Globalization: As Juarez's economy revs up, so does El Paso's

As Juarez's economy revs up, so does El Paso's | Business | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "EL PASO — Freight-laden forklifts zip through the city's warehouses, some manufacturers run extra shifts to keep up with demand, and trucks idle in queues at the Mexican border waiting to cross international bridges.

This border metropolis is back.

After a debilitating recession in 2009 that led to layoffs and business failures on both sides of the border, companies that make parts in the greater El Paso region are working hard to keep up with sales from Juarez, where automobiles, electronics and other goods are assembled.

The irony is that today's surge is happening amidst bloody battles as drug cartels fight each other and the Mexican government. Juarez, which borders with El Paso, seems like ground zero in this national drug war. ...

Today's rebound is courtesy of a booming maquiladora business in neighboring Juarez, where workers are churning out parts for everything from automobiles to airplanes as well as assembling laptops and other consumer goods.

"Whatever happens to that industry across the border has significant impacts here," said Roberto Coronado, economist with the El Paso branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. "Both cities complement each other.""