Innovation

Create new homes and spaces in extreme poverty locations, using ERP to manage the full project, taking care of their clients and beneficiaries of the project. They focus on the supply chain area to successfully change families and create value to the company.

They take care on construction details and promote great quality product delivery to gain value with their shareholders.

Inspiration

15 years ago in the Innovation Center at CEMEX, Guillermo Jaime got the idea of a business that could benefit a specific sector in the Mexican economy; building bulk sustainable houses using the main products of CEMEX. Unfortunately this idea was not aligned with CEMEX's business model, therefore the idea was discarded.

Even though his idea did not have traction at the moment Guillermo did not stop there, when the moment was right he left CEMEX and became a housing entrepreneur. Because his product was not part of CEMEX's business model he had no problems fighting the cement giant; after being part of some housing innovative companies, mergers and acquisitions he finally developed Grupo MIA, a group of companies with the main focus of bringing sustainable housing in rural areas.

Overall impact

In the rural areas of Mexico, the formal economy does not have big penetration therefore people have no access to bank mortgage credits or if they do, their risk profile is too high to have competitive interest rates. This directly effects the way people build their homes, by waiting to buy building materials whenever they have money. This means that homes are built in several years, directly affecting the quality of life of the people in rural areas.

During 2018 Grupo MIA built between 6,000 to 10,000 new sustainable houses in 17 different states of the country.

Business benefit

They look for a 8% profit. Because of the low margin Grupo MIA needs to build houses in a wholesale with a minimum of 25 houses in the same region.

Social and environmental benefit

They prevent overcrowding, creating the possibility for extreme poverty families to have access to build more rooms and spaces in their homes.

They don't only build houses, but offer additional services to government institutions. For example, they go to the field and promote new beneficiaries in locations that are identified with extreme poverty and difficult conditions. Usually new clients like state and local governments are required to identify beneficiaries with different social, demographic and location conditions.

Interviews

ENRIQUE ARANDA, General Director

Jaime Garcia, B System