SAMA Strengthens Manufacturing Ties Between Texas and Mexico

Dan Yoxall, president and CEO of the San Antonio Manufacturers Association (SAMA), described collaboration between Texas and Mexico as a shared opportunity rooted in the strengths of their companies.

“I think that we are here because there’s great strength in manufacturers collaborating on both sides of the border for the benefit of all,” Yoxall said. His remarks framed the cooperation agreements signed at the gathering as a step toward closer relationships among manufacturing communities that already have substantial connections.

Yoxall pointed to the capabilities of manufacturers in both countries and specifically praised the companies in Mexico. “The manufacturers here, they are known for their passion and their quality,” he said, explaining that those qualities make a difference when companies work across the border.

Asked how the San Antonio region connects with Mexico, he cited companies with operations in both markets, including Caterpillar and Toyota. He described financial connections running in both directions, along with manufacturing parts moving between operations. Those examples illustrated the existing business relationships behind SAMA’s interest in expanding cooperation.

His answer connected the purpose of the gathering to the way manufacturers already operate. Companies with a presence in Texas and Mexico have reasons to maintain relationships with businesses on both sides, and Yoxall sees value in building more of those connections. “That’s why we’re here, is to build those relationships, more business for all,” he said.

Through the signings, SAMA joined a cooperation effort involving INDEX Nacional, represented by president Humberto Martínez Cantú; INDEX Reynosa, led by Alfredo Guajardo; the Greater Houston Manufacturers Association (GHMA); COSTEP, the Council for South Texas Economic Progress; the Tamaulipas Electrical–Electronics Cluster (CEET); and COBIFER. SAMA’s role brings San Antonio’s manufacturing community into contact with national and local industry organizations in Mexico, sector specialists, and regional development partners.

The event combined the agreements with COBIFER’s leadership transition from Luis H. Cantú to Rosendo Eduardo Martínez McDonald. The incoming president’s prepared speech identified company-to-company conversations, new supplier and buyer relationships, knowledge exchange, and investment opportunities as intended outcomes of the collaboration.

Those objectives give practical direction to the relationship building Yoxall emphasized. The agreements create a basis for participating organizations to introduce companies and help them explore opportunities together. For manufacturers, that could mean identifying a potential supplier, finding a new customer, or learning more about capabilities available across the border.

Yoxall’s message remained focused on the businesses that stand to benefit. By recognizing Mexico’s manufacturing quality and the connections already linking its factories with Texas, he made the case for expanding cooperation from an established base. SAMA’s participation gives San Antonio manufacturers another channel through which to develop those relationships and pursue new business.