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For years, manufacturers
looking to take advantage of
Baja California
’s opportunities were limited to the state’s better known
cities:
Tijuana
and
Mexicali
. However, with completion of a modern highway linking Tecate,
Tijuana
and
Mexicali
, manufacturers now have another option.
Tecate, nestled in the
mountains between
Tijuana
and
Mexicali
and just south of the U.S./Mexico border, is not your typical
border town. Although it is home to the beer with the famous name
and a few other manufacturers, this town has always been known for
agriculture and a small tourism industry. That’s about to
change.
Toyota Motor Company is
building a giant assembly plant between Tecate and
Tijuana
that is likely to change the region’s face. Although initially
the plant will only assemble truck beds for
Toyota
’s
Tacoma
pickup, the plant’s size and the size of the land
Toyota
bought surrounding the plant suggests it may be used in the future
to assemble cars or trucks. That will bring suppliers to Tecate to
be closer to
Toyota
.
Tecate is strategically
located in the center of
Baja California
. It borders to the north are with
California
,
Tijuana
to the west,
Mexicali
to the east and
Ensenada
and Rosarito to the south.
There are about 120
companies in Tecate, including Cerveceria Cuahutemoc Moctezuma;
Rines Nacionales, which makes custom racing wheels; Schlage, which
assembles door locks; Aguas Minerales, a soft drink producer; and
Sure Oak, which make wood products.
Among the companies
facilitating Tecate’s development is Chula Vista, Calif.-based
Co-Production International, which offers manufacturing assistance
through shelter and contract manufacturing programs. CPI was
founded in 1997 by Enrique Esparza and Arturo Ruiz and patterned
after a highly successful company Esparza had operated for nearly
20 years in the region.
In 1979, Esparza founded
AIM, one of the most successful and largest shelter service
companies on the California/Mexico border. This company enjoyed a
reputation among peers and clients alike as the premier shelter
service organization. Esparza was directly responsible for
bringing more than 100 shelter client...
...Continued
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