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Tailor-Made Solutions Light Up Mexico

Alejandro Vilchis - Grupo Construlita
Director General

STORY INLINE POST

Mon, 11/05/2018 - 12:17

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Q: What added value do Mexican companies like GRUPO CONSTRULITA provide?
A: GRUPO CONSTRULITA has three main divisions: Tecnolite, which sells products to the end user through distributors; Construlita, which manufactures the products and sells solutions to other professionals for large projects; and a third unit that provides lighting as a service to federal, state and municipal governments. Our added value is that we have identified the unique needs of the Mexican market. Most international brands cater to and focus on the needs of those specific markets that may not be the same in Mexico. We make sure that our products and services not only meet the needs of the local market but adapt to the various challenges and environments. If you have to purchase from the US, Asia or any other country, the time and costs are much higher. The fact that we are close to our clients translates to higher flexibility in the type of products we offer and in their delivery.
Lighting-As-a-Service (LAS) is our third division and we are growing fast. We are working with three town halls: in Torreon, Hermosillo and Guadalajara. This is a small sector in Mexico in which we have spotted a large area of opportunity and we want to compete with larger companies. Mexico has just began subcontracting public illumination services. Our goal is to continue growing in illumination concessions and at the same time continue providing services to the private sector. Also, we are analyzing large projects with Fibras and we already have collaborated in various projects with Parks and Fibra Uno. The main challenge in working with private developers is that they want more than just lighting services. They also want air-conditioning, illumination and other services integrated into one.
Q: When does GRUPO CONSTRULITA prefer to enter a project and why is this approach important?
A: We are involved with our clients from the very beginning of their project. We are confident that this is the best way to ensure the project is completed on time and is of the expected quality. We participated in the lighting of the Lazaro Cardenas Bridge in Guadalajara. This project was unique because the government did not want to use any lampposts on the bridge or place lights on the columns. We developed a new product called MetroLED for urban lighting that can withstand large movements and weather that adapted to the characteristics of the bridge. It delivers a very angled and lateral grazing light and transmits a lot of sharpness and comfort to the driver.
Sometimes the issues that come up are not technical. Guadalajara also has high rates of vandalism and illumination infrastructure is particularly susceptible. To keep this from happening, we developed a special shell for urban lights that made it more difficult for people to steal them. It is crucial that we accompany our clients from the beginning of the project to take into consideration all the requirements that could arise at any stage of the project.
Q: How has GRUPO CONSTRULITA financed its steady growth throughout the years and how does it invest its utilities to gain the best advantage?
A: The Group was created approximately 33 years ago by a group of businessmen with only US$5,000. We follow strict guidelines that allow us to experience steady growth. We have not invested in offices or warehouses; instead, we rent all our industrial infrastructure. As a group, we chose to invest all our money in products and people. Our distribution channels are all third parties to keep in line with our strategy.
Eventually, we invested in a plant in Queretaro because we believed that we could not depend on third parties to manufacture professional products, although we are not the owners of the real estate. We may need a plant three times as big in the next few years and it is ludicrous to invest in only temporary plants. We are now working with FEMSA Logistics to distribute our products. When possible, we delegate tasks and processes to third party experts.

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