Crespo: How and why we mapped out Central Mexico’s automotive industry cluster

MCALLEN, Tx – Elisa Crespo, president of the Metropolitan Automotive Cluster of Central Mexico, delivered a presentation for economic development organizations from across the Rio Grande Valley about the transformation of the automotive industry.

Crespo held her Spanish presentation at a meeting hosted by the Council for South Texas Progress (COSTEP) for the Rio South Texas Binational Auto Cluster Initiative at the Cambria Hotel in McAllen on Tuesday. CEO of COSTEP, Adam Gonzalez, introduced Crespo as COSTEP’s keynote speaker to represent the State of Mexico.

The meeting opened up the possibility of measuring the size of the automotive cluster in the Rio South Texas region, consisting of the Rio Grande Valley, Laredo and northern Tamaulipas. An automotive cluster is a geographic concentration of interconnected companies, suppliers, service providers, and associated institutions in the automotive industry.

“This presentation that you all will see is fresh out of the oven,” Crespo said. “So, I hope you enjoy this presentation. I hold 25 years of experience in the automotive industry and 13 years promoting the initiative ‘cluster.’”

Crespo’s full title is presidenta ejecutiva en Cluster Automotriz Regional Estado de México y CDMX Consejera de la Red de Clusters Automotriz de México.

During her presentation, she said her own cluster grew from five to about 160 companies, including global manufacturing leaders like Bosch and IMEX. Her cluster, based in the State of Mexico, Hidalgo, and Mexico City, covers a population of 30 million inhabitants and includes all major U.S. automakers, local supply chains, research centers, and both light and heavy vehicle producers, Crespo said.

Despite global challenges like tariffs, labor reforms, and semiconductor shortages, Crespo said Mexico maintains a competitive edge due to its skilled workforce, regional integration, and rising export numbers.

“Even with tariffs, we remain the number one player in the game, the number one provider and we will continue being so,” Crespo said. “Our only weapon is our constant capability.”

Crespo also stressed the importance of visibility, mapping out and recognizing existing industrial capacities, and trust-building between stakeholders.

“It’s not that the automotive industry didn’t exist in Tamaulipas,” she said. “It just needed to be made visible.”

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