A supplier of the Swedish furniture retailer IKEA will build its first North American factory in Coahuila.

The 100,000-square-meter plant, to be built by Ikano Industry on a 78-hectare parcel of land behind the Chuy María Coahuila Industrial Park in Ramos Arizpe, near Saltillo, will eventually expand to 200,000 square meters, company officials said. Upon completion in the second quarter of 2021, the factory is expected to provide 2,000 new jobs in the region.

The plant will manufacture foam “comfort products” such as mattresses and sofas sold in IKEA stores in North America. Its other production facilities are in Poland.

“Starting up a factory in a fast-growing country like Mexico, and becoming part of the dynamic environment in Ramos Arizpe, is a fantastic opportunity for us,” said Mats Håkansson, chairman of parent company Ikano Group.

The complex will have LEED gold certification from the United States Green Building Council and utilize solar power and other renewable energy technologies and the reutilization of production waste. 

“Here in Ramos Arizpe, we aim to establish a great workplace for employees in an innovative environment that uses the latest technology, optimized processes, and high-quality materials,” Ikano Industry’s Sebastian Łuczyński said.

The manufacturing complex will be financed by HSBC México with special sustainable financing.

“The fact that the financing has conditions to make it ‘green’ permits us as a banking institution not only to support the arrival of Ikano Industry in Mexico but also accompany them in the development of infrastructure that, from the beginning of its construction and until its future operation, takes into account the efficient use of resources, cleaner technologies, and more sustainable processes,” the bank said.

Sources: El Financiero (sp)