The company buys coiled steel from an extensive supply chain of steel mills across the United States, and then shapes and cuts the steel into smaller coils and sheets on a customized basis for direct shipment to assembly plants in Mexico for the automotive, heating and ventilation, industrial hardware, and consumer products industries.
Ed Camden, the company's president, says that during the last several years, his firm has significantly boosted its exports to Mexico. "We've got great logistics, as we are able to ship by rail directly from our New Mexico facility into Mexico, and that's a real key for staying competitive in the Mexican market," he says.
The company is also benefiting from direct collaboration between the U.S. Commercial Service in El Paso and the Small Business Development Center in New Mexico in the form of export counseling, trade leads and information on supplier certification. "This export assistance has enabled us to attain a higher level of export success by helping us make all the right connections at the right time," Camden says. "Today, fully 90% of our overall sales are exports to Mexico, and as a result, we've grown from just 13 employees three years ago to a staff of 45 today."
