Mexico’s Sourcing Proposition Gets a Closer Look in Chicago

Last week, Intugo and Nearshore Americas hosted a special sourcing investors dinner at MK Restaurant in Chicago for local executives to discuss the nearshore experience in Mexico. “For us, Mexico has become a great fit, and that’s a credit to the talented people we work with there,” said Daniel Krahn, finance director of Total Finance & Car Outlet based in Chicago, who was one of the guests speakers.

Total Finance began partnering with Intugo (formerly Vangtel), in Hermosillo, Mexico, about six months ago by leveraging Intugo’s “shelter model.” This partnership allowed Total Finance to focus on core competencies, such as business development and market expansion, while Intugo has supported the hiring, placement, and operations of the company’s customer-care functions. “The time savings has been amazing,” said Krahn. “Our managers are not spending a lot of time setting up interviews, and dealing with HR. These efficiencies are important to our overall business.”

Krahn’s testimony provided powerful insight into setting up and operating in Mexico. The dinner event — attended by more than 30 Chicago-area corporate executives, site selectors, and BPO operators — also featured presentations by Martín Caro, trade and investment commissioner at ProMexico Chicago; Guillermo Gonzalez, executive director at Mexico IT; and Arturo Rodriquez, VP of business development at Intugo.

“We were very pleased with the quality of the discussions and the types of attending decision-makers who are stepping up their analysis of Mexico’s value proposition,” said Kirk Laughlin, managing director of Nearshore Americas and host of the event. “It’s a reminder that Mexico’s ascent in global sourcing continues.”

Rising minimum wages in the United States and the worldwide demand for higher-performing IT professionals were among the key external factors for escalated interest in Mexico. But during presentations by Caro and Gonzalez, it was made clear that the country continues to reach deep into its society in an attempt to introduce avenues of opportunity for young people to access the technology industry.

For Intugo, demand for shelter-related services continues to grow, and the company is set to expand to two more locations in the near future. “Once people grasp how the shelter model works, they see why it’s so valuable to their businesses,” said Rodriquez of Intugo.