional information, contact Jim Gorzek, FMA, at adsales@fabtechexpo.com or 800-432-2832, ext. 269.