ZDEEP, located in Synergy Industrial Park, was inaugurated today, October 6, in Escuintla, with Mabe as its first tenant and a 15,360-square-meter distribution center.
Synergy Industrial Park is adding a new component to its development in Escuintla with the opening of ZDEEP within the park—a Public Special Economic Development Zone (ZDEEP)—which combines the benefits of the regime administered by ZOLIC with infrastructure and services for industrial, commercial, and logistics operations.
The opening is marked by concrete activity. Mabe is the first tenant, with a 15,360-square-meter distribution center from which it consolidates its operations for Central America’s Northern Triangle. Another 20,000 square meters are under construction within the ZDEEP and are already being marketed.
Located at kilometer 55.5 of the CA-9 highway, where it connects with National Route 14, ZDEEP Synergy Industrial Park has access to two transportation corridors that facilitate distribution to the Guatemalan market and overland connections to Mexico and Central America. The park features power, fiber-optic connectivity, logistics services, and security.
According to Alejandro Guillén, Director of Industrial Business at Spectrum, adopting the ZDEEP regime makes it possible to expand the range of companies and operations that the industrial park can accommodate.
“We decided to include the ZDEEP as part of our clusters because of the benefits of operating under this regime. It is a highly versatile framework that allows us to serve local and international companies—including those engaged in both export and domestic sales—across various industries.”.
The ZDEEPs are part of the regime administered by the “Santo Tomás de Castilla” Free Trade and Industrial Zone (ZOLIC). Together with Synergy Industrial Park, there are now eight zones in operation within a portfolio of 24 projects at various stages of development and more than 60 companies that are already participating in the regime.
Cristian Mayorga, chairman of ZOLIC's board of directors, views the opening as part of efforts to attract new operations to the country.
“With eight ZDEEPs in operation and more than 60 companies utilizing the program, Guatemala now has a platform on which we can build to attract new investments. Our portfolio now includes 24 ZDEEPs, and the next step is to attract more companies to join the production chains we are developing in the country,”, he said.
Synergy Industrial Park’s growth is keeping pace with this new phase. The park ended 2025 with approximately 35,000 square meters in operation and projects 180,000 by the end of 2026. By 2027, it expects to reach 220,000 square meters. These figures include operations both within and outside the ZDEEP.
Guillén points out that location decisions also depend on factors such as connectivity, infrastructure, macroeconomic conditions, and the availability of talent. Regarding the latter, the business park works with institutions such as INTECAP, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, and Universidad Francisco Marroquín to meet the hiring needs of companies.
“These are long-term investments—10, 15, or 20 years. That’s why companies need certainty, transparency, trust, and support that allows them to operate productively and grow their businesses.”.
That certainty also extends to the institutional process. ZOLIC, as the entity responsible for authorizing and approving ZDEEPs, supports each project from its evaluation through to fulfillment of the conditions necessary to begin operations under the regime.
The ZDEEP at Synergy Industrial Park thus begins with Mabe as its first tenant, with 15,360 square meters occupied and another 20,000 under construction. Its addition as the eighth ZDEEP in operation expands a network that now brings together more than 60 companies, with ZOLIC responsible for authorizing, enabling, and administering the program.