K. Alan Russell is Co-Founder and President of The Tecma Group, L.P., headquartered in El Paso, Texas with a subsidiary in Mexico, based in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. Tecma helps American and other non-Mexican manufacturers take advantage of Mexico’s cost-effective manufacturing capabilities. Tecma specializes in sheltered services that allow companies to operate in Mexico without a legal presence. Tecma also offers other options including sub-contract and turnkey manufacturing, joint ventures, logistics, supply chain management, and site selection.

Founded in 1986, Tecma today has over 4,000 employees in 23 facilities throughout northern and central Mexico. The company’s growth has its roots in Alan’s entrepreneurial expertise, business experience in many disciplines, and a far-reaching global vision.

One of Continental Airlines’ youngest professional pilots early in his career, Alan developed a great affinity for the cultures in Latin American where his routes took him. When Continental Airlines closed its El Paso hub in the mid-1980’s, Alan chose to remain in El Paso to pursue his real estate and cross-border business interests.

As one of the pioneers of the maquila industry and as a successful business leader of a bi-national enterprise, Alan has garnered a wealth of key international relationships, and a clear understanding of Mexico’s different corporate and socio-cultures; legal, political, and regulatory systems; and accounting, labor, environmental, and living standards, among a few of the complexities encountered when dealing in a foreign nation.

Currently, Alan is actively engaged in a program initiated by a major Mexican governmental entity to promote the U.S/Mexico borders nearshore advantage. This is an international action to help American companies hone a sharper competitive edge in contrast to moving their operations to costlier far-shore markets.

Recently, Alan was quoted as a leading authority by Business Week on the state of the border concerning the affects of the global economy and the governments offensive against the drug trade. He has also been consulted and has addressed conferences meeting on border issues.

Alan Russell’s other affiliations include:

• TXL Group that researches, develops and manufactures thermoelectric solutions that turn wasted heat energy into usable energy
• Leon Development, which owns and develops residential and commercial real estate in the El Paso and Southern New Mexico area
• Perlan International, which owns and develops residential and commercial real estate in the El Paso and Southern New Mexico area
• Leon International, which owns and leases commercial real estate in the El Paso area
• Premier Industrial Holdings, which owns and develops industrial real estate in Mexico operating in a joint financial structure with ING Clarion, an American real estate arm of ING Group
• El Paso Regional Economic Development Corporation (REDCO), which serves as a confidential, no-fee consultant to companies interested in relocating or expanding their operations to the Greater El Paso area that includes portions of southern New Mexico and the state of Chihuahua, Mexico
• El Paso Chamber of Commerce
• Hispanic Chamber of Commerce