CICE Group has reached one of its greatest milestones in its 34 years of operations in Mexico, with the launch of its new Semi-Specialized Container and Project Cargo Terminal in the North Bay of the Port of Veracruz, the most important maritime hub for the country.
Leoncio Pérez López, CEO of Grupo CICE, talks in an interview with T21 about the business vision of the business group and the details of the new infrastructure that has taken 13 months of intense work to complete in its first stage, possibly placing it as the port terminal with the fastest construction in time and form , while increasing Mexico’s competitiveness with a facility capable of meeting the needs of current international trade.
Just over 110 Mexican shareholders with experience as customs brokers, shipping agents, and in the land transportation sector laid the groundwork for the group’s formation in Veracruz, Mexico, in 1991, as a port services company. A few years later, it obtained a contract for the partial transfer of rights to operate an 11-hectare multipurpose terminal in the southern bay of the Veracruz port. This was the first multipurpose port facility operating as a bonded facility at the time , but with the limitations of not being able to expand and not having its own waterfront, as it operated only in public docks.
True to this diversified business approach that has characterized them since their founding, they established their vision of becoming “the most comprehensive option in logistics solutions.” The group’s growth led it to expand its service portfolio with the creation of a division specializing in transportation and another in logistics. It has deployed strategic investments to serve its clients in the country’s main industrial and consumer hubs, with extensive warehouses in Veracruz, the State of Mexico, and Monterrey.
“We found a way to do things well, compete, and handle containers without a container terminal,” recalls Leoncio Pérez. Since then, CICE’s growth has been remarkable. By the end of 2024, its operations in the port of Veracruz reached just over 4.4 million tons of merchandise handling, both imported and exported, positioning it as one of the leading mixed cargo and container operators, handling nearly 110,000 boxes during the year.
Growth opportunities are something CICE has taken advantage of. A clear example was its participation in the second tender for the Mixed Cargo Terminal, the last facility to be awarded in the expansion zone of the Port of Veracruz . This occurred after another operator announced an agreement with the then Comprehensive Port Authority (API) Veracruz to voluntarily terminate the Partial Assignment of Rights Contract for said facility early.
This opened the door for CICE to compete for the terminal in a new bidding process , which was declared in its favor in February 2023, after having passed the analysis of the Federal Economic Competition Commission (COFECE) due to its consolidated presence in the southern bay of the port of Veracruz.
Comment and follow us on X: @GrupoT21
