In addition to the hourly fee, U.S. clients are typically responsible for salaries paid to its American and Mexican executives, freight charges and customs fees. Offshore is one of Arizona's largest and oldest maquila shelter operations. The company has 6,000 employees working at its 135-acre industrial park about 500 miles south of Phoenix. It appears to be a lucrative business. Despite shelter companies' significant markups, U.S. businesses still find their services attractive.
Many American companies use shelter companies such as Offshore for startup operations in Mexico.
Once U.S. companies learn the ropes, a process that can take several years, they frequently set up their own maquilas. The 18 companies operating in Offshore's Empalme industrial park range in size from 50 employees to 2,000. During a May interview in his Tucson office, Kean, a former chemical engineer, refused to name Offshore's clients. His reluctance was baffling since Offshore lists clients on a Web site and in promotional materials. They include IBM, ITT Power Systems, Acoustic Imaging and Data General.