In a conference with analysts, Arturo Spinola, CFO of Grupo Carso, reported that the company owned by Mexican magnate Carlos Slim plans to invest around 800 million dollars during the current year in its various industrial, commercial, energy, construction, and hydrocarbon divisions. Spinola emphasized that this year will be one of governmental changes, which could complicate participation in new projects, although expansions and improvements are expected in different operational areas.
Grupo Carso has achieved encouraging results in the last quarter of 2024, thanks to the good performance of businesses such as Sanborns, Carso Energy, Condumex, and the materials divisions with Elementia and Fortaleza. Spinola stressed that despite the complicated situation that could arise due to the start of the new government, increases in sales and significant improvements in operational efficiency are projected.
Regarding Grupo Carso's industrial division, an increase in sales is expected due to the good performance of the cable segment. In terms of the materials business with Elementia and Fortaleza, a recovery in cement demand is anticipated, which could boost sales and lead to an evaluation of capacity increases, with a particular focus on Mexico and Latin America.
Sanborns, part of the conglomerate, plans to open new stores in Mexico throughout 2025, as well as optimize sales in its current formats, such as Sears and its other establishments. It is expected that this year there will be between 10 and 15 new openings, with an emphasis on improving efficiency in existing operations rather than expanding the store network.
In the case of CICSA, another company within the group, it faces a challenging year due to the governmental change context that could impact participation in new projects. Despite this scenario, significant investments are planned to expand operations, stores, and production capacity in various divisions, with a strategic focus on growth and optimization of existing operations throughout the year.
