The parcel and logistics company Estafeta will invest 2,108 million pesos (mdp) this year, with the aim of acquiring 1,200 vehicles to expand and renew its land fleet, as well as increase its air cargo capacity by 20%. The planned investment is 150 million pesos higher than the capital injected in 2021, and it occurs in an environment of strong growth in segments such as e-commerce, mainly driven by the Covid-19 pandemic.
70% of the investment will go to land transportation, with which 313 heavy vehicles and 887 light vehicles will be acquired, in addition to five electric vehicles, which will operate mainly for local delivery. Another 20% of the resources will be allocated to the expansion of infrastructure, and 10% to technological solutions, said Ingo Babrikowski, general director of Estafeta.
According to the manager, the investments are made to take advantage of a high-growth environment mainly from e-commerce , which in Mexico grows at annual rates above 20%. This acquires greater relevance when considering the participation that electronic commerce has within total commerce in more mature markets.
“We are in a market that is just beginning (…) In China, the percentage of trade by electronic means is 50% of total trade, it is the most advanced country in the world, and in the United States we are talking about 20% compared to trade total,” he said at a press conference. “In Europe there is an average among all countries of 16%, and in Mexico we are at 6%; with this you can imagine how much more it will grow”.
Estafeta’s investment is the largest in the last couple of years, since in 2020 it injected 830 million pesos into its operations, and by 2021 it more than doubled its capital expenditure, to 1,950 million pesos.
The company’s growth plans for this year will also focus on a new distribution hub in Cuautitlán Izcalli, in the State of Mexico. With an investment of 350 million pesos, this complex is intended to meet the demand for electronic commerce in Mexico City, and will start with a processing rate of 18,000 shipments per hour, which at its maximum capacity will allow it to serve up to 60,000 shipments.
Estafeta also has plans to add two 737-400 aircraft to replace two 737-300 teams, which will increase its current capacity by 20% by adding aircraft with more space for air containers, a business unit that also grew as a result of the pandemic and the crisis in the supply chains, which has saturated maritime trade, particularly during 2021.
Regarding a possible operation at the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), Babrikowski said that the company is still evaluating the role it could play in its operations, but, for now, it has not confirmed or denied its presence at the airport, which is still builds at the Santa Lucía military air base, a position similar to that shown by other companies that operate air cargo, such as DHL.
“The issue of the Airport in Santa Lucía for us is one more alternative. Airports are normally monopolies, because in many cities in Mexico and the world there is only one per city, so the Felipe Ángeles Airport is one more option that we are evaluating and we have to decide on the issue of how it suits our operation, the times of transfer that it involves, the customs services that it offers and the costs of operating there”, he said.
