DOING BUSINESS IN MEXICO AND BEYOND

William D. Harazin
Attorney and Adjunct Associate Professor
Textile and Apparel Technology and Management (TATM)

It’s no longer a choice.  We live in a “Global Economy” and our Textile students must prepare for this reality.   After two years of planning, the NCSU College of Textile’s “Doing Business in Mexico” program came to fruition through the efforts of Dr. Nancy Cassill and Adjunct Associate Professor William Harazin. The “Doing Business in Mexico” program set out to create an experience for our students, which would expose them to more than textbooks on international trade, but rather an immersion in the culture, language and nuance of the business environment in a foreign country.

From left to right: Elizabeth A. Newcomb, Mary C. Gorman, Holli G. Nelson, and Silvia Kang

Over Spring break 2007, while many students were seeking excellent tans, Dr. Cassill and Mr. Harazin led a Delegation of Textile Students to Mexico City and Puebla, Mexico for an “on-the-ground” crash course in International Trade.  In conjunction with the NC International Trade Division and the Wake Tech Small Business Center, the student Delegation joined North Carolina business representatives, who were learning the ins and outs of international trade. 

The Student Delegates included four graduate students: Mary Gorman, Sylvia Kang, Holli Nelson and Elizabeth Newcomb, and two under graduates: Tauva Montas Colon and Sara Yasin.  They experienced the culture, language and the business environment of a foreign country. The student Delegation teamed with the Business Delegates as they tested the waters of international trade with their own company’s products.

In preparation for the trip to Mexico, the student Delegates delved into the rich history and culture of Mexico.  They researched the Mexican business environment with its business traditions and customs to better understand their Mexican counterparts and to learn the do’s and don’ts of doing business in Mexico.  The student Delegates also met with governmental and foreign international trade specialists to better understand both sides of the trade equation. In addition, each student had a research project on some textile-related aspect of doing business in Mexico.

Once on the ground, the Student Delegates met with trade officials, toured factories, met with textile representatives, experienced the culture and participated in the EXINTEX international textile trade show.  To better understand the assistance available to North Carolina traders, the Delegates met with the David Stamey, the Director of North Carolina’s Mexican trade office, the U.S. embassy officials including the Foreign Service Commercial Officers and the Mexican branch of the American Chamber of Commerce.  In meeting with U.S. Textile Company representatives and their Mexican counterparts, the Student Delegates learned the importance culture and custom play in international trade.  Touring Mexican factories gave the students first hand knowledge of the manufacturing processes used in Mexico and the labor and environmental factors effecting trade. 

A highlight of the Program was EXINTEX in which the Student Delegates participated by working side-by-side with North Carolina Textile representatives in the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Textile Exhibition Booth promoting North Carolina’s Textile industry and products.  To trade in a foreign country, one must have at least an elementary understanding of its culture and history.  To further their understanding, the Student Delegates attended the Folkloric Ballet, climbed the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, visited the architecturally significant churches and engaged in conversation with the local citizenry from all walks of life and social standing.

The 2007 “Doing Business in Mexico” Program was an extraordinary learning experience for the Student Delegates.  “I believe that the international experience gained though participating in the Doing Business in Mexico program is invaluable and provides a more complete understanding of the infrastructure of a global marketplace.,” says Student Delegate Holli Nelson in describing her Mexican experience,

The 2007 “Doing Business in Mexico” Program is the first of many.  The College of Textiles is completing plans for the 2008 “Doing Business in Mexico” Program, which will include Guadalajara and other Mexican cities.  The College intends to expand the Program to include other destinations including a CAFTA Program scheduled for the Spring of 2009.

College of Textiles
P.O. Box 8301
Raleigh, NC 27695-8301
Telephone: (919) 515-6632
FAX: (919) 515-3733
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Last Site Revision:
August 28, 2007