New Mexico is poised to play an important role in the maquila industry.

      Ideally located to be the key link in the maquila supply chain, the state is crossed by major interstate freeways, I-10 and I-40, as well as BNSF and Union Pacific rail lines. The commercial border crossings of Santa Teresa and Columbus/Palomas are efficient and convenient.

      However in many cases those supply chains are stretched too thin for today’s Just-In-Time manufacturing processes. When issues such as quality control arise, the thousands of miles between maquilas and their suppliers make it impossible to quickly troubleshoot and resolve those problems. That’s why New Mexico economic development department has developed the Maquila Supplier Program.

      The program is run by the department’s Mexican Affairs Office, whose executives work directly with the management of maquila suppliers to identify the products and services that are most crucial to the plants’ operations. In some cases, the Mexican Affairs Office can connect the maquila with existing vendors in New Mexico, and in others the office will work with maquila managers to attract their existing key vendors to southern New Mexico.

    For maquila managers, the benefit is a closer, more responsive vendor. For participants in the program, the Mexican Affairs Office also leverages the New Mexican technology base to give a real competitive edge to maquilas. For example, a plant could be searching for improved packaging, better assembly line methods, or even a new product opportunity. With access to such institutions as the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico State University, and New Mexico Tech, the plant management can kick-start their projects and...

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