Mexico is known around the world for its beaches and tourism destinations, but there is another business that is growing more than ever due to violence: the armored vehicle industry.
A cutting-edge design for those types of cars, which many consider a necessity in Mexico these days, could vary in price, size and protection.
At least 40 percent of the vehicles that are built in EPEL — a manufacturing plant located in Mexico City — are designed for military use, however, 60 percent of them are purchased by civilians. This is an industry that is growing in the country at a rate of 20 percent each year.
According to automakers, the armored cars provide a shield against almost everything from small hand guns to an AK-47.
A price tag on one of the vehicles can range from $35,000 to $85,000, and the average client is the entrepreneur who wants to go about his or her daily business while keeping a low profile.
"More people can pay that quote month-by-month, instead of paying in advance a good amount of money," said Ernesto Mizrahi, CEO of EPEL.
The company has been in business for 20 years, but in the past few years it's been offering leasing plans, according to Mizrahi.
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Even though the industry has been consistently growing, the CEO explains he wouldn't mind developing a new line of business if that would mean that his own family would live in a safer society.
"All of our families are suffering this crisis. We hope it goes down, and we can change our market to doing limousines or whatever," Mizrahi said.
