Delta Air Lines’ new direct flight from Atlanta to Guadalajara, the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, makes having a trade relationship with the state far more feasible, said Astor Toyos, foreign promotion executive for Jaltrade, the Jalisco trade development board.
The southwestern state that owns the trademark for tequila is looking for Atlanta trade partners, Mr. Toyos told GlobalFax in a telephone interview before a meeting with members of the Mexican American Business Chamber Friday, Dec. 3.
Jaltrade is first targeting Atlanta’s Mexican Americans for trade partners, said Mr. Toyos, but would like to partner with any company or individual here that would like to invest in the area or bring its products into the U.S.
The organization is promoting the area’s furniture, shoe, jewelry and beverage industries.
Jalisco, whose other major cities are Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo, is home to more than 20 Fortune 500 companies such as IBM, Hewlett-Packard and AT&T, earning it the name “the Silicon Valley of Mexico,” according to Mr. Toyos.
Guadalajara’s population is comparable to Atlanta’s with 3.5 million residents in the metro area and it is also attractive to investors because of its proximity to other major markets such as Mexico City and San Luis PotosÌ.
Delta’s weekly direct flight into Mexico’s second largest city was inaugurated in July.
To learn more about trade with Jalisco, contact Mr. Toyos at (523) 819-2771. Jaltrade’s Web site is located at http://www.jalisco.gob.mx