Grupo Bafar opens its first distribution center in the U.S., in El Paso’s Segundo Barrio.
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) - Grupo Bafar is one of Mexico's largest food companies. It started operating in 1983 and in El Paso in 1987. The Chihuahua-based company just opened its first distribution center in the U.S., located in El Paso's Segundo Barrio, which took about two years to build.
Grupo Bafar invested around $30 million in constructing this facility, expected to create about 100 jobs in El Paso and the historic Segundo Barrio neighborhood.
Many residents of the borderland are familiar with their lunchmeat products. The company mainly manufactures raw materials, such as meat, chicken, and pork.
During this afternoon's ribbon-cutting, the company said its center will serve as the import/export hub for food coming into the U.S. from Mexico and other countries.
The Segundo Barrio warehouse features both cold and regular storage and will also offer brokerage services for other local food companies engaged in international trade.
"This distribution center has two main goals: first, to expand our international presence; second, to penetrate the U.S. market since this is our 40th distribution center and the first in the United States," said Grupo Bafar CEO Jorge Baeza.
The center will be able to handle about 100 cargo shipments daily.
"We're very excited because we started operations here in El Paso back in 1987, so it's been nearly four decades. What we’re seeing now, with this new facility, strengthens what we’ve been building towards," added CEO Baeza. "We feel very welcomed by the El Paso community; thank you, everyone."
The industrial complex will help revitalize Segundo Barrio and attract other industries, according to local city and county leaders.
"As Grupo Bafar, we are very proud of this. It’s part of our business here, and we want to grow our presence in the U.S. This distribution center will handle all raw materials coming from the U.S. and Canada to our plants in Mexico," said Grupo Bafar operations manager Héctor Bolívar. "We plan to start importing various products from Mexico."
The distribution center is expected to start operations within the next week. Job postings are open for interested applicants in El Paso.
"As a Mexican company, we believe this marks the start of a new international chapter for Grupo Bafar. Culturally and economically, Juárez and El Paso are like one city. We are proud to have this facility here in El Paso. We also have locations in Ciudad Juárez, but see this as a continuation of our growth on both sides of the border," Bolívar added.
The CEO of The Borderplex Alliance, Jon Barela, said this new facility is a significant boost for the border region, given Grupo Bafar’s role as a leading food manufacturer.
"This project is very important for our transnational economic development efforts. This direct investment from Mexico highlights the strong relationship we share with Mexican companies," CEO Barela said. "Utilizing our border crossings exemplifies the need to improve our port system and reduce delays. Our organization will continue working on these projects."
Barela also emphasized the importance of free and fair trade between Mexico and the U.S., especially as they review the USMCA trade agreement.
"We should keep projects like this in mind—cross-border investment that creates 100 well-paying jobs in Segundo Barrio. We will monitor developments under the USMCA framework," CEO Barela added. "We remain optimistic about reaching an improved agreement, and we will do our part during this review process."
