Big Challenge and Big Opportunities

I have been involved in the aerospace industry in Mexico for the last 12 years. At first, I never imagined I would stay connected to it for so long; however, I have to say it not only changed my professional career for good but has brought challenges, responsibilities, satisfaction, and happiness. I feel honored to have witnessed the growth and evolution of people and many organizations. I also treasure all the opportunities for personal learning, professional achievements, and recognition from abroad. I really enjoyed every single time when people could not believe the great sense of accountability we have as a culture. Or the way we boosted efficiency on processes transferred from places where everybody thought it could not be more efficient or that it was not possible to be made in Mexico. I loved every time a Mexican operator came up with a jaw-dropping solution or a new way to manufacture components faster, better, and cheaper. We have a real jewel in the hands, minds and innovative attitude of our engineers and assemblers. We are making planes!

I remember the old days when only some incumbents were starting to produce parts in Mexico. Those days when people did not even understand the certification they needed to participate in the industry. Back then, clusters were not collaborating but fighting to attract investment and barriers to enter ranged from no government understanding of the industry, no structure to train and certify resources, no engineering experience, no business acumen for future leaders and little understanding of the global industry environment. 

There was a lot of effort, energy, resources, and hard work put in to change history. The fact that today the Mexican aerospace industry is in the Top 10 in terms of capabilities and value-added supply chain often passes unadvertised, but it has been a long run, one we should keep in mind as a cornerstone to keep learning, growing, and evolving. It all started with OEM’s and big tier 1s, which served as anchor companies that were starting operations, transferring processes, and developing some key suppliers afterward. Next, national small companies joined to fill the niche. Then, educational institutions understood that they needed to offer what the industry was needing instead of what they wanted to sell, and that a dual educational model where people could practice what they learned at school in a real process environment was the only way to certify the labor of the future for the industry. The equation was completed with some federal and state governments understanding that their role needed to be of promotion first, and once the business was attracted, they should become enablers to create the right ecosystem for the industry to flourish. In the middle of all this, FEMIA has been the glue that holds all the parts and players together. It started with four companies and 15 years later, there are more than 110 affiliated businesses. Those companies all together produce more than 80 percent of the exports from Mexico to the world in the sector.

Growth and evolution came together with the willingness of all companies to become part of the supply chain, delivering with quality all kinds of parts, systems, components and most importantly, with the development of skills and knowledge of people. There  was no secret recipe. Every single player and entity understood their role, did the job, and had a collaborative approach. Certainly, there are many gaps that still need to be closed and many opportunities for improvement but the positioning of the Mexican industry in the global arena has been impressive. Still, I believe it is a diamond to be polished, a work in progress. I think this has been a success story and we need to take it as a solid start and prepare to look into the future. 

Last week, I was honored to be appointed President of FEMIA’s board. It represents a big challenge both professionally and personally. I held the same position four years ago and it could not be more different today. In spite of keeping myself involved during these past few years, I know the position is the same, but the role has changed. This time, it is not about creating entities, opening new facilities, or launching business development initiatives. Do not get me wrong, we need to keep doing that, but right now, it is all about how to leverage existing resources to continue maturing and integrating new players into the business. It is not about uniting the clusters but about how working as a team we can place Mexico as the best option for companies to succeed from different angles. Luckily there are a lot of people willing to help and support unselfishly. I feel like I am part of a crew that shares values and objectives with passion and an unexpected strength based on experience, knowledge, and a desire to succeed. And we also have the luxury of having a great, seasoned staff with the right mix of determination, accountability, and love for the job.

We need to find a way to better integrate different companies and their capabilities to offer a unique proposition of value for components that get more complex everyday. With time, it has become harder to keep members aligned and collaborating as part of a perfect machine. We are a family but growing is not always easy and the more people who are working together, the more difficult it has become to satisfy everybody’s needs and expectations. We need to find a way to avoid separation and disengagement; on the contrary, we must make sure that the playground is level and everyone has a chance to grow and collaborate with others. We are in urgent need of creating the structure that will support the future of aerospace business in Mexico. Whatever we decide today will dictate the path forward for many years to come, and it represents the opportunity to forge a legacy. This is the time of opportunities due to market trends and geopolitical situations explained in other articles. Everything we have done needs to be considered as the preparation for this chance. And we need to keep in mind the saying by Bobby Unser: “Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.”