By Edgar López
A few days ago, I joined a conversation with Pepe Rodríguez, President and CEO of The Home Depot Mexico, in the context of the company’s 2026 investment plan: MXN $4.79 billion, a 25% increase compared to the previous year and the highest amount announced by the company in more than a decade.
What stood out was not only the figure —which clearly reflects confidence in the potential of the Mexican market— but also the open and natural way in which Rodríguez explained how the company approaches certain aspects of responsible management as a natural part of its performance and long-term business sustainability.
Rodríguez framed the discussion within a clear structural context: population growth, a young demographic base, and a persistent deficit in housing quality. In this context, the home improvement business connects directly with a fundamental national need, beyond short-term economic cycles.
One of the most relevant insights shared relates to the supply chain: approximately 80% of its suppliers are local, and around 10% of them already export to the United States through The Home Depot’s own network. This reflects an operation that not only distributes products but also contributes to the productive development and internationalization of Mexican suppliers.
On sustainability, Rodríguez was particularly transparent in explaining how the company is approaching these topics. Out of a portfolio of approximately 50,000 products, around 2,000 have sustainable attributes. The incorporation of these attributes largely follows market demand, with the company accompanying that evolution in a natural way. In parallel, the measurement of value chain impact —what is referred to in ESG terms as Scope 3— is currently under development, with the aim of better understanding the efficiencies generated by products with sustainable characteristics.
Another relevant aspect discussed was the company’s social investment model. The Home Depot drives housing and community development programs in partnership with specialized organizations, with active participation from customers, suppliers, and the company itself (which in some cases matches or doubles contributions). Beyond the visible social impact, this work has contributed to strengthening relationships with communities and, in practice, functions as a form of social license to operate. Rodríguez did not present this as a formal indicator or KPI, but rather as an element that organically supports business continuity.
In summary, this conversation reflects a company with a consolidated operation and a clear reading of the Mexican market. The announced investment reinforces that confidence, while responsible management topics —value chain, sustainable products, impact measurement, and community engagement— are understood as elements that naturally accompany business performance and its long-term sustainability.
Note: I sought to review The Home Depot Mexico’s 2024 Sustainability Report to complement this analysis; however, it was not publicly available at the time of publication.
Edgar López Pimentel is currently a Director at Expok, where he exercises his leadership every day with a strong passion for social responsibility and sustainable development. His work has significantly contributed to positioning leading companies in the field of corporate social responsibility.
His academic background, enriched by executive education programs in Senior Management at IPADE Business School and IE Business School, as well as a master’s degree in Corporate Social Responsibility from Universidad Anáhuac México Norte, supports his leadership.
