Mission: Doing Business in Mexico

Mission: Doing Business in Mexico

“The Trade Mission meeting I recently attended in Mexico City had to be the most
educational and informative meeting I have ever attended.” said Charlotte Farmer, City
Council member from San Angelo, TX. “My 25 years in banking, 16 years of Private
Property Management and 6 years in City Government have been loaded with its share of
meetings and education, however none have compared with this power speaker and
information packed conference. Great job to all those who made this happen.”
 

The trade mission, hosted by the Chamber of the Americas (COTA) and Ports-to-Plains
Alliance, held in Mexico City on November 10-12 was an intense, focused time to learn
about Mexico and its economic and business relationships and opportunities.
 

The experience, network and hard work of Gil Cisneros, COTA President and member of the
Ports-to-Plains Board of Directors, was able to bring together a unique and powerful mix of
economic development professionals, large and small businesses and government officials.
Where else can you go for three days and meet and learn from Microsoft Mexico; two
federal Mexico Senators; the Director of Auto Transport, Secretaria de Comunicaciones y
Transportes; Promexico; economic developers from Coahuila, Mexico City, Jalisco,
Veracruz, and Nuevo Leon; U.S. Embassy in Mexico featuring both Commercial and
Economic Sections; and professionals in the legal, accounting and cultural aspects of doing
business in Mexico.
 

The Alliance was well represented by participants and presentations by Elizabeth Grindstaff,
Assistant City Manager from San Angelo, TX on the “Current & Future Improvements to the
Texas Pacifico Rail Lines” and by Joe Kiely, Ports-to-Plains Vice President of Operations on
the “Opportunities Presented by the Ports-to-Plains Alliance Corridor”.
Take a second look at these opportunities. They open up a new world of opportunities and
a greater network for your community.
 

“The mission was a great opportunity to see first hand the outstanding
opportunities for our companies in our regions to do business with
Mexico. We have been flooded with bad news stories from Mexico,
but it was good to visit and see first hand what is truly happening on
the ground and learn more about the great potential of increased trade
for our communities. Gil and the Chamber of the Americas do a great
job of showing that exporting and trade is not that complicated. It’s just
a matter of building relationships and finding opportunities.”
 

Michael Reeves, President, Ports-to-Plains Alliance