Reasons to choose Sonora
The state of Sonora is adjacent to Arizona and share a common border of 389 miles (626 km) and six ports of entry. Because of its strategic location, during the early 60’s the border city of Nogales, Sonora attracted arguably the nation’s very first “maquiladora” assembly plant. Since then, the number of production facilities has been growing steadily. Now fifty years later the city has over 80 manufacturing companies in the Aerospace, Automotive, Electronics and the Medical fields.
During the second half of the 80’s Ford Motor Company built an automobile assembly plant in Hermosillo, which resulted in the attraction of multiple world-class supplier and created an economic “boom” and transforming the city into a modern and sophisticated metropolis. At present the Ford assembly plant built some 313,000 vehicles a year. The majority of the vehicles built in Hermosillo are shipped via rail to U.S. and Canadian markets. It is important to mention that Nogales has the oldest rail crossing of any border port of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border. Since opening in 1882, the rail has served primarily mining and agricultural industries. At present, and in addition to freighting cars, it also transports bulk commodities such as cement, copper ore, beer and agricultural commodities.
Sonora is also home to the nation’s second largest cluster for aero-engines and some of the players that operate production facilities in the state are Rolls-Royce, GE, Pratt & Whitney. In addition to the aforementioned sectors other industrial clusters include: Metal-Mechanics, Mining, Agribusiness and Information Technology.
Recently, both Governor Doug Ducey of Arizona and Governor Claudia Pavlovich of Sonora has sealed an agreement and pledge to pursuit a joint economic development of what is now being called the Megaregion of Sonora-Arizona. This “single region” partnership seeks to attract investment worldwide, foster economic development and create jobs in both Arizona and Sonora. The dynamics of cross border trade between Sonora and Arizona, whether by rail and overland trucks through all of its six border port of entry reflect the composite effects of both trade between the United States, Mexico, Canada and the rest of the world.
At present, the State government of Sonora is embarked into the modernization and creation of new infrastructure projects that would boost the competitiveness of the region:
The expansion of the deep-water port at Guaymas on the Gulf of California, that would largely benefit Arizona.
The modernization and expansion of the Hermosillo International Airport.
The upgrade of the Mexican Customs compound in Nogales, since it is the largest overland port for the exportation of fresh produce from Mexico.
The all concrete north-south Federal highway 15 that connect US Interstate 19 and the rest of the Mexican Federal highway network. Upon completion by the end of 2018, this state wide - high specifications highway would improve safety and on time delivery of goods.
The recently completed new natural gas pipeline that run from the Arizona border and crossed the entire state of Sonora. The immediate impact of this pipeline is the increase in competitiveness of several midsize cities along its way to the southern border with the neighboring state of Sinaloa.
The advantage of Southern Sonora
Sonora is shaped like a funnel and the region beneath the state capital of Hermosillo is an extensive area that lies between the pristine blue water of the Gulf of California and the magnificent Sierra Madre, thus providing an exceptional quality of life and a safe place to raise a young family. Some leisure activities in the region include hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, scuba diving, wind surfing, kayaking, fishing and camping.
Southern Sonora’s main manufacturing centers are located at Guaymas, Empalme, Ciudad Obregón and Navojoa. The region is home to over 1,025,367 inhabitants that has distinguished themselves for outstanding work ethic and employer loyalty. These people pride themselves in learning new manufacturing skills, then in combination with the many young talents graduating from the region’s trade schools, colleges and universities are the driving force in the transformation from an agricultural to a manufacturing society.
The Ciudad Obregón-Navojoa corridor
This corridor sit in the middle of Mexico’s three most productive agricultural basins created by the Yaqui, the Mayo and the Fuerte rivers and has for over a century been the breadbasket of Mexico. This is the hub of a region that comprise several adjoining cities and municipalities such as Alamos, Bacúm, Benito Juarez, Huatabampo and Etchojoa, that together has a population that exceed 811,144 inhabitants.
Cities such as Navojoa are indeed beyond the border, therefore it does not have the traffic, safety concerns and the negative impact of high turnover rate that affect manufacturers. Then its proximity to Arizona of only 375 miles (600 km) allows trucks reach the Mariposa port of entry in Nogales in just 7 hours through the new all concrete pavement highway. Located in between two deep-water multi-modal ports, only 122 miles (196 km) south of Guaymas and 120 miles (192 km) north of Topolobampo. The region is serviced by four major airports (Hermosillo, Guaymas, Obregón and Los Mochis) and two general aviation airfields (Navojoa and Alamos). Then, when there is need for critical air cargo, these can be shipped through Tucson or Phoenix Sky Harbor located one and three hours respectively from the Nogales border.
This strategic location, its fast-paced workers and the ability to get products to market is being accomplished through the partnership of Mexico’s SAT and United States CBP officers conducting joint inspections of cargo leaving Mexico and entering the United States that has cut truck processing time from 4 hours to only 20 minutes at the state-of-the art Mariposa customs compound.
After logic and correct assessment, Southern Sonora is the ideal solution for large or small-sized manufacturers with limited human and financial resources that are seeking to reduce cost, avoid being at a border city and still enjoy the proximity to the United States.