Mexicali, a once sleepy farming village in the middle of nowhere, has evolved into a high-tech manufacturing giant, capitalizing on its proximity to the Pacific Ocean , United States and major transportation corridors.

        Although agriculture still plays an important role in the city’s economy, a burgeoning electronics cluster in Me xicali and Tijuana has become a significant factor in the region’s development.

        The cluster is being fed by Asian companies looking for access to the U.S. market, as well as by other international firms taking advantage of the area workforce’s ethic and ideal infrastructure.

        Major domestic companies such as Kenworth and Bimbo also have a strong presence here.

        “The development of product and process technology is taking place in Baja California ,” says Juan E. Helferan, project development director for Me xicali ’s Matsushita of Baja California. “The human resources have the capability to do it. Increasing our competitiveness is our daily task.”

        The natives are known as Cachanillas, and almost everyone here is native. The climate is so hot – it most closely rivals that of Phoenix , Ariz. in the United States – that few Me xicans migrate here from elsewhere.

        Me xicali and Baja California have become the preferred offshore location for some of the world’s leading electronic companies. Me xicali in fact, has evolved into the computer monitor ...

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