Guadalajara Division History

The Guadalajara Division of American Chamber/Mexico opened its doors on November 25th of 1965 in the Condominio Guadalajara one of the first high rise buildings in the city. By the end of the year, 80 companies had joined together as founding members of the division. Adolf Horn, Jr., former consul general for the United States and a new entrepreneur in the ice cream business, accepted the invitation from the president of American Chamber/Mexico to lead the Chamber’s efforts in this part of the country. He took on the task with great tenacity and enthusiasm with the support of important businessmen and friends from Jalisco.

The first director of the Guadalajara Division was Robert Lamont. The first board of directors included Richard W. Black, Félix Díaz Garza, Jr., Juan Manuel Fernández de Castro, Alfred B. Holt, Allen W. Lloyd, Salvador López Chávez and Jorge Salcedo Padilla.

A priority of AmCham is to provide strategic information for its members on a regular basis. One of the division's first initiatives was to offer the Essential Bases for Free Enterprise (BEDEL) Program. The objective was to educate instructors within the company. In turn, they would explain and promote the fundamentals of free enterprise and how it works to the entire staff. By 1966, the division had grown to 100 member companies. One of the first events was a dinner for the ambassador of the United States to Mexico, Harry Freeman and the governor of the state of Jalisco, Francisco Medina Asencio.

For over 40 years the Guadalajara Division has worked hard to promote trade and investment on both sides of the border through trade missions, the committee system, networking opportunities and relevant information on trade and the economy.