General News

Medellin’s Crucial ‘Mar 1’ Highway Project Construction Starts

Medellin Herald November 18, 2016

Construction consortium Devimar announced November 11 that it signed the official start-up document for the “Mar 1” highway project linking Medellin westward to Cañasgordas (see map above) and rehabilitation of the existing Bolombolo-Santa Fe de Antioquia highway. The project will create a

Companies

Netcentric Boosting High-Tech Hiring in Medellin

Medellin Herald November 18, 2016

Investment promotion agency Agencia de Cooperación e Inversión de Medellín (ACI Medellín) announced November 17 that Switzerland-based software developer Netcentric aims to boost hiring dramatically in Medellin over the next four years. The hiring plan – which would boost employment by 150 to 300 more positions – would drastically expand Netcentric’s current 10-employee

Politics

Colombia Government, FARC Ink Revised ‘Peace’ Deal

Medellin Herald November 13, 2016

Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos announced November 12 that his government and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) have signed a revised “peace” agreement following five weeks of talks that took place in the wake of a national plebiscite. “This new peace agreement reflects the proposals of all those who participated in the great […]

General News

Medellin’s ‘Ruta N,’ Convention & Visitors Bureau Tout Hits, Initiatives

Medellin Herald November 11, 2016

The “Ruta N” high-tech innovation center partly funded by the Medellin city government announced November 10 the launch of an “Innovation Managers II” program, which aims to help 121 local companies train 261 managers in corporate innovation projects. The latest initiative follows on the heels of “Innovation Managers 2015,” which led to the creation of […]

General News

Medellin’s ‘Ruta N,’ Convention & Visitors Bureau Tout Hits, Initiatives

Medellin Herald November 11, 2016

The “Ruta N” high-tech innovation center partly funded by the Medellin city government announced November 10 the launch of an “Innovation Managers II” program, which aims to help 121 local companies train 261 managers in corporate innovation projects. The latest initiative follows on the heels of “Innovation Managers 2015,” which led to the creation of […]

Companies

Medellin-Based Nutresa, ISA, Conconcreto See 3Q 2016 Earnings Improve

Medellin Herald November 11, 2016

Medellin-based construction giant Conconcreto announced November 9 that its third-quarter (3Q) 2016 net profits rose 23% year-on-year while gross income hit COP$1.1 trillion (US$353 million), up 29% year-on-year. Meanwhile, the company’s order backlog grew to COP$3.4 trillion (US$1.09 billion) — mainly in highway infrastructure projects, but also in the giant

Companies

Medellin-Based Companies Score High in 2016 Merco Reputation Rankings

Medellin Herald November 3, 2016

Medellin-based Bancolombia – Colombia’s biggest bank – once again took first place over-all in the latest Merco rankings for best reputations among Colombian companies. Taking second place was Medellin-based food-products giant Nutresa, with Cementos Argos taking fourth place. Medellin-based Grupo Sura (insurance, finance) took eighth place; Grupo EPM (public utilities)

General News

Deadly Medellin-Bogota Highway Landslide Casts Pall on Progress

Medellin Herald October 27, 2016

A huge landslide October 16 from a rock mine at kilometer 13 of the Medellin-Bogota highway in the municipality of Copacabana has claimed at least 16 lives with uncertainty remaining about several other persons that had been reported missing. Some 60,000 tonnes of rocks, dirt and mud slid down from the rock mine, covering all […]

Volunteering

USAID, Bill Gates, UK, Wellcome Launch Novel Scheme to Stop Zika, Dengue in Antioquia

Medellin Herald October 27, 2016

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the UK Department for International Development and UK-based Wellcome Foundation jointly announced October 26 that they’re funding a novel, US$18-million project to stop Zika and dengue diseases — initially focusing on Antioquia and Brazil. The project involves releasing

Health & Insurance.

Coomeva, U.S.-Based Christus Charting New Course for Medical Insurance, Coverage

Medellin Herald October 25, 2016

On the heels of finalizing a US$50 million strategic investment deal with U.S.-based Christus Health last month, Colombian health insurer and clinic operator Coomeva is moving to rationalize its service network and shore-up its financially troubled “Coomeva EPS” subsidiary. On a related front, Coomeva’s separate pre-paid health services subsidiary (Coomeva Medicina