Today was incredibly bittersweet - we were excited to get to know Mexico City a little better, but we knew it would be our last full day here. After a much needed full night´s rest, we were up and ready for our only business meeting of the day, Murphy Farms (as in Murphy Farms, NC and Mr. Wendell Murphy). This was great to have on the last day, because it really brought a bit of North Carolina into the scope of doing business in Mexico. The pork producer, near Veracruz and Puebla, goes under the title ¨GCM¨ for Granjas Carroll de Mexico, and is partnered with Smithfield, Inc. The presentation covered everything from the cultural differences in what we eat in the United States vs. Mexico, to the environmental outlook for the company. Culturally, Mexicans are poultry eaters, so penetrating the market is hard for the pork industry. On top of that, it costs more to produce pork in Mexico than the US because of heavy transportation costs (trucking is mainly used in Mexico, whereas the cost-efficient use of trains in the US brings the cost down). Also, labor is a major problem - although labor is cheap and plentiful in Mexico, the low-wage system makes buying pork harder for Mexicans. Although the price per pound may seem cheaper here, it is actually more expensive on the scale of earnings for Mexicans, so GCM is looking for a solution that would enable them to offer higher wages to their workers. Their environmental changes were much more impressive than any of us would have ever thought. They are using the flaring system to burn off excess Methane gas from the lagoons at their production facilities, and thus lowering their emissions of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere - something that not one US pork producer can claim. Overall an informative presentation!
After a quick change, we headed down to Mexico City´s main plaza, the Zocalo. This is heart of Mexico City, and we could see it from the moment we stepped off of the bus. The plaza was busy with vendors, shoppers and sightseers, all bustling about under the giant Mexican flag situated in the center of the Zocalo. We made our first stop at the impressive Cathedral that bordered the plaza. In-ground windows provided a look at what stood in the plaza long before the conquistadors came to Mexico - Aztec ruins from what was once the center of the Aztec society. We learned that when the Spanish came, the knocked down the Aztec temples and built the major Cathedral in their place. We entered the Cathedral at the beginning of mass, and got to watch the procession and smell the incense as we walked through the enormous structure. There were paintings from the masters of Europe, beautifully designed archs, and guilded angels at every glance. It was truly beautiful.
Afterwards, we made our way over to the Templo Mayor on the edge of the Zocalo - an underground Aztec city that was founded in the 1970's underneath a church that once existed there. Since then, a continuous archaelogical dig has revealed some of the best-preserved ruins of the Aztec society, right underneath the city! Most has still yet to be uncovered as it lies under important buildings and monuments. We toured the entire site, and learned about the main temple that was rebuilt 7 times (you could actually see the layers!). We walked through the expansive museum, and saw some amazing artifacts that were visibly different than those we saw of the Mayan culture at the Anthropology museum. It was amazing to see what we had only previously seen in textbooks or on the history channel. I believe Andrew put it best when he said ¨This really makes we want to travel back in time!¨
After lunch in a wonderful rooftop restaurant overlooking the Zocalo, we made our way to a major craft market in the city that offered everything from painted plates to leather bags. The Mexican artisanry was gorgeous, and we snagged as many gifts as we could in the time that we spent there. Fortunately, none of us got lost inside - it was massive!
Our final dinner was at an incredible Spanish restaurant known for its delicious Paella, located in the hip Polanco region of Mexico City. We all joined together for one last hoorah, and it was bittersweet. We reminisced on the highlights of the trip, and even started thinking about a reunion! We each got tokens to remember the trip by, and we gave out thank-you gifts to our gracious hosts, Laura and Joao, for their guidance and friendship during this week. Like the other delegates, I am saddened to leave the city we have come to know so well in only 6 days, but I know we will all carry the memory of this incredible trip with us, and we are now officially ready to do business in Mexico!
Signing off and heading to pack (last minute, of course),
Allison DeCarlo
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Day 4: Pharma and Pastries
Today´s blog is being written by Ivy. I am a first year grad student focusing on medical textiles. In the morning we were running a little behind since Ken had to check his brackets for the NCAA basketball championship. Once he was done we were ready to hit the road.
The first stop was at Landsteiner Scientific which is a pharmaceutical company. They mostly produce generic drugs for sale in Mexico. Right now they are only able to sell their products in Mexico but are working on being able to distribute their products in other Latin American countries. Due to FDA regulations it´s harder for them to meet the standards to sell in the USA but that is a goal they are working towards. One thing they noted that was different was that they do not advertise which is much different than most US Pharma companies. They also have a small biotechnology division which is rapidly growing, even during the recession. Since this area is such a new technology for Mexico they don`t have organizations similiar to North Carolina Biotechnoloy Center to help provide them with resources or services. They did mention they partner with a local university to help them with research in this division. After listening to an overview on the company we got to take a tour of their facilities. It was really interesting to see all the different areas in their discovery lab, quality control, and production areas.
A
fter the tour it was time for lunch at a restaurant called La Selva. There we had tortas which are very similiar to sandwich. After finishing our meal Madison was nice enough to show us some Zumba moves such as the sleep leg! We also got see some birds and a beautiful garden next door.
Then it was onward on to Tia Rosa which is part of Grupo Bimbo. They make all sorts of products such as breads, pastries, cookies, fruit grain bars etc. They gave us a tour of their factory. It was neat to see all the different steps of the process and how they could easily rearrange their set-up to produce a variety of products on one line. The factory was also extremely clean. The student delegates especially loved the bigotes which reminded me of a croissant filled which chocolate. The plant manager gave us some samples fresh off the line!
Finally the evening ended with the much talked about SURPRISE. Which was a wonderful dinner at our hosts Laura & Joas`s stunning house. They served us all sorts of wonderful traditional Mexican food plus they had ice we could drink which made me happy. We celebrated David`s, another delegate, birthday which tres leche cake. It was delicious. After a long day it was time to head back to the hotel because Thursday our day was going to start at 6:30AM.
The first stop was at Landsteiner Scientific which is a pharmaceutical company. They mostly produce generic drugs for sale in Mexico. Right now they are only able to sell their products in Mexico but are working on being able to distribute their products in other Latin American countries. Due to FDA regulations it´s harder for them to meet the standards to sell in the USA but that is a goal they are working towards. One thing they noted that was different was that they do not advertise which is much different than most US Pharma companies. They also have a small biotechnology division which is rapidly growing, even during the recession. Since this area is such a new technology for Mexico they don`t have organizations similiar to North Carolina Biotechnoloy Center to help provide them with resources or services. They did mention they partner with a local university to help them with research in this division. After listening to an overview on the company we got to take a tour of their facilities. It was really interesting to see all the different areas in their discovery lab, quality control, and production areas.
A
Then it was onward on to Tia Rosa which is part of Grupo Bimbo. They make all sorts of products such as breads, pastries, cookies, fruit grain bars etc. They gave us a tour of their factory. It was neat to see all the different steps of the process and how they could easily rearrange their set-up to produce a variety of products on one line. The factory was also extremely clean. The student delegates especially loved the bigotes which reminded me of a croissant filled which chocolate. The plant manager gave us some samples fresh off the line!
Finally the evening ended with the much talked about SURPRISE. Which was a wonderful dinner at our hosts Laura & Joas`s stunning house. They served us all sorts of wonderful traditional Mexican food plus they had ice we could drink which made me happy. We celebrated David`s, another delegate, birthday which tres leche cake. It was delicious. After a long day it was time to head back to the hotel because Thursday our day was going to start at 6:30AM.
Day 5 in Mexico
Today was an extremely long day because we had to be up and out of the hotel at 6:45am. Lastnight/this morning was crazy because Allison woke up and thought her eardrum had burst since we went pretty high into the mountains yesterday and all of our ears were popping on the bus ride back. Well, thankfully it turned out that she just had some inflammation from the pressure and isn't deaf, but we were up lastnight for about 2 hours trying to figure out how to fix her ear. Needless to say we passed out on the bus ride to Cuernavaca today.
Our business visit today was in Yecapixtla at the Parkdale Mills facility. It's a small little city about 45 minutes from Cuernavaca and houses three different buildings that produce ring-spun, core-spun, and open end cotton yarns. The plant is rather large and all of the people that gave us tours were great; we could tell that they were so proud of their jobs and most of them had been working there for over 10 years. Most of the yarn they produce goes to Cone Denim but about 20% of the other products, mainly core-spun yarns go to other buyers in the United States. They told us that about 4,000 people work at the whole facility and their plant employed around 400 workers. The facility was very up to date and they had just purchased used machinery from the United States to put in newer lines. Also, it was pretty clean for producing cotton and although there was some lint, it wasn't nearly as bad as other factories that we have heard about.
After our tour we headed to the city of Cuernavaca to have lunch at Las Mañanitas restaurant. The hotel was absolutely gorgeous and had about 6 different exotic birds walking around the premise, two of which were beautiful peacocks. The restaurant was attached to a grass patio where we sat before lunch and then we ate out on the patio. Afterwards we walked around the hotel to see the spa and pool, which were also amazing. The pool and gardins were so green and lush, it was very nice to be away from the dust and noise of Mexico City for a while.
We came back into Mexico City around 5:30 and all of us just went to our rooms and freshened up. Some of us went to the mall down the street to look for cufflinks, surprise, but the rest just hungout at the hotel to rest up before our final day tomorrow. This week has been very busy, but it has been great to see all of the different industries and trade that Mexico has and how successful they have all been in spite of the recent economic crisis. The workers down here are extremely positive and optimistic about 2010 and it is evident in their passion for their job that they are willing to work hard to help the Mexican economy and trade. It's going to be sad to leave on Saturday but keep reading to see how our last day in the Mexico City goes!! Hasta Luego.
Our business visit today was in Yecapixtla at the Parkdale Mills facility. It's a small little city about 45 minutes from Cuernavaca and houses three different buildings that produce ring-spun, core-spun, and open end cotton yarns. The plant is rather large and all of the people that gave us tours were great; we could tell that they were so proud of their jobs and most of them had been working there for over 10 years. Most of the yarn they produce goes to Cone Denim but about 20% of the other products, mainly core-spun yarns go to other buyers in the United States. They told us that about 4,000 people work at the whole facility and their plant employed around 400 workers. The facility was very up to date and they had just purchased used machinery from the United States to put in newer lines. Also, it was pretty clean for producing cotton and although there was some lint, it wasn't nearly as bad as other factories that we have heard about.
After our tour we headed to the city of Cuernavaca to have lunch at Las Mañanitas restaurant. The hotel was absolutely gorgeous and had about 6 different exotic birds walking around the premise, two of which were beautiful peacocks. The restaurant was attached to a grass patio where we sat before lunch and then we ate out on the patio. Afterwards we walked around the hotel to see the spa and pool, which were also amazing. The pool and gardins were so green and lush, it was very nice to be away from the dust and noise of Mexico City for a while.
We came back into Mexico City around 5:30 and all of us just went to our rooms and freshened up. Some of us went to the mall down the street to look for cufflinks, surprise, but the rest just hungout at the hotel to rest up before our final day tomorrow. This week has been very busy, but it has been great to see all of the different industries and trade that Mexico has and how successful they have all been in spite of the recent economic crisis. The workers down here are extremely positive and optimistic about 2010 and it is evident in their passion for their job that they are willing to work hard to help the Mexican economy and trade. It's going to be sad to leave on Saturday but keep reading to see how our last day in the Mexico City goes!! Hasta Luego.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Day 3--Meetings Galore!
Today has been a day full of information, exploring, and learning the culture of Mexico.
After a necessary fuel stop at the breakfast buffet, our first meeting was at the International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce. Dinah McDougall, a US commercial officer, gave a presentation titled Doing Business in Mexico. Mrs. McDougall started the talk with some Mexican statistics. I found it very intertesting that the population was so split up by the wealthy and poor--23% wealthy, 37% middle class, and 40% poor in 2009. Mrs. McDougall also said when the United States coughs, Mexico catches a cold. The student delegates and business representatives learned an immense amount about NAFTA--which is very important to both Mexico, United States, and Canada being the world´s largest trading area with 442.4 million people.
Our second meeting was conducted by Center Group and Ernesto Galindo. The Center Group´s goal is to shorten the gap between the final customer and the company through the elimination of unnecessary middlemen. I found Mr. Galindo´s presentation very fascinating because of the change in supply chain--with a switch from the traditional model to now network orchestration. Mr. Galindo also pointed out some cultural differences between Mexicans and Americans:
After a necessary fuel stop at the breakfast buffet, our first meeting was at the International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce. Dinah McDougall, a US commercial officer, gave a presentation titled Doing Business in Mexico. Mrs. McDougall started the talk with some Mexican statistics. I found it very intertesting that the population was so split up by the wealthy and poor--23% wealthy, 37% middle class, and 40% poor in 2009. Mrs. McDougall also said when the United States coughs, Mexico catches a cold. The student delegates and business representatives learned an immense amount about NAFTA--which is very important to both Mexico, United States, and Canada being the world´s largest trading area with 442.4 million people.
Our second meeting was conducted by Center Group and Ernesto Galindo. The Center Group´s goal is to shorten the gap between the final customer and the company through the elimination of unnecessary middlemen. I found Mr. Galindo´s presentation very fascinating because of the change in supply chain--with a switch from the traditional model to now network orchestration. Mr. Galindo also pointed out some cultural differences between Mexicans and Americans:
- Mexicans never say no--they are very friendly and like to make other people happy by helping out in any way possible.
- Mexicans tend to joke a lot but that does not mean Americans should joke about the Mexican culture--that is considered rude.
- Gloating is NO good
- Mexicans use a lower tone of voice and talk softly.
- The business dress in Mexico is formal, however, after a first meeting, the next meeting Americans need to make sure they show empathy and dress similar to the Mexicans did on the first meeting.
- Mexican place emphasis on titles--use traditional such as engineer, licensed professional, doctor
- Mexicans do not have personal space like Americans--they like to hug, kiss, shake hands.
- Be punctual, even if the other party is not. Confirm confirm confirm CONFIRM again!
We also explored Sante Fe mall, the largest mall in Mexico, and then toured the Thomasville Furniture Store. After that, the night involved the best porteguese food in the world--at the only porteguese restuarant in Mexico, called La Casa Portuguesa. YUM YUM!
I cannot wait for the next day!
See ya soon,
Madison
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Day 2 - March 15, 2010
Day 3 of our blogging, and our second day in Mexico! The day began with yet another fantastic breakfast buffet in one of the two hotel restaurants: Los Naranjos. The delegation enjoyed everything from typical 'American' breakfast foods, as well as traditional Mexican breakfast choices. The fruit and fruit juices are so fresh here!!!
After breakfast, the group, full and ready to go, departed for our day of cultural excursion. Monday is a national holiday in Mexico, "Benito Juarez's Birthday--the businesses are closed, and the streets alive, so we chose to explore the cultural richness of the area. We travelled by bus to 'the Pyramids'. These cultural centers of Mexico were a part of the Aztec culture, looming high among flat lands, scattered with patches of green and brown foliage--and people! The Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon were located on an expansive complex--the remnants of the Aztec civilization are breathtaking. Plenty of pictures to come!!
And it would be terrible of me not to mention the MANY vendors dotting the landscape around the Pyramid complex. Our delegation Co-Leader, Ken Dillo, is an absolute pro when it comes to bartering and negotiations--most everyone left the Pyramids with great items, negotiated for with persistence and a smile =).
After we left the Pyramids, it was lunchtime!! We were all starving after CLIMBING PYRAMIDS, and were looking forward to taking a load off. Our amazing guides, Laura and Joao, introduced us to La Gruta--an extraordinary restaurant built into a CAVE!!! Yes, it was stunning. La Gruta was situated in an oasis of foliage and rock, with great food and service. It is truly an experience that everyone will remember, and we were glad to refuel and begin our trip back to the hotel.
On our way back, with all the shoppers among us, we voted to stop at this huge (and interesting) flea market. Anything and everything you can imagine was under that roof, and it was an ordeal to navigate the endless isles. I almost purchased a pair of amazing cufflinks (Aztec calendars), but decided against it--but rest assured, I will travel back to the U.S. with a new pair of cufflinks =). Speaking of which, stay tuned for cufflink updates!!!
We finally pulled back up to the hotel. Some of us relaxed and napped, others got a quick workout in. After we showered and cleaned up, we travelled to Polanco--an amazing part of the City. We enjoyed a spectacular bar and restaurant that evening, sitting on the sidewalk out front chit-chatting away--Laura and Joao knew the owner too, and we were treated like royalty!
After such a day, we were ready for bed. We came back, said our "goodnights'', and slept very well. Okay, that's enough for now. I'll check back later.
From Mexico,
Andrew S. Hicks =)
After breakfast, the group, full and ready to go, departed for our day of cultural excursion. Monday is a national holiday in Mexico, "Benito Juarez's Birthday--the businesses are closed, and the streets alive, so we chose to explore the cultural richness of the area. We travelled by bus to 'the Pyramids'. These cultural centers of Mexico were a part of the Aztec culture, looming high among flat lands, scattered with patches of green and brown foliage--and people! The Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon were located on an expansive complex--the remnants of the Aztec civilization are breathtaking. Plenty of pictures to come!!
And it would be terrible of me not to mention the MANY vendors dotting the landscape around the Pyramid complex. Our delegation Co-Leader, Ken Dillo, is an absolute pro when it comes to bartering and negotiations--most everyone left the Pyramids with great items, negotiated for with persistence and a smile =).
After we left the Pyramids, it was lunchtime!! We were all starving after CLIMBING PYRAMIDS, and were looking forward to taking a load off. Our amazing guides, Laura and Joao, introduced us to La Gruta--an extraordinary restaurant built into a CAVE!!! Yes, it was stunning. La Gruta was situated in an oasis of foliage and rock, with great food and service. It is truly an experience that everyone will remember, and we were glad to refuel and begin our trip back to the hotel.
On our way back, with all the shoppers among us, we voted to stop at this huge (and interesting) flea market. Anything and everything you can imagine was under that roof, and it was an ordeal to navigate the endless isles. I almost purchased a pair of amazing cufflinks (Aztec calendars), but decided against it--but rest assured, I will travel back to the U.S. with a new pair of cufflinks =). Speaking of which, stay tuned for cufflink updates!!!
We finally pulled back up to the hotel. Some of us relaxed and napped, others got a quick workout in. After we showered and cleaned up, we travelled to Polanco--an amazing part of the City. We enjoyed a spectacular bar and restaurant that evening, sitting on the sidewalk out front chit-chatting away--Laura and Joao knew the owner too, and we were treated like royalty!
After such a day, we were ready for bed. We came back, said our "goodnights'', and slept very well. Okay, that's enough for now. I'll check back later.
From Mexico,
Andrew S. Hicks =)
Day 1 - Sunday, March 14th
We made it! And finally, you get an update, only three days later! The business center here in the hotel runs on a new concept we are getting used to - ¨Mexican Time¨ - so we finally have access to it today. But so far, everything has been great.
Sunday started out at a time few of us student delegates have ever been awake for, and some of us didn´t even sleep before the flight, thinking we´d have time on the plane. The lay-overs went smoothly, and everything was on time. We all tried to sleep, but that was practically impossible. It was either the excitement of the trip keeping us awake, or the sugar high from the tootsie rolls being passed around!
When we got to Mexico, we met Laura and Joao, our new friends that will help us make our way around Mexico City. They work for the NC Department of Commerce here in the Mexico City office, so they know the best of both worlds. We settled in to our hotel, and grabbed a quick bite at the restaurant here. We were introduced to what REAL mexican food tastes like, without the ¨texification¨ we are used to at the local El Rodeo - for any of those who have never tried authentic Oaxacan mole sauce, imagine a chocolate bar melted on top of an enchilada and covered with cheese - really. RICH. But still just one of many interesting and unique experiences!
After lunch, we made our way to the National Anthropology Museum. We toured the rooms for a few hours, getting to see the most vast collection any of us have ever seen of relics from the Olmec period onward. Some of the main attractions: the sacrificial stones, the Mayan Sun Calendar, and of course all of the pottery and jewelry they have uncovered. We even got to see a bit of what we were going to see the next day - relics from Teotihuacan. Afterwards, we got to see the Ballet Folklorico, the highlight of the night. The costumes, dancing and music were beautiful and the experience was so different than any ballet we had ever been to. They had dances that symbolized the change in Mexico from the pre-columbian period to the revolution, to dances filled with romance and feeling. The culture in this ballet was richer than the mole sauce from lunch!
Finally, we returned to the hotel and hit the hay - something we all looked forward to since 3am that morning. But it´s hard to sleep when you are so excited about the next day!
From Mexico City,
Allison DeCarlo
Sunday started out at a time few of us student delegates have ever been awake for, and some of us didn´t even sleep before the flight, thinking we´d have time on the plane. The lay-overs went smoothly, and everything was on time. We all tried to sleep, but that was practically impossible. It was either the excitement of the trip keeping us awake, or the sugar high from the tootsie rolls being passed around!
When we got to Mexico, we met Laura and Joao, our new friends that will help us make our way around Mexico City. They work for the NC Department of Commerce here in the Mexico City office, so they know the best of both worlds. We settled in to our hotel, and grabbed a quick bite at the restaurant here. We were introduced to what REAL mexican food tastes like, without the ¨texification¨ we are used to at the local El Rodeo - for any of those who have never tried authentic Oaxacan mole sauce, imagine a chocolate bar melted on top of an enchilada and covered with cheese - really. RICH. But still just one of many interesting and unique experiences!
After lunch, we made our way to the National Anthropology Museum. We toured the rooms for a few hours, getting to see the most vast collection any of us have ever seen of relics from the Olmec period onward. Some of the main attractions: the sacrificial stones, the Mayan Sun Calendar, and of course all of the pottery and jewelry they have uncovered. We even got to see a bit of what we were going to see the next day - relics from Teotihuacan. Afterwards, we got to see the Ballet Folklorico, the highlight of the night. The costumes, dancing and music were beautiful and the experience was so different than any ballet we had ever been to. They had dances that symbolized the change in Mexico from the pre-columbian period to the revolution, to dances filled with romance and feeling. The culture in this ballet was richer than the mole sauce from lunch!
Finally, we returned to the hotel and hit the hay - something we all looked forward to since 3am that morning. But it´s hard to sleep when you are so excited about the next day!
From Mexico City,
Allison DeCarlo
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Getting ready for the Big Departure
Today is the day before we all leave for Mexico and my anticipation for the trip is growing steadily. It's been about two months since we started the Doing Business Internationally Program and most of those two months were in preparation for this trip. I know that I, and the other group members are very excited to travel to Mexico City and experience the culture as well as gain firsthand knowledge about trade between Mexico and the United States. Our itinerary in Mexico is exciting since we are able to mix cultural activities in the time between business meetings. I know that the entire group is anxious about climbing the Pyramids and going to the Folklorico Ballet since those are two cultural points that Mexico is popular for. Our business itinerary beings with a meeting at the US Commercial Service and two tours including Mexico's newest Commercial and Financial center Santa Fe, and Thomasville's newest store. We are also visiting the Parkdale Plant and Murphy Farms later in the week, which I am excited to see since I have never toured any large scale factories before.
The Doing Business Internationally Program has been such a great experience since the beginning of the semester and all of us members of the delegation are so thankful that we are able to have this opportunity to see up close and personal what is takes to have a successful international business. This upcoming week is going to be a great educational and professional experience and I am confident that this program will greatly benefit my professional career after graduation! Stay tuned to find out what events happen during the week while we are all in Mexico City, Mexico!
The Doing Business Internationally Program has been such a great experience since the beginning of the semester and all of us members of the delegation are so thankful that we are able to have this opportunity to see up close and personal what is takes to have a successful international business. This upcoming week is going to be a great educational and professional experience and I am confident that this program will greatly benefit my professional career after graduation! Stay tuned to find out what events happen during the week while we are all in Mexico City, Mexico!
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