Grupo Gondi and WestRock Form Joint Venture in Mexico

Grupo Gondi, Mexico City, Mexico, and WestRock (Richmond, Va., USA) have agreed to combine their operations in Mexico to form a joint venture, creating a leading paper and packaging company in the country.

Grupo Gondi currently operates 10 production sites that hold six paper machines, seven corrugated packaging plants, and four modern high graphic folding carton plants with pre-printing capacity.

WestRock, one of the world’s leading companies in the paper and packaging industry, operates three facilities in Mexico that produce corrugated packaging. WestRock will contribute these facilities, located in Mexicali, Monterrey, and Querétaro, and cash to the joint venture in exchange for a 25% equity participation in the combined entity, which will operate as Grupo Gondi.

As the majority shareholder, the Grupo Gondi senior management team, led by Eduardo Posada, will manage the joint venture, and WestRock will provide technical and commercial resources to the combination. The business will employ 6,800 people.

"This joint venture expands Grupo Gondi’s ability to serve our customers across Mexico, with state-of-the-art technology and enhanced capabilities in packaging options in paper, corrugated, folding cartons, and pre-print," said Eduardo Posada, Grupo Gondi's CEO. "We have a demonstrated ability to provide outstanding service and innovation for our customers, and this joint venture enables us to continue to grow and expand our national presence."

"Grupo Gondi is finally fulfilling its dream to joint venture with a partner like WestRock and continue to strengthen its position of being the best packaging option in the market. We are very excited about the possibilities of growing the business together," added Alejandro González Cimadevilla, Grupo Gondi’s president and chairman of the board.