The southeastern Mexico states of Campeche , Tabasco and Quintana Roo may not have much experience yet with industry, but companies considering the region can turn to Consorcio de Servicios de Campeche for expert guidance.

            CSC is a construction company specializing in real estate, build to suit, sub contract, shelter program, joint venture and logistics. The company has built manufacturing plants in the region for major companies such as Renfro, Delta Apparel, Fun Tees and Augusta Sportswear, as well as operate its own manufacturing facilities under Campeche Spinning Mills, American Sportswear and Karim’s Textile & Apparel Mexico.

            It is looking for companies that are interested in relocating their manufacturing facilities to the region or are considering expanding existing facilities. CSC can help with site location, design, construction and operation – either through a shelter or joint venture.

            CSC is both privately-held and Mexican based. It utilizes the geographic proximity of the United States , matching time zones and the benefits of NAFTA to provide long-term cost benefits and financial stability. It is a subsidiary of the Karim’s Group, which was founded in 1991 in Honduras and has expanded into Mexico, Guatemala and the United States.

Mohamed Yusuf Amdani

Karim's Group CEO

            Although Karim’s got its start in textiles, it is using the experience it gained in manufacturing and construction to open CSC.                        

            “Surprisingly there are very skilled people in Campeche who had not had exposure in the past or the opportunity and we as a group were able to bring both to those people and put together a great team,” says Mohamed Yusuf Amdani, CEO of Karim’s Group. “We also got some assistance from several specialized companies from the USA for specialized areas.”

            Existing clients include Renfro Corporation, Delta Apparel, Campeche Spinning Mills, Augusta Sportswear, Karim’s Textile & Apparel Mexico, American Sportswear and Fun Tees, Inc.

            CSC is committed to function as a one-stop shopping center in an area that is not saturated and offers ample room for growth. The customer will have the opportunity to choose the service of its choice from a basket of services. Among them are real estate, build to suit, sub contract, shelter program, joint venture and logistics. In today’s world only those companies that can reduce the cost without sacrificing quality will survive. CSC can provide the world class facilities and services for setting up new ventures or for expansion in Southern Mexico.

            Main benefits include:

            •Ground floor opportunity.

            •Custom options to suit individual needs.

            •Continuous customer service.

            •Cost reduction without sacrificing quality.

            •Competitive pricing and immediate startup.

            •A labor force that understands the industrial culture and can perform within this cultural environment.

            •A supplier and services support base that facilitates and expedites in keeping with world class exporting.

            Amdani believes this is a good time and a good region for investment. He says the region is not yet saturated with industry, making it easier for companies to survive. He believes Campeche, with 17 maquilas in operation already, is ready for light industrial activities such as kitchen appliance manufacturing or home computers. Tabasco, he says, is an ideal location for textile operations.

Why Tabasco?

            Tabasco offers the following competitive advantages.

            •Strategic location on the Gulf of Mexico's Basin Gateway to Central America and other Caribbean markets.

            •30 percent of the hydrological resources of Mexico, 18.4 percent of the nation’s crude oil production and 30.5 percent of the nation’s natural gas production.

            •An international airport that transports more than 500,00 passengers a year.

            •The best highway network in the region.

            •Three industrial parks.

            •65 percent of the population is under the age of 30.

            •Skilled labor force.

            •Commercial and service infrastructure for any need.

            • Villahermosa is the energy capital of the nation.

            “They ( Tabasco and Campeche ) are very similar, but since Campeche has already been developed, we are looking now to Tabasco for textile projects and Campeche for more skilled and less labor intensive industries,” Amdani says.

            CSC is a subsidiary of the Karim’s Group, founded in 1991 in Honduras.  Karim’s built and operates manufacturing plants in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and the United States . Amdani says CSC was created because Karim’s saw a void in the region and decided to fill it.

            CSC is also building a multi-plaza commercial development in the heart of Ciudad Campeche . The project includes a shopping center, office towers and anchor store and will be developed adjacent to the Ocean View hotel owned by Karim’s that faces the Gulf of Mexico .

            Amdani says the people of Campeche currently must travel to Mérida in Yucatán to find quality shopping. Completion of the multi plaza will bring the shopping and services closer.

Karim’s Group

            The focus on human resources has made Karim’s group one of the leaders of the garment industry in Central America and Mexico. Karim’s believes in forging long term relationship with its customers and its employees. Its mission is to deliver quality products, at a competitive price in a timely basis. Its focus on employees and customers has taken Karim’s Group to the forefront of the apparel industry in Central America within a short period.

Its philosophy recognizes that its most important and valuable resources are its employees and their commitment to excellence. Its customer service orientation is a commitment of all its employees from the top management to all the levels involved.

            Since 1991 Karim´s Group has developed six manufacturing facilities, three in Honduras , all located within the confines of a modern industrial park, and three in Mexico , all located in the state of Campeche . All six plants are equipped to handle 807 products as well as full package products. Each plant is independently managed with its own plant manager, production manager, quality manager and required staff.

            Karim’s is one of the largest yarn manufacturers in Pakistan and a leading supplier in the world market. It carries the largest inventory of 100 percent cotton, cotton-poly and heather yarns from its mills in Pakistan , as well as the United States , Guatemala , Honduras , Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. Karim’s Group is the exclusive distributor of several large U.S. spinning mills for Central America and the Dominican Republic . That combined with its own Karim’s brand yarn from group spinning mills in Pakistan makes Karim’s Group one of the largest yarn suppliers in the Western hemisphere.

            Quality is by far the single most important issue in its manufacturing process. Each of its plants has a quality control manager who reports to a corporate quality manager. Its in-house system is composed of an average 25 employees to each quality control staff member.

            Quality control is exercised at the time of receiving the fabric and trims, spreading, cutting, fusing and ply numbering. It is followed vigorously by an intense in-line inspection utilizing specifications, measurement sheets and original samples throughout the sewing process.

            All quality control inspections are summarized and well documented; however, its quality staff is aware that reports and paperwork do not make the quality on a daily basis. Its system emphasizes hands-on quality inspection. All quality control personnel are trained in the methods and workplace designs to ensure that they are being followed.

            During the sew process, Karim’s believes that rather than flagging bundles, it is more important to actually flag the machines themselves. The flags inform the whole staff of a particular line of any potential individual or quality problem, to monitor and correct as a team. Supervisors, trainers, quality auditors and the operators are trained to solve these problems together and prevent them from happening again.

            Quality is a team effort. Each plant is also equipped with internal final auditors ensuring that the products delivered meet the customer’s quality standards. Karim’s firmly believes in the positive systems that reward good quality, offering quality incentives, recognition of quality work and promotional opportunities.

Engineering and training

            In order to stay competitive, every company needs a strong Engineering and Training department. It is the responsibility of a plant manager within Karim’s group to utilize the right tools for the job. Each method is designed to produce the best possible quality in each operation with a minimum requirement of skill and effort, thus attaining the efficiency levels required to produce garments within the customers’ production schedules and cost structures. Trainers are responsible for the actual teaching of the pre designed methods of operations.

            Karim’s systems are what give its customers a degree of comfort to rely on the delivery of products within the tight delivery and cost schedules. One of the most important factors in this industry is communication, handled by experienced individuals capable of transmitting information in the language of the industry. Karim’s infrastructure revolves around a dedicated project coordinator. Each project coordinator is dedicated to one program or customer and is in charge of managing all production, communications and overall requirements of that specific program.

            Extensive reports on the status of the customer’s product are also built into Karim’s infrastructure. Each coordinator generates a weekly work-in-progress status report, a tracking detail that allows the customer to visualize the exact location of his product in the manufacturing process.

            The shipping summary is generated by Karim’s logistics department and sent to the customer weekly. Karim’s also schedules weekly teleconference meetings with customers and all key players in the program to discuss and provide any additional information needed or answer any questions or concerns and to make any adjustments to the loading and shipping schedule as required.