Caption: José Ochoa, The Bridge mentee and CEO at Global Containers and Custom Packaging (pictured left) gives the thumbs up after Brad Smith, Microsoft President (pictured right), signed his sneakers for good luck at Microsoft Luncheon.
With El Paso-Ciudad Juárez Border Region attracting the manufacturing operations of major international businesses and housing over 340 local manufacturing enterprises, it came as a surprise to José Ochoa, CEO at Global Containers and Custom Packaging that nobody was offering integrated packaging solutions with diligent customer service.
Originally from Chihuahua City, Ochoa graduated from public school before moving to Ciudad Juárez in 2003 to look for work opportunities. Delphi soon hired him as a packaging engineer where he says he learned everything related to engineering and packaging from top to bottom. “It’s a very unique area in the world in terms of manufacturing and maquiladoras,” says Ochoa. “It creates a lot of synergy and it’s great in terms of economic activity.”
"It’s a very unique area in the world in terms of manufacturing and maquiladoras,”
At Delphi, Jose’s job was to develop the most creative and cost-effective transportation packaging for outgoing Toyota car parts. It was during this time that Jose says he saw a gap in the market: the integration of different packaging materials: “Because you're trying to use as many materials as possible to create the best, feasible and most reliable option in a cost effective sense.”
Before beginning his own personal enterprise, Jose offered his services to Siemens, as a Global Packaging engineer, becoming their local problem solver, helping to stop the financial bleeding on packaging in their Borderplex operations. “After that I got together again with my current business partner and we decided now is probably the time to start that dream," says Ochoa. He recalls their humble beginnings, making cold calls from his living room and taking advantage of their connections in the region.
A encouraging break came for Jose came before leaving Siemens, as a US based manufacturing magazine reported, their client, Mercedes, were “amazed” with the performance of the thermoform plastic tray packaging he designed and were used to secure the Mercedes M class fuel pumps. Jose’s engineered system of collapsible plastic boxes saved the company a lot of money on freight costs, stock, also solidified a relationships between Mercedes’ and Siemans manufacturing plant in Juárez.
Jose and his business partner finally took the plunge and launched Global Containers and Custom Packaging Inc. in 2008, expanding across the border into El Paso, one year later. He says the business has allowed him to deliver the unmet demand for world class integrated packaging services and solutions, he was witnessing back when he was working at Delphi.
Always on the lookout for ways to enhance his company’s offering, Jose says the opportunity to enroll in The Bridge Accelerator program felt perfect for his company. “This is pure fuel for our organization. We got to do it!”
“This is pure fuel for our organization. We got to do it!”
With the state of Chihuahua supplying just 2% of the inputs used in production processes of the $39 billion regional supply chain, The Bridge Accelerator is an intensive and highly specialized 12 week program that selects local suppliers from the border region and professionalizes their operations up to international business standards, highlighting areas for improvement and inefficiency, with the objective making them viable options as suppliers in this chain.
Ochoa says that his enterprise joined The Bridge Accelerator program to get back on track and stay "on top of the game” after a minor setback with one of their clients. He says revisiting their company’s business model, value proposition creation and networking were some of the most valuable tenets of the program. “We decided to invest the time and money and it was fabulous. It created a lot of internal traction in our company, a lot of synergy,” says Ochoa, whose company won the $25,000 US seed funding on The Bridge’s demo day.
Jose was also able to get his “lucky” red Jordan sneakers signed by Microsoft President Brad Smith who was in Juarez as one of Technology HUB and The Hub of Human Innovation’s major partners on the program. The sneakers represent a significant company milestone and are now on display at Global Containers and Custom Packaging Inc. HQ.
What has been more quantifiable and perhaps more important is the impact The Bridge Accelerator has had on the company’s bottom line. Jose says that their participation in the Bridge helped them to get a string of new clients, totaling a couple of hundred thousand dollars in sales. “Sales from clients that we didn't have before”. The increased business has meant they have had to hire 16 new staff members between El Paso and Juárez. The program also allowed them to enhance business relationships with existing clients- as the program encouraged participating companies to interview their clients for areas where there is room for improvement.
The public exposure from the program, has also led to increased business enquiries.
“Because of the exposure from the Bridge we have a great forecast for 2020 and 2021.”
Short term, the results of The Bridge pilot program have already been impressive:
• 10 certified Ciudad Juárez and El Paso companies through the program
• 33 new jobs already created in the region
• 52 closed purchase orders totaling $1.48 million, with another 36 quotes moving forward
• $25,000 USD given as seed funding
• $250,000 USD in proposed venture capital investment.
On a long term, broader scale The Bridge’s is working to groom regional entrepreneurial leaders and helping to develop the companies that will develop our high-skilled talent and constructed career pathways for them into the future. While over 25 regional companies will be up-skilled and certified by the program each year in addition to helping broker large-scale manufacturing supply contracts, the program is building deeper relationships between global businesses and local suppliers and attracting greater investment in the region.
After our first Bridge cohort, Microsoft President Brad Smith announced that they were expanding TechSpark El Paso program to include Ciudad Juárez and were making a $1.5 million investment in the binational Bridge Accelerator program. Brad says Microsoft hopes it “will accelerate the development of this dynamic region’s technology ecosystem through tailor-made manufacturing programs and educational and skills programs while connecting entrepreneurs with opportunities.”
Jose says The Bridge is already creating the perfect arena for companies to flourish and putting the region on the map for big business. “I'm always preaching on social media, in face to face meetings, even to my competitors ‘you should really join The Bridge’. I know this means I’ll face stronger competition, but it's going to give them a lot of empowerment and a lot of vision and that’s very good for our region.”
Click here for more information about how to become part of The Bridge Accelerator
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