Click to Discover the Top 10 Mexican Cities for Quality of Life in 2024: Key Insights for Manufacturing Expansion

Discover the Top 10 Mexican Cities for Quality of Life in 2024
Mon - Fri: 8:00 - 18:00
Sat-Sun Closed
855.480.0837

Toll-Free Number

8716 Sherwood Terrace
San Diego, CA 92154 USA
Certified ISO 9001:2015 Company

Stay In the Know: Explore Mexico Manufacturing Highlights for the Latest News

US Aerospace and Defense Companies Set Up Shop in Mexico

US Aerospace and Defense Companies Set Up Shop in Mexico

The Maquiladora industry along the Mexican border is on the rebound. These largely US-owned manufacturers suffered a double whammy over the past decade; competition from Asia drew factories across the Pacific, and then the US recession.
But now rising wages in China and a resurgent US auto industry are breathing new life into the maquilas in Tijuana. One of the most booming of border businesses is the aerospace industry.

"People's perception about what cross-border manufacturing, what maquiladoras are like, is still based upon what was happening in the 70s and maybe the 1980s", said Kenn Morris, president of Crossborder Group, a San Diego-based market research firm.

Morris said the aerospace industry along Mexico's north-western border is nothing like the stereotype of overcrowded, low-skilled factories.

"The fact is that a lot of the factories," he said, listing medical devices, aerospace, and electronics, "they're building in such a way these days, and they're managed in such a way, that they can be put anywhere on the planet. But they're coming to Mexico."

In the past five to 10 years, more than 50 aerospace and defense companies have started operations in Baja California, according to Mexico's trade ministry. Most of them are American, and they produce everything from electronic components to steel bolts for commercial and military aircraft.

These companies employ more than 10,000 high-tech workers, many of them engineers, technicians and software developers. The companies choose this region for its proximity to the US and to western ports catering to Asian markets.

But the main reason they come here is simple: the cost of even highly skilled labor is roughly half of what it is in the United States. In San Diego, a senior aerospace engineer makes on average $90,000. In Tijuana, an engineer with similar skills earns $35,000 to $45,000.

Cobham, which produces defense systems, made the move to Tijuana in 1997. Inside its factory, workers dressed in royal blue coveralls sit in groups, looking into microscopes, holding tiny tweezers.

"Over here we do the tuning and testing of the product", said Javier Urquizo, a plant manager at Cobham. But Urquizo can't tell me exactly what the product is. That's classified information.

"So after we finalize the assembly, we need to tweak around some components to get the electrical responses required on the different frequencies", he said.

The company has to apply for special licenses from the State Department to build those components here in Mexico — that's to make sure the raw materials and parts and the technology don't get into the wrong hands.

Teresa Jesus Rio Ramos, a production supervisor here, said that aerospace and defense companies offer the most stable, best paid jobs of all the Tijuana maquilas. She makes around $1,800 a month.

"I think our company is pretty financially stable", she said, "I don't have to worry from month to month whether I'll have a job or not. But that's not true for all maquilas in Tijuana; people get fired and rehired elsewhere all the time."

When asked whether she'd prefer working on the other side of the border, where she could potentially double her salary, Rio Ramos shook her head.
I've gotten a lot of professional training here in Tijuana, she said. I'm not interested in changing the course of my story...


Source: http://www.theworld.org/

Ready To Establish Your Manufacturing Operation In Mexico?

Look No Further Than Our Team Of Specialists!

Whether you have questions about the process or are ready to get started, we're here to help.
Contact us today at (855) 480-0837 to learn how we can provide you with expert support every step of the way, from exploration to setup and beyond. With our extensive experience providing Shelter Services in Mexico, we'll ensure the success of your manufacturing operation in Mexico.
Invalid Input

Invalid Input

Invalid Input

Invalid Input

Invalid Input

IMPORTANT: For enhanced security, kindly provide your business email address exclusively. Please note that this form does not support email addresses from non-corporate accounts such as Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, and others.

Invalid Input

Invalid Input

Co-Production International, Inc. Administrative Service Provider San Diego, California
Sales and Consultation Inquiries:
Toll Free: 855.480.0837

ico flag usaUSA Corporate Office
Ph: 619.429.4344
8716 Sherwood Terrace
San Diego, CA 92154
USA

ico flag usaMexico Corporate Office
Tel.: 664.454.3330
Boulevard Agua Caliente 4558
Int. 701, Colonia Aviación
C.P. 22014, Baja California
info@co-production.net

ico flag usa Monterrey Nuevo León Office
Av. Benito Juarez 1102 Col. Centro
Piso 4 Torre Sur, Oficina 432
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon 64000, Mexico
info@co-production.net

Co-Production International, Inc. Administrative Service Provider San Diego, California

ico flag usaUSA Corporate Office
Ph: 619.429.4344 / 855.480.0837
8716 Sherwood Terrace
San Diego, CA 92154 USA

ico flag usaMexico Corporate Office
Tel.: 664.454.3330
Boulevard Agua Caliente 4558
Int. 701, Colonia Aviación
C.P. 22014, Baja California
info@co-production.net

ico flag usaMonterrey Nuevo León Office
Av. Benito Juarez 1102 Col. Centro
Piso 4 Torre Sur, Oficina 432
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon 64000, Mexico
info@co-production.net

ico flag usaUSA Corporate Office
Ph: 619.429.4344 / 855.480.0837
8716 Sherwood Terrace
San Diego, CA 92154 USA

ico flag usaMexico Corporate Office
Ph: 855.480.0837
Blvd. Tomas Alva Edison 14022
Int. 7A, Tomas Alva Edison
Tijuana, BC 22163, Mexico
info@co-production.net

ico flag usaMexico Monterrey Office
Av. Benito Juarez 1102 Col. Centro
Piso 4 Torre Sur, Oficina 432
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon 64000, Mexico
info@co-production.net