Statistics released from Mexico indicate that maquiladora employment in Reynosa has recently increased. President/CEO of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation Keith Patridge attributes the increase to companies shifting production to places where they have lower costs and a capable workforce.
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To help promote healthy living and environmental protection, Farley’s & Sathers Candy Company (known as Dulces Famosos) in Reynosa sponsored a week-long health fair for all employees and their immediate families. In the parking lot outside the plant, which is located in Villa Florida Industrial Park, hospitals, health officials, schools and pharmacies set up tents providing free services and information. Dulces Famosos employs about 1,000 people and produces candy canes and other sweet candy for distribution in the United States.
“We’re very proud of our company and our employees,” said Randy Main, general managers of Dulces Famosos, to a group of employees and their children. “We have to do special things for our people and this fair is an example of this. Not only is it an example, but it’s a promise, an obligation and our social responsibility.”
Main said that employees would have time to receive private screenings and he was working with everyone’s schedule to ensure employees that had a pre-existing condition would have access to a specialist available at the plant. Keith Patridge, President/CEO of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation; Ralph Garcia, Vice President for Mexico Business Recruitment; and Victoria Hirschberg, Marketing Director for the McAllen Economic Development Corporation, participating in the inaugural activities at the Reynosa plant.
“The health fair exemplifies some of the great things that are still happening in Reynosa,” Patridge said. “Main, just like our other plant managers in McAllen and Reynosa, take care of their employees.”
“Number one (is that) we believe a healthy employee is a productive employee,” Main said. “And for that reason we are focusing this fair on health and number two, our employees have the right to leave each day in the same condition as when they arrived for their shift.”
According to a recent report from the Associated Press, Mexico’s homicide rate is less than it was 10 years ago. And it is about the same as Los Angeles and 1/3 less than Washington D.C. Mexico City’s rate was about 9 per 100,000 in 2008, while Washington, D.C. was more than 30 that year, according to the rate.
While drug-related violence continues in some Mexican cities, this report does indicate that business and tourism continues throughout the country. To read the full AP report, click here
The McAllen Economic Development Corporation closely works with city officials and clients in Reynosa, Tamaulipas – a border.
Recently Mexico’s lawmakes adopted regulations that would allow its border cities to follow daylight savings time in order to limit the confusion about what time it is six months out of the year.
Dan McGrew, plant manager and president of Reynosa’s Association of Manufacturers and Maquiladoras (RAMMAC) was quoted in The Monitor: “Then when you have a disconnect between Texas and Mexico it ends up creating some confusion. We always miss meetings. At some point somebody gets confused.”
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