A location along the Pacific Ocean affords Guaymas, Sonora, more than scenic beaches. This mountainous bay-protected town is also the seat of Mexico’s second-largest port on the Pacific Coast. This deep-water Guaymas port offers a complete range of options to move manufacturing goods internationally. The city also offers connectivity via air, I-15, and Ferromex Rail Service to the U.S. border, just over 260 miles to the north in Nogales, Arizona.
As a result of this appealing accessibility, the bustling port city of Guaymas has grown to become a strong center for foreign investment and high-tech manufacturing expertise. The result is a growing supplier network and skilled labor force. Discover the benefits of this southern Sonora manufacturing location.
Location is everything
Situated on the eastern coast of the Sea of Cortez and ringed by mountains, Guaymas provides a prime location for shipping cargo internationally. Goods from nearby Empalme and Sonora manufacturing capital Hermosillo flow through the Guaymas port to overseas markets. Still, a large number of manufacturers have also invested in real estate in the port city itself. Although availability can be limited, monthly industrial leasing in the city averages about USD $0.47 per square foot at locations such as the Roca Fuerte Manufacturing Community.
Of course, Guaymas isn’t only a destination for industry. As a southernmost part of the Mexico Free Zone, tourists often pass through to the nearby resort town of San Carlos, which National Geographic once labeled as having the “World’s Best Ocean View.” This “free zone” does not require U.S. or Canadian vehicles to apply for a temporary permit. It’s a perk that also makes the location attractive for foreign nationals residing in Guaymas.
High-tech expertise
The manufacturing sector is among the leading employers in Guaymas, making up approximately 11% of the local economy in 2019. The sector has steadily increased in the last decade, but has veered away from the automotive manufacturing expertise found in nearby Hermosillo and Empalme. Instead, Guaymas has become known as one of Mexico’s most significant aerospace manufacturing clusters. This high-tech Sonora manufacturing center has become a recognized source for manufacturing airplane turbines and other complex components.
Aerospace manufacturers here include Walbar Engine Components, an Arizona-based company that provides EDM machining and other metal services for turbine blades, turbine wheel assemblies, and other aircraft components. Consolidated Precision Products Corp., a California-based manufacturer of highly complex commercial aerospace components, casts turbine components at its Guaymas facility.
To support the aerospace sector, a number of fabricators have located here to provide specialty processes such as heat treating, plating, and anodizing, as well as electronics manufacturing. Companies like Ohio-based electronics manufacturing services provider Libra Industries perform sheet metal, machining, assembly, and systems integration services in Guaymas to serve military, aerospace, semiconductor, and industrial customers. Libra Industries prioritizes providing customized solutions with technically sophisticated manufacturing and quality. Ducommun Aerostructures Inc. also creates structural components and subassemblies here for commercial aircraft, as well as electronic aerospace solutions.
Robust infrastructure
Guaymas’ appeal isn’t just about connecting Sonora-based manufacturing companies with customers—the city also connects foreign investors with skilled laborers. The broader municipality is home to a population of more than 158,000. The locality has developed a strong educational infrastructure to support training for workers and professionals through 15 high schools, six universities, and three technical schools, including the popular Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora. In 2020, more than 3,000 students were enrolled in local engineering and manufacturing programs, making it a leading field of study.
Manufacturers also benefit from onsite vocational training at the Advanced Technology Training Center (CEFTA) located within the Roca Fuerte Manufacturing Community. CEFTA provides students with hands-on opportunities to learn complex machining skills, as well as necessary soft skills such as safety and conflict management, that will help them support local manufacturers. The center’s investment in equipment gives students an application edge and manufacturers shorter onboarding time to get CEFTA graduates accustomed to their production processes. This is in part due to the fact that CEFTA works with manufacturers to tailor training for specific production processes in use at nearby facilities.
Find opportunity in Guaymas
The port city of Guaymas also aims to connect manufacturers with opportunity. Sonora manufacturing firms are often attracted to the state by economic incentives designed to ease the burden of launching a new operation. It’s one more reason that manufacturers select Guaymas as an ideal location for investment.
If you’re looking for a manufacturing location that provides easy access to global markets, skilled labor, and a developed supply chain, all at a low cost, then the port city of Guaymas might be right for you. To take the next step to manufacturing success in Guaymas, contact Tetakawi today.
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