Increasing Project Management Demand in Mexico

Q: What is CH2M’s current presence in Mexico, and what types of projects do you normally undertake?

A: With a strong presence in Latin America, CH2M has been operating in Mexico since 1992, employing almost 600 engineers who work on projects related to various markets and sectors. We service clients within different sectors including industrial, energy, transportation, urban programs, environment, and water markets. Mexico is the main office in the Latin American Region, but we have also established regional offices in Argentina, Brazil, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, and Peru. In 2015, TÜV Rheinland Mexico recertified our company’s quality management system under ISO 9001:2008, and our environmental management system under ISO 14001: 2004 and HSE OHSAS 18001:2007. Regarding the automotive industry, we have delivered projects for OEMs, Tier 1 companies and other automotive suppliers over the last 20 years. Furthermore, we have a strong engineering team with enough knowledge and expertise to manage the needs of future automotive investments. For example, we have provided engineering services for the GM Corporate Building in Mexico City and Construction Management Services for the GM plant in San Luis Potosi. As one of the main OEMs in Mexico, this is a significant contract for us. We have also designed several industrial parks in Latin America, providing master planning, environmental and engineering services. Normally, these projects entail build-to-suit facilities, which require a sophisticated engineering process to adapt the infrastructure and utilities to the client’s production.

Q: In which main areas of expertise are your services for automotive clients concentrated?

A: We have significant experience working with OEMs and Tier 1 companies such as Honda, PACCAR, Freightliner, GM, Caterpillar, and Mercedes-Benz in Mexico. Our main service is Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM), collaborating with clients throughout the entire lifecycle of a given project. Furthermore, we can provide additional services such as due diligence and environmental checks. CH2M is a market leader in Mexico, and we have unique 3D modelling and building information modelling capabilities. We constantly promote our quality standards in all disciplines, incorporating the concepts of quality, health, and safety into the design. Furthermore, CH2M always includes energy efficiency, as well as construction practices that represent cost and time savings for our clients.

Q: Considering the ever changing nature of the industry and the core of CH2M’s business, what new practices have you incorporated in your portfolio?

A: One of the most recently built and largest OEM plants in Mexico was entirely designed by CH2M. Having worked on an US$800 million automotive plant, we are familiar with the industry requirements, local challenges, and resources needed for complex projects. Additionally, CH2M has a long history in advanced facilities such as laboratories and data centers, with extremely complex and demanding design and operation requirements.

Over the last decade, CH2M has participated in some of the most important infrastructure projects in Mexico. One of these includes the provision of external management for the Atotonilco Wastewater Treatment Plant, the largest in Latin America, with two treatment processes that produce 35,000l of clean water per second. Once the plant begins operations, it will treat 60% of all the wastewater generated by the Valley of Mexico, produced by 12 million habitants. Among other projects, CH2M has completed the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) for the natural gas transportation system from Los Ramones to Aguascalientes, with a capacity of 1.5 billion cubic feet per day. The pipeline measures 946km with a diameter of 24-36in, including compressor, measuring, and regulating stations, as well as control and isolation valves.

One of the main motivators for OEMs and Tier 1 companies contacting CH2M is our expertise in environmental services. Over the last five years, we have helped many companies with these processes, as well as site investigation and remediation, waste management and decontamination, demolition, and other permit filing operations that have allowed them to confirm their site location. We expect to continue increasing our participation with OEMs in Mexico and Latin America, which will constitute our main target over the next few years.