Co-Production International Announces Successful Industrial Tour of Mexico's Manufacturing Maquiladoras in Northern Baja California
TIJUANA, Baja California, June 18, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Co-Production International (CPI) announces a successful quarterly tour of Mexico manufacturing facilities along Baja California's northern border. Taking place at the end of April, this was the largest attended tour to date with over 20 attendees from a variety of US manufacturing industries including aerospace, unmanned vehicle systems, furniture, metal products and label manufacturing sectors. The one-day tour included visits to Broan Nutone and Hunter Industries factories in Tijuana and Scantibodies Laboratories in Tecate. CPI offers private as well as open, quarterly tours of Mexico manufacturing facilities to US manufacturers interested in expanding operations with our southern NAFTA partner.
"I cannot recommend taking part in one of CPI's tours more highly for anyone interested in being more involved in the growing Baja California Norte manufacturing community. The team at CPI has the experience, the tools and the professional gravitas for everyone from a start-up to an established Fortune 400 company," remarked an attendee and the Project Director of the largest independent custom product and packaging solutions provider in the United States.
CPI's April Baja Manufacturing Tour started at Tijuana's Club de Empresarios (Business Owners Club) with breakfast and an educational presentation about how to get started in Mexico using a shelter company provider, labor cost analysis and best practices. The factory tour started with Hunter Industries, the San Marcos-based plastics and irrigation products manufacturer. Just this year Hunter Industries received the AS9100 Rev D Certificate for Plastic Injection Molding, Machining & Assembly of Products for the Aerospace Industry, opening their operations up to a new sector and new customers.
"CPI's goal with our Baja Manufacturing Tours is to take attendees from the conceptual to reality. We give them ample time with decision makers at world-class manufacturing facilities and a chance to walk plant floors, all offering US manufacturers real-world insights to their questions about how to get started in Mexico," said Denisse Martinez, tour coordinator and Director of Marketing for CPI.
The second stop took place at Broan Nutone, North America's largest producer of residential ventilation and air quality products, including range hoods, ventilation fans and air exchangers. Broan Nutone's Plant manager and engineer Saralegui, along with Operations Manager Jorge Diaz, dove right into the nuts and bolts of manufacturing in Mexico, from best practices and overcoming challenges to a cultural overview of working in the region.
"Attendees were impressed by Broan Nutone. From the flow of their production lines, efficiency, technology, and their lean corner, to how clean and beautiful the facility is. Broan Nutone's guides also took the attendees to the most labor-intensive part of their facility: the assembly area. All expressed awe at the happy, confident, and efficient workforce, further enforcing Broan Nutone's company culture of giving employees a chance to belong and opportunity to grow with the company," said Martinez, adding, "This is CPI's favorite part of the tour where we can shatter the assumptions about sweat-shop labor and show them just how technologically-advanced and modern manufacturing in Mexico really is."
The third and last factory visit took place at the Santee, California-based Scantibodies Laboratories facility in Tecate. Known for the manufacture of the First Response pregnancy test, Scantibodies' Tecate plant manufacturers antibodies and life-saving diagnostic kits. But that's not all. They also run a 20,000 square foot medical-imaging and therapy center where they provide services at cost, allowing cancer patients and their families the care they need at an accessible price.
"We were deeply surprised to discover how well these plants were run. Highly modern, tech-intensive and with real dedication to their staff, their well-being, education and promotion within their respective organizations. We are a furniture manufacturing company, based in LA, and have been seriously considering moving our plant to Tijuana. CPI was extremely helpful in providing upper management with the right tools and financial understanding involved in such a move," said another attendee and the HR and Purchasing Manager for a US furniture manufacturer.
Wrapping up the day, tour attendees were treated to a fine-dining dinner featuring Baja Mediterranean cuisine and award-winning wines at Asao in Tecate. Lively discussions about the strength of Mexico's manufacturing industries dominated the evening. Over 450 global manufacturers call Baja California home and are supported by a nearly 200,000-strong manufacturing workforce. Beyond Mexico's labor cost savings, proximity to North American markets and home-operations are major drivers for manufacturers looking to free up capital while still maintaining production quality and oversight. The infrastructure, highly-trained workforce with direct ties to educational institutions and low-to-no tariffs have solidified Mexico as a manufacturing force keen on longevity.
SOURCE Co-Production International
