Latin America: a strategic region at the heart of Newrest’s development

Building a regional presence, one business line at a time

Newrest’s history in Latin America has developed progressively, expanding into new markets as opportunities emerged and the Group’s expertise evolved.

It all began in Mexico in 1998 with inflight catering. This first operation laid the foundations for Newrest’s presence on the continent and established a strategy that would guide its future development: entering a market through one area of expertise, then progressively expanding the range of services offered.

This approach continued in Chile from 2008. Newrest initially developed collective catering activities, notably for Wiener and La Católica universities, as well as remote-site management services at locations such as the ALMA Observatory. The Group later expanded into inflight catering at Santiago Airport, serving airlines including Air France, United Airlines, Delta, British Airways, and Plus Ultra.

In 2010, Newrest continued its expansion into Peru, a market supported by a major mining industry. The Group developed remote-site management and collective catering services for clients such as Lindley Inca Kola, Gold Fields, and Hudbay Minerals, before diversifying into inflight catering.

Other markets followed. In 2012, in Panama, Newrest provided remote-site management services for mining operations, notably alongside Minera Panamá on the Cobre Panamá project. In Costa Rica, the acquisition of Casa Phillips in 2015 strengthened its inflight catering presence before the development of collective catering activities.

The Group also expanded its regional network in Colombia from 2017 and in Bolivia from 2014, initially through inflight catering. These operations subsequently provided a foundation for expansion into other business lines, including collective catering in Colombia.

In 2017, Newrest also established operations in Brazil, where it began inflight catering activities with Delta in 2021, gaining a foothold in Latin America’s largest economy.

Newrest progressively built a regional presence combining inflight catering, collective catering, and remote-site management. This momentum reached a new scale in 2025 with the acquisition of Compass operations in Latin America, strengthening Newrest’s positions in Chile, Colombia, and Mexico and opening a new phase in its regional development.

A region of growing strategic importance

With more than 670 million inhabitants and a high level of urbanization, Latin America represents a major hub for consumption, employment, and economic development.

Several of its largest economies are driven by strategic industries. Brazil benefits from agribusiness, energy, and mining, while Mexico has a strong industrial base in the automotive, electronics, and aerospace sectors. In Chile and Peru, mining plays a central role, particularly copper production. Colombia has a diversified economy driven by sectors including energy, extractive industries, and services. Costa Rica stands out in two key areas: ecotourism, where the country holds a significant position at regional level, and pharmaceutical production, which represents an important base for the North American industry.

These dynamics generate growing demand for collective catering, Facility Management, and industrial-site services.

Some markets are also gradually reopening. Venezuela, long isolated from the international stage, is seeing renewed investor interest, particularly in the oil and mining sectors, and presents long-term development potential.

Above all, Latin America holds a strategic position in the global energy transition. Copper, lithium, nickel, and graphite are essential to renewable energy, batteries, and electric vehicles, and the region holds significant reserves of these resources. Chile and Peru rank among the world’s leading copper producers, while Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile form the so-called “Lithium Triangle.” Rising global demand is therefore driving new mining projects, often located in remote areas where catering and remote-site management services are essential.

Hydrocarbons remain another pillar of the global economy. Alongside the historic resources of Venezuela and Brazil, offshore discoveries in Guyana and Suriname are reshaping the region’s energy landscape. Guyana in particular is experiencing remarkable economic growth driven by the development of its oil industry.

These developments are reinforcing Latin America’s strategic importance and generating new needs for catering, Facility Management, and remote-site services. For Newrest, the region is therefore a key area for future growth.

Investing alongside the region’s growth

This momentum reinforces the strategic choices made by Newrest. The Group currently operates in ten countries: Mexico, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Argentina. In 2025-2026, the region generated nearly €1 billion in revenue, with more than 27,000 employees across over 300 sites and operations.

All of the Group’s business lines are represented: inflight catering, airport lounges, collective catering, Facility Management, and remote-site management across the mining, oil, and gas industries.

The acquisition of Compass Group’s operations in 2024-2025 accelerated this momentum, integrating 16,000 employees and 700 contracts across Chile, Colombia, and Mexico.

This expansion can also be seen on the ground. In Peru, the development of the partnership with Anglo American at one of the world’s largest copper mines contributed to a 7% increase in revenue. In Colombia, Newrest supports Glencore and has expanded its contract with Drummond. In Chile, the Group launched operations with Teck Resources and Anglo American. In Bolivia, the extension of the San Cristobal mine contract continues a partnership spanning more than fifteen years. Finally, in Brazil, the opening of the LATAM lounge in 2025 strengthened Newrest’s presence in the airport services sector.

Newrest is thus consolidating its position in markets and industries where demand for catering, Facility Management, and remote-site management is expected to continue growing.

Being a local player, beyond a commercial presence

Newrest’s development in Latin America is based on one key principle: using its local presence as a driver of development for the communities and territories where it operates. This local content approach is built around four pillars:

• recruiting locally, particularly within local communities and among more vulnerable populations;
• sharing skills and expertise through training and partnerships with educational institutions;
• developing local sourcing by supporting producers and suppliers in building sustainable supply chains;
• supporting communities through initiatives tailored to local needs.

In Colombia, where Newrest employs nearly 10,000 people, this approach is reflected particularly through training, internal promotion, and the development of local talent.

In Chile, a project recognized through the internal Heroes of change CSR contest illustrates the development of local value chains. Over 13 months, Newrest supported small-scale farmers in integrating the Candelaria mine’s supply chain. More than 1,600 hours of training, combined with targeted investments, enabled them to meet the requirements of the mining sector. This resulted in a first order of five tonnes of locally produced fruit and vegetables for the site’s catering operations.

This approach is further supported through Foundation Unlimited, which receives annual funding equivalent to 1.5% of the Group’s consolidated net income. In Latin America, the Foundation notably supports Oasis For Peace and the Wayuu community in Colombia, as well as the Alalay Foundation in Bolivia.

To discover all the projects supported by Foundation Unlimited, visit the Foundation’s website.

Newrest thus combines international scale with strong local roots, building on local talent, suppliers, and communities.

Guyana: supporting the transformation of a rapidly evolving country

Guyana is a particularly strong example of this model. In just a few years, the country has emerged as one of the world’s new oil industry hubs, generating significant demand for infrastructure, skills, and services supporting offshore operations.

Alongside ExxonMobil, SBM Offshore, and MODEC, Newrest currently operates on all FPSOs active in Guyana. The Group provides catering, housekeeping, and laundry services, as well as onshore catering for ExxonMobil. These activities are expanding alongside the growth of offshore operations, particularly on FPSOs operated by SBM Offshore and MODEC’s only FPSO in the country.

This presence is firmly rooted in a local content strategy. By combining international expertise with locally developed capabilities, Newrest contributes to building Guyana’s energy sector together with local stakeholders. Today, 97% of its offshore workforce is Guyanese, while more than 75% of management positions are held locally. Employees are also integrated and trained from the earliest stages of certain projects.

Gender diversity is another important dimension: women account for 52% of the offshore workforce and nearly 30% of management positions. By developing skills locally, Newrest contributes both to the performance of its operations and to the sustainable development of a strategic industry for Guyana.

Over the past few decades, Newrest has built a strong and diversified presence in Latin America, now further strengthened by major investments and new commercial successes. New contracts, the development of local teams, and the expansion of activities across strategic industries continue to demonstrate the relevance of the Group’s choices.

In a region set to play an increasingly important role in the global economy, Newrest intends to pursue its expansion through three complementary drivers: accelerating growth in countries where it is already established by leveraging the full range of its expertise, entering new markets, and pursuing targeted acquisition opportunities.

This ambition will continue to be supported by a model built on proximity, local talent, and the creation of sustainable value for the territories where Newrest operates.