Constellation Brands to invest USD$900 million in Sonora

Constellation Brands

, an international producer and marketer of beer, wine and spirits, expects to invest at least USD$900 million to increase its annual production capacity by 5 million hectoliters at its plant in Ciudad Obregón , Sonora , northern Mexico, over the next 3 to 4 years.

“This investment will create 450 new permanent jobs and employ thousands of men and women from Sonora during the construction phase of the project, which will commence immediately,” assured the company in a statement.

Through this investment, Constellation Brands boosts diversification and reinforces its brewing and packaging capabilities in the country.

“This new investment will support the continued growth of Constellation Brands’ beer portfolio in the United States, which includes a number of iconic Mexican beer brands including Corona Extra , the main imported beer, Corona Light , the main imported light beer, and Modelo Especial , one of the fastest growing beer brands in the U.S., along with Pacífico and Victoria , which continue to gain in popularity with U.S. consumers,” the statement read.

Daniel Baima

, President of Constellation Brands in Mexico, emphasized that overall Mexico and particularly Ciudad Obregón are of utmost importance for the company, due to the talent of the staff and their commitment to making products of the highest quality.

"These are just some of the reasons why we chose to settle in Ciudad Obregón and continue investing in the region," he assured.

Constellation Brands obtained the perpetual rights of certain Grupo Modelo brands in the United States, following the sale of the Mexican company to the Belgian-Brazilian brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev ( AB InBev ), the world's largest brewer.

In 2013, AB In Bev undertook a ten-year investment plan encompassing USD$10 billion with the intention of increasing production capacity in Mexico.

Nevertheless, it should be noted that some industries such as mining and brewing are overexploiting aquifers in the country.

According to Leoncio Martínez Sánchez , Zaragoza Mayor in 2016 , Constellation Brands was extracting about 1,200 liters of water per second to make beer in the arid municipality of Coahuila.

“While they draw water to make beer, they leave us with water shortages in the municipality,” he stressed to BNamericas , a business news site.

sg