Co-Production International Industry Tour Shows Executives the Heart of Mexico's Aerospace Manufacturing Mega-region

Tijuana, Baja California, MEXICO. The 4th Annual Baja California Aerospace Supplier Forum recently wrapped up in of Tijuana, located just south of San Diego, California on August 29th. More than 18 buyers from major companies and 150 small to medium-sized businesses were in attendance representing various sectors of the international and Mexican aerospace and defense industries.

The high enthusiasm for the region's aerospace and defense industries experiencing major boom was evident in the networking businesses that attended, and was only complemented by the most recently released industry statistics of the highly capable regional cluster. Also present were executives from major A+D companies from both the United States and Mexico; along with a strong showing of representatives of Baja Californian business organizations, state economic and commerce departments, and city officials serving economic and trade development.

Recently installed U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker said trade opportunities with Mexico will expand as economic and security conditions improve in America's southern neighbor.

Pritzker is headed to Mexico for her first official trade mission Nov. 18. The trip will focus on key industries such as advanced Mexico manufacturing and health information technology, she told The Times in a brief interview Tuesday after delivering a keynote address at the U.S. Saudi Business Opportunities Forum in downtown Los Angeles.

Though many American companies have moved production to Mexico to offset the rising cost of labor in China and other countries, U.S. firms remain uneasy about security concerns brought on by the nation's drug violence.

The annual event BajaMak 2013 is coming up on October 24th in Tijuana, Mexico. The trade show and expo highlights the manufacturing industry in the Baja California border region and will host manufacturing industries from the electronic, medical devices, metal mechanical, aerospace and automotive sectors. The exhibitors will promote their supplying needs, products and services.

BajaMak has become an important venue in Northwest Mexico for companies looking to tap into the $13 billion suppliers market within the region's manufacturing industry. This year's event is expected to feature over 250 exhibitors (suppliers and buyers) and draw more than 2,500 attendees.

Forget the hype about China – Mexico is the next big thing for automakers.

"Mexico is the next China," Ferrari North America CEO Marco Mattiacci said during a panel discussion today about the future of luxury. He was joined by Burgess Yachts CEO Jonathan Beckett and Gotham Jets CEO Gianpaolo De Felice for the hour-long talk, which was held aboard the $40 million yacht KATYA berthed in the Hudson River off New York's West Side Highway.

Mattiacci said the massive growth anticipated in revenue and manufacturing didn't necessarily pertain to Ferrari but to a broader 13-year expansion in the auto industry due mainly to dramatic wealth creation, an increased appetite for industry and from considerable investments from abroad.