Grupo Bimbo B de C V : consolidates its presence in Costa Rica through its new global services center

San Jose, May 5, 2016.-Today Grupo Bimbo -the most important baking company in the world- inaugurated its new Global Shared Services Center (GSSC) in the Tres Ríos district, located in La Unión de Cartago, with the objective of providing English language support to the United States market.

The President of Costa Rica, Luis Guillermo Solís, Alexander Mora, Minister of Foreign Trade, the CEO of CINDE (Costa Rica Investment Agency), Jorge Sequeira and senior company executives took part this morning in the inaugural event that launched the new headquarters.

The construction of Grupo Bimbo's GSSC in Costa Rica was completed this past April 1, through investment surpassing 2 million USD. At the time of starting up operations, the GSSC already has more than 80 collaborators working, a number which is expected to rise to more than 200 job positions filled by the end of 2017.

President Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera stated his satisfaction at this announcement and the efforts that Costa Rica has put forth to strengthen conditions for competitiveness to generate jobs, thanks to the partnership with the productive and business sectors. This is in addition to concrete actions undertaken, such as keeping electricity rates stable, a burgeoning economy, zero inflation last year, and a steady exchange rate.

'Today we celebrate the creation of 200 new jobs before the end of next year, jobs in fields such as English language, finance, accounting and customer service. Grupo Bimbo has attained the consolidation of its operations in Costa Rica, with foreign investment bringing jobs and wellbeing ?for which we are very happy?, and thus we are committed to continued strengthening of competitiveness conditions in our country', stated President Solís Rivera.

Rubén Márquez, Global Shared Services VP for Grupo Bimbo, went on to explain that 'the company is firmly established as the leading baking company, thanks to a great degree to the talent of people committed to sustained growth and impeccable business ethics. We have been in Costa Rica for 20 years now, and this new operation strengthens our global shared services capacity and braces our faith in the talent and leadership of its people, together with whom we expect to shoulder new challenges to create new capacities and grow together.'

The Minister of Foreign Trade, Alexander Mora, was also very pleased at the inauguration of the new Global Shared Services Center, as it will enable the creation of new quality job opportunities for Costa Ricans. 'We are committed as a government to strengthen our country's competitive advantages so that companies like Grupo Bimbo may continue to trust our labor force and export their quality services to the rest of the world', he said.

CINDE CEO Jorge Sequeira said: 'Today, Bimbo adds one more operation to the cluster of 139 companies in the Costa Rican service sector. Our country exports 75 types of services in 10 languages to the entire world. Human talent continues to make a difference, and that is what we will continue to invest in so that in future more companies will set up operations in our country, as Grupo Bimbo is doing today.'

The company made the decision to install the GSSC in Tres Ríos after careful analysis. 'This is a strategic location for our collaborators given its ease of access and its proximity to residential areas and to the main higher education centers of the country', explained Jazmín Alvarado, GSSC VP for Grupo Bimbo in Costa Rica.

Grupo Bimbo's objective is to be a highly productive company, fully centered on people, a company that recognizes that its collaborators are its greatest strength. For this reason, Bimbo is continuously searching for new talent and developing new capacities.