Globalization: Mexican economy boosts El Paso businesses

A factory floor level look at the increasing integration of the U.S. and Mexican economies.

Mexican economy boosts El Paso businesses - El Paso Times: "The Eagle Brass metals plant on Rojas Drive is small but growing in leaps and bounds.

Two years ago, the Pennsylvania-based company opened the plant to be closer to automotive, appliance and electronic assembly plants in Mexico and their suppliers north of the border. It started with a payroll of two. A year later, it added two more and doubled its real estate to 10,000 square feet. Now the company is thinking of adding a second shift with two more people.

The success of Eagle Brass, which sells about 10,000 pounds of red metals -- copper, brass and stainless steel -- a month, comes in direct proportion to the rise in the Mexican economy. The economy of the El Paso region is highly dependent on Mexico. Right now, Mexico is doing all right.

'The Mexican economy is improving, and that's a big reason we are improving,' plant manager Jerry Shapiro said. 'We are seeing a lot more (requests for) quotes, and the bulk of that is generated by assembly plans in Juárez. Everything we do goes into plants that are in Juárez assembling finished goods that go all over the world.'"