U.S.-Mexico Announce "Good Partner" Award Winners for 2004

GUADALAJARA, MEXICO
June 29, 2004

The United States and Mexico announced the inaugural Partnership for Prosperity (P4P) Good Partner Award winners at the Award Ceremony and Gala on June 28. The 2004 winners are General Motors Mexico and Comercial Mexicana de Pinturas (Consorcio COMEX). The Good Partner Award recognizes the role of the private sector in both countries in advancing social and economic development in Mexico. The Good Partner Awards were presented by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans and Mexico's Secretary for Social Development Josefina Vazquez Mota with remarks by Presidents Bush and Fox. GM North America President Gary Cowger and GM de Mexico President and Managing Director Arturo Elias accepted the Award for General Motors. COMEX CEO Alfredo Achar accepted on behalf of Comercial Mexicana de Pinturas. U.S. Under Secretary Alan Larson launched the call for nominations for the Good Partner Award 2005 to a group of more than 600 business executives and government officials from both the United States and Mexico.

General Motors has operated in Mexico for nearly 70 years and GM de Mexico has spearheaded a number of initiatives including The Regional Engineering Centers (TREC), contributing millions of dollars to state-of-the art technologies to universities, and its Technical Education Program that provides distance-learning opportunities. GM received recognition for its efforts to support the development of its supplier chain, special programs for small and minority firms (especially the COMPITE program), and commitments to environmental stewardship. GM is headquartered in Detroit, Mich.

Comercial Mexican de Pinturas (COMEX) is a family-owned business engaged in the production and sale of protective coatings, paints and home decorating supplies. COMEX annually supports more than 150 social organizations in the areas of education, health, and housing. The 3,000 COMEX stores across Mexico contribute to an annual fund which provides assistance to the people of Mexico in the event of natural disasters. The company trains and develops the next generation of small business owners through COMEX Young Entrepreneurs and Fundacion ProEmpleo provides training and job-search assistance. Provivah Trust raises funds to build housing to the poorest families in Mexico. COMEX is headquartered in Mexico City, DF, Mexico.

"When Presidents Bush and Fox launched the P4P, they created a new model of cooperation between Mexico and the United States, based on a public-private strategic alliance," Under Secretary Larson said.

The Good Partner Award Ceremony and Gala is under the auspices of the U.S.-Mexico Partnership for Prosperity initiative, announced by Presidents Bush and Fox in September 2001. The goal of the Partnership is to boost the well-being of Mexican citizens in regions where economic growth has lagged while helping U.S. firms and suppliers identify new partners and markets in Mexico.