April 1

 GRUPO MASECA OPERATES USING WORLD-CLASS QUALITY PROCESSES (Milenio Online) Mexican company Gruma, global leader in corn flour, tortilla, and wrap production, is recognized internationally not only for financial soundness, but also for its high quality processes in 74 plants, which helps drive the company’s presence in more than 110 countries. 

April 3

MANUEL J. JÁUREGUI / WITHOUT GUACAMOLE (Reforma pg. 9) (El Norte Online - Nuevo León) Seventy-seven percent of ALL avocados consumed in the United States come from Mexico. All of them! So, it shouldn’t surprise you that the price of this delicacy has shot up. Even Trump, a lover of fast food, runs the risk of being without his avocado dip. There may be plenty of chips left over, made and distributed by Mission Foods, the U.S. division of very Mexican company Gruma, the producer of Maseca owned by the González Moreno family. It appears to be impossible to stop the sky-rocketing price and eventual scarcity of Mexican avocados in the United States.

April 4

SISTINE CHAPEL ASSEMBLED IN THE CITY (El Porvenir.mx - Nuevo León) Starting Saturday, April 13, Monterrey residents can admire the Sistine Chapel, one of the greatest works of the renaissance artist Michelangelo, to be placed in front of the Government Palace. The “Sistine Chapel in Mexico” project is sponsored by Maseca and Grupo Financiero Banorte and has been exhibited in several cities throughout Mexico.

April 5

THE 50 MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES (Mundo Ejecutivo pgs. 38-49) Coming up with new ideas is the key to development for any company, and by extension, any country. In Mexico, this is still a concept that is rarely understood. Determining which companies can be considered the most innovative brought up some questions. The first question concerned methodology, since, as we mentioned above, the process of innovation includes an array of factors that, when combined, lead to it and create value for the company. Gruma, 22^nd place. The company carries out ongoing research and development focused on, among other things, increasing the efficiency of proprietary technology for producing corn flour, corn and flour tortillas (...)

FIVE MEXICAN COMPANIES FINDING SUCCESS ABROAD (MSN Online) Gruma. This company seeks to dominate the American tortilla market. Not long ago it opened its first plant in Dallas, where it plans to produce 30 million tortillas every day and supply Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas, and northern Texas.

April 6

SISTINE CHAPEL REPLICA A VACATION ATTRACTION (ElPorvenir.mx - Nuevo León) Nuevo Leon will have a new tourist attraction during vacations. A replica of the Sistine Chapel is coming to Nuevo Leon after planning by the Corporation for Tourism. It will be the tenth state to receive the project sponsored by Maseca and Grupo Financiero Banorte

April 8

GRUMA, FOURTH MOST INNOVATIVE FOOD COMPANY IN MEXICO (SDPNoticias.com) In Mexico, only five percent of domestic companies have innovated in any way to stay competitive in the market and continue expanding, not only within Mexico but on a global level. Gruma, the world leader in the production of corn flour, tortillas and wraps, is among the innovative few. According to a recent ranking published by the magazine Mundo Ejecutivo (Executive World), Gruma, led by Juan González Moreno, is ranked 22^nd. When considering only companies within the food industry, Gruma comes in at fourth, only behind Bachoco, Bimbo, and Herdez.

April 9

NUEVO LEON EXPECTS MXN 800 MILLION IN REVENUE DURING EASTER WEEK (Milenio Online) (El Norte Online - Nuevo León) (Reforma Online) (ABCNoticias.mx - Nuevo León) (Notimex Online) (20 Minutos Online) (Informate.com.mx) (Capital México Online ) (El Economista Online) The government of Nuevo Leon estimates economic revenues of MXN 800 million during Easter Week vacation. This Monday, the Easter Week vacation program was presented, which highlighted the opening of the Sistine Chapel exhibition on April 14 in Los Héroes Esplanade. The Vatican granted permission to the brothers Gabriel and Antonio Berumen, who initiated the project with sponsors Gruma and Banorte and MXN 12 million from the state government.

April 12

HORACIO SAAVEDRA / SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE RELATIONSHIP WITH SPAIN (El Sol de México pg. 17) (El Sol de México Online) Mexico and Spain are bound by history, blood, and language. However, there’s another aspect we must admit: business. They are connected by wiring that is practically a short circuit. Mexican cement companies have succeeded in the Spanish market, as well as Bimbo, Carso, Gruma, Grupo Zeta, Softek, and other Mexican companies that have created a highway for business. The Spanish and Europeans, in general, respect us not only for our historical achievements but because we are a strong country that continues to be an attractive destination.

April 17

ANALYSTS SEE EBITDA UP 1.5% FOR GRUMA IN 1Q19 (ElFinanciero.com - Monterrey) Gruma is forecast to post year-over-year increases the first quarter of the year of 1.5% in EBITDA, 2.9% in revenue, and 5.0% in net profits, according to an analysis by Grupo Financiero Monex.

April 18

EXECUTIVES IN THE TIME OF AMLO (Forbes México pgs. 117, 141, 160) 7^th place. Juan A. González Moreno and family: Gruma shows solid growth due to positive forecasts on consumption in Mexico, thanks to subsidies and the increased minimum wage implemented by the federal government. There is still strong potential for growth globally, which is linked to consumer preferences for Mexican food, for which corn flour for tortillas is essential.

April 23

TORTILLAS, YOUR ALLY AGAINST GAINING WEIGHT DURING EASTER WEEK (SDPNoticias.com) (Milenio Online) The benefits of tortillas are many. Dr. Araceli Martínez Coronado, a nutritionist certified by the Mexican College of Nutritionists, says that corn tortillas are one of the best allies in avoiding weight gain and keeping a healthy diet, in addition to being affordable and easy to combine with practically any Mexican dish. Since its creation almost 70 years ago, Maseca has been a whole flour that is made 100% from selected corn, respecting the traditional process of nixtamalization. It is important to note that starting in 2010, following Official Mexican Standard 247, Maseca is enriched, which gives tortillas made with that corn flour additional benefits of folic acid, vitamins, and minerals, essential for growth and good health.

April 25

GRUMA EBITDA UP 7% (Reforma, pg. 1 in Business) Due to higher sales volumes abroad and a strong dollar against the peso, EBITDA of Grupo Maseca (Gruma) in the first quarter was MXN 2.871 billion, a 7% year-to-year increase.

GRUMA REPORTS 7% INCREASE IN EBITDA (El Norte, pg. 11 in Business) Due to higher sales-driven mainly in foreign markets EBITDA of Grupo Maseca (Gruma) in the first quarter was MXN 2.871 billion, a 7% year-to-year increase. The company’s sales volume was up 1%, while net revenues increased 6% year-to-year to MXN 18.579 billion, helped with the dollar strengthening against the peso, considering that its operations abroad represent 73% of total results from Gruma, the company reported last night. The EBITDA margin (operating profitability over total revenue) also improved this quarter, at 15.5%, up from 15.4% the previous year.

SALES AND EBITDA UP FOR GRUMA (Excélsior pgs. 1, 9 in Money) (El Horizonte) (La Jornada pg. 19) (Notimex) (Milenio) (Expansión) (La Jornada) Gruma stood out in the first quarter for the company’s increases in sales volume, net sales (6%), and EBITDA (7%). By the quarter’s close, its sales volume was up 1% due to greater demand in Europe, the United States, and Central America. The company made USD 30 million in capital investments (equivalent to MXN 570 million) which went towards additional production lines in a tortilla plant in Dallas, Texas and building a plant in Puebla.

ALFREDO HUERTA (“In the Times of the Radio,” Radio Formula) Gruma reported a 6% increase in sales and a 7% increase in EBITDA after accounting adjustments. The company made investments equivalent to USD 30 million during the quarter for plants in Dallas and Puebla.

AMONG BOSSES (El Financiero pg. 25) (Reforma pgs. 1-2) (Reforma Online) (Reforma Online) (Mural Online - Jalisco) (El Norte Online - Nuevo León) Gruma invests USD 30 million in expansions. During the first quarter of 2019, Gruma invested USD 30 million, approximately 25% of the USD 120 million it plans to invest the entire year. The Mexican company said the capital expenditure was going towards expanding production lines and capacity in plants in Dallas and Florida in the United States, and Puebla in Mexico. Raúl Cavazos, Director of Finances and Planning at Gruma, said in a conference call with analysts that this year’s investment would go towards integrating new facilities opened in 2018, such as the tortilla plants in Dallas and Puebla. Last year, the company led by Juan Antonio González Moreno expanded its production and storage plants in Russia, Georgia, and England.

April 27

THIS CORN PRODUCER SOLD MORE THAN MXN 18 BILLION (Mundo Ejecutivo Online) The tortilla and corn flour producer Gruma announced a growth of 6% in its first-quarter report thanks to MXN 18.579 billion in sales. Through a press release, the company said the increase was driven by improved sales volume and higher average prices in the United States and Mexico. It was also affected by a stronger dollar against the peso.

April 29

MONTERREY TALK (El Norte Online - Nuevo León) Captains of industry who dressed up to visit the replica of the Sistine Chapel will surely attend the official inauguration this afternoon of the work of art installed in Los Héroes Esplanade in the Macroplaza. Those sure to participate in the ribbon-cutting include the president of Banorte, Carlos Hank González, and the president of Gruma, Juan González Moreno, alongside Governor Jaime Rodríguez, though more executives may join.

IN THE SHADOWS (El Sol de México pg. 2) (El Sol de México Online) Speaking of powerful people, this Monday a meeting will take place that will provide a distraction from the topic of oil theft up to the President’s morning news conference. This afternoon in Monterrey, a joint news conference is being held by Juan González Moreno, president and CEO of Gruma, and Carlos Hank González, president of Banorte. Two of the most influential business leaders in this country and the world.

April 30

BANORTE AND MASECA FLEX THEIR MUSCLES (La Prensa pg. 25) (La Jornada pg. 27) (Milenio Diario pg. 22) (El Economista pg. 102) (ElPorvenir.mx)(El Sol De México pg. 21) (Excélsior pg. 10) As they haven’t done in a great while, at least not publicly, Juan González Moreno, President and CEO of Grupo Maseca, and Carlos Hank González, president of Grupo Financiero Banorte, were together in Monterrey for the inauguration of the Sistine Chapel replica. The two business leaders, uncle, and nephew caused a stir among the event’s guests and laughed along with the talk and displays of Nuevo Leon Governor Jaime Rodríguez Calderón. “Banorte, the financial group closest to Mexicans, in operation for 120 years, and Maseca, a Mexican company with a 70-year tradition, are committed to Mexico, and we have brought this exceptional exposition as a sign of appreciation to all those who support us,” said the president of Grupo Maseca.

JESÚS RANGEL / TUG OF WAR (Milenio Diario pg. 24) The board room. Juan González Moreno, President and CEO of Grupo Maseca, and Carlos Hank González, president of Grupo Financiero Banorte, are grateful. They decided to bring to Nuevo Leon, “to our home, a sign of appreciation to all those who have supported us,” the world’s only identical replica of the Sistine Chapel, one of humanity’s most beautiful and important works of art.

HAPPENINGS. (Milenio Diario pg. 2) (El Porvenir) (Milenio) (El Sol De México) (La Jornada) (Heraldo De México) (Milenio) After announcing this quarter’s financial results, the presidents of Gruma, Juan González Moreno, and Banorte, Carlos Hank González, traveled to Monterrey to cut the inaugural ribbon with Governor Jaime Rodríguez of the Sistine Chapel replica on display in the Los Héroes Esplanade of the Macroplaza. The executives wanted to send the message that they are not only committed to investment and growth within their industries—agro-industry and banking—but also committed to culture.