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     Fiscally, socially, geographically and with an eye toward long-term benefits, Mexico is an excellent place to conduct business.  The work ethic among the people of Mexico is strong, the consumer base is vast and the economic and regulatory relationships between the United States and Mexico are solid.  It’s no surprise then that the number of businesses eager to expand by investing in and/or opening plants in Mexico continues to grow.

      Unfortunately, as with any nation where an American organization chooses to do business, there are risks that must not be ignored.  Among those, is the international rise of kidnap for ransom incidents. Kidnap and ransom (k&r) is not a new phenomenon, but it is a problem that has become more and more commonplace all over the world in recent years – and Mexico is no exception.  Just as when businesses set up shop in South America, Europe, Asia, Indonesia, and other areas of the world, companies with operations in Mexico must be aware that carefully organized regional k&r groups indeed exist and are capable of causing serious damage to the welfare of a company’s employees and that company’s bottom line.

      High-ranking corporate officials and wealthy individuals living and/or working at an international plant site have always been prime kidnap targets – for obvious reasons.  Their safe return to their families and organizations can lead to handsome rewards for the criminals involved in their abduction. 

            When an executive is kidnapped, his or her family, friends and loved ones typically agonize over the fact that they simply didn’t see the incident coming or take the necessary steps to...

...Continued in the pages of Twin Plant News, Subscribe Today!