The Groundwork for Growth

The first industrial market to modernize in Latin America over the last quarter century was Mexico. Their labor cost advantages and proximity to U.S. suppliers and markets helped convince many U.S. industrial plants to shift their operations to Mexico. NAFTA brought additional investment, much of it in state-of-the art manufacturing facilities that helped create a manufacturing technology market almost half the size of the U.S.

Strong currencies in South America from 2003 to 2013 helped large and mid-sized businesses, struggling to compete globally, to invest billions in new plants and equipment, particularly from European suppliers. Going forward, strong domestic consumption, driven by favorable demographics, will fuel a need for more industrial equipment and support services. But without strong currencies and with limited access to working capital, South American customers increasingly look to lower-priced Chinese suppliers of industrial equipment and parts. The Chinese incursion is a challenge to South American manufacturers, as well as to European and American suppliers who took these markets for granted. In such an environment, competitive intelligence is crucial to winning and preserving Latin American customers.

Examples of projected growth in LatAm industrial markets include:

How We Can Help You

Since 1993, AMI has conducted well over 600 industrial sector market intelligence studies across a wide array of segments that include the following: