Our History
The origins of Corporación Ambiental de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (CAM) date back to the year 1991 when, as part of the boom in the privatization of state-owned businesses and with the North American Free Trade Agreement in the offing, foreign consultancy firms rush to open offices in Mexico. Sergent, Hauskin & Beckwith (SHB) with more than 20 offices and nearly 30 years of experience in the Mid-West of the United States, decide to enter into a Joint Venture with a small group of Mexican businessmen. The seed is sown and gradually, SHB de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. starts to make a name for itself in the field of environmental studies.
At the end of 1993, SHB is absorbed by the Canadian giant AGRA, which is made up by 5 large divisions ranging from the construction roads and buildings to large-scale recycling projects, including analytical testing (laboratories), quality tests (Certification of ISO Standards) and environmental services. In consequence, its office in Mexico changes its name to AGRA Ambiental, S.A. de C.V., and forms part of the AGRA Earth & Environmental, Inc. division based in Toronto, Canada.
As a result of Mexico’s severe economic crisis in 1994-1995 and its administrative problems resulting from the merger of so many of its regional offices, AGRA is forced to make drastic cuts in its budget and reorganize its investment plans, closing at least 18 regional offices and giving up some of the services it used to provide, such as earth drilling.
In Mexico, AGRA decides to sell its stake to its Mexican partners who, taking advantage of the excellent reputation that has been built up and trusting in the basic strength of our country, keep up the business and, September 1995, formalize it as Corporación Ambiental de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. (CAM).
A major adjustment in its operating costs allows CAM to survive the economic crisis, emerging from it with an efficient administration that has allowed it to maintain and, in some cases, improve on the standards of quality it was known for when the company was still mostly owned by foreign capital.
As proof of this, CAM starts to operate in the Northern Gulf region, opening up its offices in Tampico, Tamaulipas.
At the end of 2000 CAM signed a Strategy Alliance Agreement with the Multinational ARCADIS that has offices in Asia, Europe, United States, South America and Latin America, meaning that our customers are now able to benefit from its experience in dealing with specific problems involved with the restoration of contaminated sites. It also provides customer care for ARCADIS customers who have operations in Mexico, ensuring the same standards of quality.
LaSer is an accredited environmental laboratory that immerged as a result of the strategic alliance that, in 2000, CAM sets up with one of its principal and most important customers (Grupo Celanese).
The constantly increasing demand for our services, thanks to our reputation for the care and quality of our projects, means that we need to broaden our geographic base and so, in 2001, we open our operations in Monterrey, New León and, in 2006, in Hermosillo, Sonora.
