Companies

Cemex Colombia 2Q 2018 Operating EBITDA, Sales Dip Year-on-Year

Medellin Herald July 27, 2018

Cemex Latam Holdings — a division of Mexico-based cement giant Cemex — announced July 26 that second-quarter (2Q) 2018 operating earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) for its Colombia operations dipped 4% year-on-year, to US$21.6 million. Sales in

General News

Antioquia’s ‘Mar 2’ Highway Project Gets US$173 Million Loan OK from FDN

Medellin Herald July 27, 2018

Colombia’s Financiera de Desarrollo Nacional (FDN, a national development bank) announced July 25 that its board of directors approved a 17-year term loan of up-to-COP$500 billion (US$173 million) for the “Mar 2” highway project linking Medellin to current and future Atlantic ports. “The credit granted by the FDN represents 25% of the total financing of […]

Companies

Accenture Unveils ‘Advanced Technology Center’ in Medellin; 500 Jobs Opening

Medellin Herald July 19, 2018

New York-based global high-tech consultancy Accenture on July 18 officially announced the opening of its “Advanced Technology Center” at Medellin’s “Ruta N” landing space, aiming to serve information technology (IT) customers throughout the Americas. “The center’s professionals will work with clients in a wide range of industries, including finance, telecommunications,

Companies

Medellin Motorcycle Giant Auteco Opens National Distribution Center in Rionegro

Medellin Herald July 18, 2018

Medellin-based motorcycle assembler/wholesaler Auteco announced July 10 that it just opened a massive, 9,125-square-meters parts-distribution center in the neighboring suburb of Rionegro, Antioquia. Auteco – born in Medellin in 1941 – currently builds and markets major motorcycle brands for all of Colombia, including Kawasaki, Bajaj, Kymco, KTM, and Stärker, the latter an

Companies

Medellin’s Growing International Fame for Tango Extends to Shoes

Medellin Herald July 18, 2018

Tango fanaticism in Medellin is perhaps second only to Buenos Aires — and only partly because the world’s most famous tango singer Carlos Gardel tragically died in a plane accident here on June 24, 1935. Since then, numerous tango clubs have sprung-up around Medellin, eventually prompting the city to organize the popular, annual Medellin Tango

Laws & Regulations

Toxic Mercury Dumping Declines in Antioquia: USAID ‘Legal Gold’ Analysis

Medellin Herald July 17, 2018

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) “Oro Legal” (legal gold) project management announced July 17 that toxic mercury dumping and processing has declined “significantly” among artisanal gold-mining operations in Bajo Cauca as well as Northeast Antioquia. The agency noted that Colombia officially banned all further use of mercury in gold-mining activities

Congresses & Conferences

Update: Colombiamoda 2018 Sales Deals Hit US$169 Million

Medellin Herald July 17, 2018

Medellin-based textile-fashion industry trade group Inexmoda reported July 26 that the just-concluded, 29th annual “Colombiamoda” show at Plaza Mayor generated sales deals worth US$169 million. While that was about 6% short of what organizers had initially hoped for this year’s edition, it’s nevertheless a generally positive sign, given relatively weak economic

General News

Biological Treasure House in Anori Gets a First-Ever Good Look

Medellin Herald July 17, 2018

Colombia’s science-investigation unit Colciencias announced July 16 that it’s teaming-up with government officials for a first-ever “BioExpedition” this month near Anorí, northeast Antioquia – an area forbidden to nature-lovers because of decades of FARC guerrilla violence. According to the announcement (see:

General News

EPM Making More Progress in Recovering Hidroituango Project

Medellin Herald July 12, 2018

EPM general manager Jorge Londoño de la Cuesta revealed in a July 11 press conference that engineers are making more progress in recovering the US$5 billion, 2.4-gigawatt “Hidroituango” hydroelectric dam project in Antioquia in the wake of a temporary emergency caused by a geological fault and a diversion-tunnel failure last May. Thanks to falling water […]

General News

International Hotel Chains Rapidly Expanding in Medellin, Antioquia

Medellin Herald July 11, 2018

Investment promotion agency Agencia de Cooperacion e Inversion de Medellin y el Area Metropolitana (ACI) announced July 10 that besides the under-construction, 220-room Hilton luxury hotel on Las Palmas and the recently completed, US$50 million Marriott hotel in El Poblado in Medellin, Antioquia soon will host another 34 new hotel projects in 2019. Citing statistics […]