Temporary Infrastructure Solutions Offer Array of Opportunities

Q: WillScot is a global leader in the mobile offices segment. How do your operations in Mexico add value to your global business?

A: Williams Scotsman, now WillScot, has been in Mexico for almost 13 years. We are a multinational company that constantly looks for growth opportunities and our operations in Mexico play an important role in this plan. The country is already ranked among those with the greatest growth potential, despite the uncertainty generated by the country’s new government and other internal and external circumstances, such as lower oil prices, Brexit and changes in the commercial relationship between the US and China that might impact Mexico’s economic development. We understand this is all part of a natural cycle and expect the situation to stabilize in 2019.
Q: Besides the oil and gas and energy sectors, where does WillScot see the biggest opportunity to develop its business?

A: We are growing our presence in the education sector, where we have found really good projects and our products have had a positive reception. Given the versatility and flexibility of our solutions, they can easily be adapted to meet the specific needs of the sector and its final users. A school cannot change its infrastructure in a short period of time but our products allow them to increase or reduce capacity on a yearly basis, depending on the number of students they have. 
Renewable energy projects have also become a priority for the company. This industry is quickly developing in Mexico, particularly for solar plants and wind farms. Since these installations are in remote places, construction companies need to solve the problem of tool storage and housing services for the construction team. Our solutions are ideal to avoid losing time in transportation. We can create a small campus where people can live for a few months with zero impact on the environment. 
Another area in which we could easily participate but which has not yet developed in Mexico is related to natural disaster response. Mexico is prepared to address the basic needs, such as medical attention or sleeping quarters, of those hit by these events. However, providing a medium-term solution like provisional housing has not been explored. It has been a challenge to convince decision-makers of the benefits of doing so. Our solutions would be ideal because they are temporary and easy to install and dismantle. Although they do not provide the comfort of a permanent house, they are better than the current solution. 
We can participate in many industries. In the health sector, the establishment of provisional points of care to reach more communities is a perfect example of how our product can be used. We are also working with banks to create spaces for provisional ATMs or public customer service points. 
Q: How have client needs changed in recent years and how has WillScot adapted its portfolio accordingly?

A: Adaptability is a necessary strategy and we have created different systems to get closer to clients and identify their needs. As part of this, we launched our Ready to Work product line. Traditionally, companies like ours offered an empty box as a product but clients need ready-to-use facilities equipped with furniture. We started incorporating this offering a few years ago and it has become an integral part of our portfolio. We are providing turnkey solutions; if a client asks for a unit, we provide it in three days directly to the site where they need it and with the necessary equipment to start operations immediately. 
We are also studying new products and new types of spaces to integrate into our offering. We are stepping beyond the traditional cubicle and although it remains our flagship product because it is what the market demands, we have also included modular units that can grow vertically or horizontally, depending on the space requirements. All our products can be transported should a client decide to move them to another location. Around 95 percent of the materials we use can be disassembled, transported and reassembled.