Some companies change course. Few achieve something more difficult: evolving without losing the essence that gave rise to them.

That is, perhaps, the best way to understand the history of CIMA Group .

It would be easy to tell its story based on its results: in the last year it handled one million containers ; over twenty-five years it consolidated its presence in the country’s main ports; it integrated transport, inspection, storage, foreign trade, and strategic infrastructure; and it ushered in a new era of digital logistics. But to do so would be to start at the end.

Before the infrastructure and the companies that make up CIMA Group, there was a decision. Together with his wife, Fátima Magallón, and his brothers, Omar and Irving Romero, César turned a conviction into reality.

During his university years, César Romero García recounts, he developed a thesis as his final project. What for most represents the end of an academic stage, for him became the beginning of a life project . The thesis didn’t remain filed away. He decided to bring it to the real world, convinced that an idea acquires value by transforming reality.

The decision shaped how the organization would understand growth: as the consequence of finding new ways to serve.

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On February 27, the Manzanillo Port Community (Copoma) will renew its board of directors in an election that, although it will not formally define the presidency – a position that by statute falls to the general director of the National Port System Administration (Asipona) Manzanillo – will mark a turning point in the business representation within Mexico’s main maritime port on the Pacific coast.

Vice Admiral José Ignacio Moreno Díaz, the current director general of Asipona Manzanillo, heads both registered slates, confirming the institutional nature of Copoma’s leadership, an organization conceived as a space for coordination between the government and the private sector . However, the real contest is focused on the operational positions that support the presidency, particularly the vice presidency, the secretary, and the treasurer—positions that, in practice, facilitate daily communication between companies and the port authority.

As of press time, two forms had been registered:

Staffing Plan 1 is made up of profiles closely linked to land logistics operations and the direct handling of goods.

The vice presidency would be held by César Humberto Romero García, CEO of CIMA Group ; the secretary position by Yax Tzel Nolasco Gómez, president of RETO Agencia Aduanal , Transportes NOGO and delegate of the National Confederation of Mexican Transporters (Conatram) in Colima; the treasurer position by Raúl Sandoval López, general director of Grupo HAZESA ; and the Honor and Justice commission by Sergio Quiñones Rosales, director of GIMP Group and vice president of the National Association of Importers and Exporters of the Mexican Republic (ANIERM) .

Collectively, this group represents actors whose activity is located in the operational core of the port logistics flow.

Meanwhile, List 2 comprises representatives from trade associations and key sectors of foreign trade. The vice presidency would go to Óscar Benavides Carrillo, president of the Association of Customs Brokers of the Port of Manzanillo (AAAPUMAC) ; the secretary position to Roberto Meillón Covarrubias, president of the Shipping Agents Association and representative of the Mexican Association of Shipping Agents (Amanac) ; the treasurer position to Pablo Saúl Alcántar, president of the Union of Local Transportation Companies of Manzanillo (UETLM) ; and the Honor and Justice position to Rocío Pasillas Orozco, representative of Index Occidente , an organization that represents the export manufacturing industry.

Beyond the naming conventions, the process reflects the coexistence of two visions regarding business representation at the port . While one group operates from day-to-day logistics operations, the other emerges from the institutional structures involved in customs clearance, shipping representation, and the export industry. Both converge on the same objective: to strengthen coordination with the port authority in an increasingly complex environment.

The context in which this election takes place is significant. Manzanillo has consolidated its position as the country’s main container port , concentrating most of the maritime trade with Asia and serving as a gateway for the main industrial corridors of the Bajío region and central Mexico.

Last year alone, the port of Manzanillo handled 3,893,357 twenty-foot containers (TEUs) , just 0.8% below the figure reported a year earlier, according to port authority statistics.

Regarding the volume handled -excluding natural gas and oil and derivatives-, the port of Colima totaled 29 million 823 thousand 164 tons of goods in 2025, 5.0% below that recorded in 2024.

However, this leadership has also exposed its operational limitations, forcing the acceleration of expansion, modernization and logistical reorganization projects, including the development of new port areas in the Cuyutlán Lagoon with the New Manzanillo Port project (currently suspended due to environmental studies) .

In this context, Copoma has become a key liaison mechanism for channeling the needs of the private sector to the port authority. Although it does not exercise regulatory functions, its capacity for dialogue influences the identification of bottlenecks, operational coordination, and the building of consensus regarding the port’s operation.

The election on February 27th will therefore not alter the organization’s institutional leadership, but it will define which profiles and sectors will assume the role of predominant interlocutors within the port ecosystem. In a port where logistical, industrial, shipping, and customs interests converge, this representation acquires strategic value.

Work proposals: Forms 1 and 2

Analysis of the work plans—of which T21 has a copy of both—reveals that both proposals share the same diagnosis: the port’s growth has generated operational pressures that exceed the current logistical coordination capacity. However, their proposals diverge in the type of solutions they prioritize and the level of intervention they propose for the port ecosystem.

Slate 2 , headed by Vice President Óscar Benavides Carrillo, focuses its proposal on the physical organization of truck traffic as the main axis for improving port efficiency. Among its most concrete initiatives are the implementation of a regulating yard to control the entry of trucks into the customs and bonded area, as well as the certification of larger trucking companies’ yards to regulate their operations through technology and monitoring systems.

This proposal seeks to directly address one of the main factors of port congestion: the disorderly arrival of units and the lack of synchronization between yards, carriers and terminals.

Following the same logic, this document proposes specific measures aimed at improving the physical flow of operations, such as paving key roads like the Jalipa-Fiscal Zone access , optimizing customs inspection platforms, and implementing mechanisms to control the staggered entry of units into the port.

This is a strategy focused on intervening directly on the infrastructure and critical points where the greatest operational delays occur.

Another central component of their proposal is the strengthening of institutional capacity within the port, through efforts to increase staff in Customs, Immigration and Profepa , with the aim of streamlining inspections and reducing dispatch times.

This measure acknowledges that a significant portion of operational delays is associated not only with infrastructure, but also with the capacity of the authorities to process the increasing volume of transactions.

In contrast, Slate 1 , headed by Vice President César Humberto Romero García, proposes a broader transformation based on digitalization, the institutionalization of port management, and the creation of operational measurement tools. Among its most relevant proposals is the implementation of a Copoma Operational Indicators Dashboard , which would measure time, productivity, and logistical performance, as well as the adoption of digital systems to standardize processes and improve coordination among stakeholders.

This initiative aims to introduce data-driven management, with the ability to identify and correct structural inefficiencies.

This plan also proposes the creation of a Permanent Coordination Committee between Asipona, Customs, government and the private sector , with the objective of establishing formal mechanisms for the resolution of operational problems and the strategic planning of the port.

This measure seeks to institutionalize intersectoral coordination, transforming Copoma into an organization with greater technical capacity and influence in decision-making.

One of the most structural approaches within this proposal is the promotion of logistics modernization through the doubling of rail capacity, the implementation of a transport regulatory center, and the adoption of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain to improve the traceability of operations.

This approach aims to transform the port’s operating model through the use of technology and the diversification of transport modes.

In summary, while Plan 2 proposes solutions aimed at resolving current bottlenecks through the physical organization of access points, the regulation of road transport, and the strengthening of existing operational infrastructure, Plan 1 proposes a transformation based on digitalization, the institutionalization of logistics coordination, and the structural modernization of the port system.

This difference is significant. It reflects two distinct approaches to the port’s future: one focused on resolving immediate operational constraints affecting the daily flow of goods, and the other aimed at transforming port management through technological tools and structural coordination mechanisms.

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Since its inception in 2001, the main purpose of CIMA Group has been to become a market alternative that offers comprehensive logistics solutions to simplify its clients’ foreign trade operations. An objective that, according to its founders, has been achieved. However, in its DNA they carry the gene of continuous improvement , which is why in recent times they have made transcendental decisions that have led the company to enter into a process of reinvention and expansion towards the main ports and even towards the center of Mexico.

The port of Manzanillo, the largest maritime commercial connection point on the Mexican Pacific coast, has been the catapult for this business group that in the past 23 years has positioned itself as a leading player, by having multiple logistics services that compete not only with savings in costs and time, but also in generating added value.

But at this stage of growth, the need to consolidate business continuity has increased, even more so as it is a company where the family is involved in different leadership positions. For this reason, since 2023 CIMA Group began to lay the foundations to institutionalize the company and support its decisions or strategic plans through corporate governance, with the guidance of a Board of Directors.

“The first step was to find a general manager who was compatible with the principles and values ​​that we have promoted at CIMA Group: faith and family, but with the necessary talent, ability and experience,” said César Humberto Romero García, Chairman of the Board of Directors, in an interview. He also said that after a year of searching for and evaluating candidates, Carlos Olivar Pérez, an experienced logistics executive, was appointed to this position at the end of July last year.

Olivar’s first task has been the stabilization and consolidation of CIMA Group , accompanied by the generation of best corporate practices, talent development and the installation of technological systems that help to have accurate and timely information on the company’s daily operations.

“We are being very responsible in terms of the steps we are taking based on a strategic plan that has to do with defining the most basic processes and procedures, the creation of a new corporate structure and an adequate, sufficient, modern organizational structure with the technical capacity, knowledge, and sufficient experience to guarantee success,” says Carlos Olivar, also in an interview with T21.

The strategic plan that the CEO of CIMA Group talks about will guide the group’s actions over the next five years. And one of the first major decisions that has been taken has been to replicate in each port where CIMA Group has a presence all the business models that are currently offered in the port of Manzanillo.

Dear reader, if you wish to continue reading this business story that appears on the cover of the February edition of T21 magazine, just click here .

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On November 10, the seventh edition of the Contecon Manzanillo Race for a Cause will take place , an event that has gained prestige for its commitment to the community and its positive impact on the local educational infrastructure.

The organizers revealed the details of the event at a press conference, which aims to promote the sporting spirit of the population and contribute to the development of the city, allocating 100% of the funds raised through registration to charitable work in support of education.

During the event, all residents of Manzanillo were called upon to participate in the race, which, in addition to being a healthy competition, is a recreational opportunity for families .

The press conference was attended by: José Antonio Contreras, CEO of Contecon Manzanillo ; Francisco Santana, operating director of the seventh Race with a Cause; César Romero, CEO of CIMA Group ; Carla Román, representing Woodward Logistics ; Yohana Huezo, representing Tap Terminal ; Fu Hua, general director of COSCO Shipping Lines .

“We thank all the companies that have supported us from the beginning and the large foreign companies that have joined, recognizing the importance of these events for one of the most important ports in the country, such as Manzanillo. It is an honor for us to organize this race, which promotes sport and strengthens our community. In addition, this year we will launch an exclusive challenge for sponsors, as a recognition of their essential collaboration, which is key to the success of this sporting event,” said José Antonio Contreras, CEO of Contecon Manzanillo.

In this edition of the race, approximately 316,200 pesos will be awarded in prizes to the winners of the different categories. This event has attracted people from other states, which contributes to local tourism. This year, it is expected to exceed the amount raised in 2023. The funds obtained through registrations will be used to remodel classrooms, build breakfast areas, rehabilitate lighting, and other improvements in basic education facilities in the region.

“We hope to surpass last year’s goal, which in 2023 raised 1 million 643 thousand 877 pesos ,” said Francisco Santana, operational director of the Contecon Race for a Cause.

The race is designed so that people of all ages can participate, providing a healthy and enriching experience.

“This collaboration is very important for us. We want to increase this type of partnership in the business field to jointly transmit values ​​to society,” said Fu Hua, general manager of COSCO Shipping Lines.

“We have a common purpose and mission: to contribute to promoting the values ​​of sport in the family and education in Manzanillo. We hope that more and more people will join us to continue promoting these values, which will contribute to the education of children and young people, who will be the future entrepreneurs who will run our great port,” said César Romero, CEO of CIMA Group.

Carla Román, from Woodward Logistics, and Yohana Huezo, from Tap Terminal, highlighted that these types of events promote sports and leave a positive impact on the community and on Manzanillo. They stressed that the most important thing is education, and extended an invitation to join, thanking the organization for making them participate in this noble cause.

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