Up until March 18 a delegation of 51 Taiwanese companies will be in the country exploring business sectors of spare parts for cars and motorcycles, hardware and construction.
From a statement issued by the Chamber of Commerce of Guatemala (CCG):
Mr. Jorge Briz-President of the Chamber of Commerce of Guatemala and the Ambassador of China (Taiwan) Mr Adolfo Sun, announced the arrival of the Taiwan Trade Mission to Guatemala.
The dynamism in construction in the country has boosted the supply of hardware and goods and services related to the industry.
In the last five years, the dynamism of the construction sector, driven by housing construction, has boosted sales of hardware and related goods and services.
"Benjamin Lanzas, president of the Nicaraguan Chamber of Construction, said the boom in this sector has encouraged the growth of hardware stores in the country, which is also positive for this guild.
The company has opened a new store selling hardware, electrical and construction products.
The project began construction in November, generating hundreds of indirect jobs and 132 direct jobs, said Katy Alemán, Sinsa's marketing manager.
The store was built on an area of 2,200 m² and has parking for 150 vehicles.
Laprensa.com.ni reports: "This national company has 15 stores in the cities of Managua, Matagalpa, Juigalpa, Estelí, Chinandega and Leon, which have been built up over the 23 years of the company's existence " .
While in the past 10 years 150 hardware stores closed down after the arrival of large players, the franchises Construrama and ConstruRed have expanded.
Both companies use a franchise model that seeks to connect manufacturers of hardware products and building materials with small and medium hardware stores to better compete with the larger scale of EPA and Grupo Progreso.
National chains and the Venezuelan chain EPA, which recently entered the market, are jockeying for position in the market.
In light of rumors about the opening a new store by the Venezuelan EPA chain, the national chains Freund and Vidrí, are intensifing their campaigns in order to position their brands.
In contrast, the Goldtree chain is closing the last of the eight branches it had in the country, in a final act of liquidating its merchandise.
With an estimated investment of $ 12 million this year, the Venezuelan chain opens its first store in El Salvador.
Located in the municipality of Soyapango (seven miles east of San Salvador), the hardware store will open next May, employing 190 people.
Ignacio Vieto, general manager of the chain in Costa Rica, also referred to the forthcoming opening of the fourth store of the chain in Costa Rica, located in Colima de Tibas.
The ninth edition which starts today and lasts until the 14th of November includes 130 exhibitors.
Ferretexpo is clearly a trade show and its sales significantly impacts the market, for 2010 it is expected to achieve a turnover of over U.S. $ 10 million.
Ferretexpo is held in the Tikal Futura Convention Center in an area of 6,000 square meters.
"Throughout the day at the FerretExpo, we expect the presence of about 8,000 buyers from Guatemala and neighboring countries like El Salvador and Honduras." Publishes Sigloxxi.com.
Ferretería EPA, a company financed with Venezuelan capital, hopes to inaugurate its third establishment in Costa Rica by November 2009.
The Ferretería EPA chain is investing $14 million in the construction of a 30,000 square meter location in Belen, in the province of Heredia. Depending on the results of the new store, the company plans to open two more locations in the metropolitan area in the medium- and long-term.