Jose A. Meza: A Cross-Border Business Success Story

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Dedication, hard work, and commitment shown by Mexican businessman Jose Angel Meza took him from being just another employee, to becoming the owner of the company he once worked for. 
When he was 24 years old, the engineering graduate from the University of Morelos arrived in Los Angeles to practice English and improve his business skills. 
It was at a football game where he met the owners of a company in San Diego, who saw in him the ideal person to handle the Baja California market. 
That is how Meza began his story at Unlimited Electro – formerly known as Parts and Controls, Inc. – where step by step he eventually reached the top of the ladder. 
The experience of being a direct link with company clients allowed to fully immerse himself in this  field, to the point where one day he decided it was time to start his own way. At first, he asked to leave the company, but when he saw that that the previous owners considered closing down the business, he  suggested selling it to him. 
“I had the vision to run a company because I knew I could do this,” the businessman, who at that time already had been with the company for 11 years, recalled. “I’m not a conformist, I’m always looking to innovate, to do something more.” 
The company which Meza leads is dedicated to the sale of electrical equipment for automation, or machines that work automatically or semi automatically, or without relying on staff to operate. 
That vision of development and growth came when he realized the impact the Free Trade Agreement would have on the binational market. 
“I saw an opportunity to grow and if we did not make a move, which I was proposing, the company would have been at risk.” 
In addition to his experience, Meza credits this success to being willing to take a chance of this magnitude when he had the chance. 
“It’s about always preparing yourself to be ready when the opportunity arrives,” Meza contemplates. “I am convinced that we all have a small, or great opportunity, whatever it is, but if you’re not prepared for more opportunities that present themselves, you’ll never take them.” 
When Meza took possession of Unlimited Electro in 2006, the company had eleven employees, including him and his partner. Currently, the leading binational business in the automation industry has gathered a workforce of 40 workers 
Meza and Unlimited Electro have taken advantage of this enviable geographical location and the benefits that being in the region brings. 
“We are registered as a company and as a manufacturer in Tijuana; we can manufacture here and ship the product to Indiana, which allows us to be a binational company,” he said. 
As an entrepreneur, Meza has gone through different challenges, and one of them is the global economy. 
“We have to fight a global economy that is becoming costly and we have to compete with economies that invade the region with lower operating costs, such as China, Taiwan, and even India.” 
“We are finding people in San Diego and Baja California that go to China to manufacture custom equipment, that has really been a challenge and so far we have been able to counter it with the high quality of Mexican and American engineering and through the constant quest for cost improvement by our purchasing staff to keep costs at a competitive level. 
“The key to success for this binational company has been a combination of effort and commitment to growth, as well as fair wages for employees to keep them motivated to be part of Unlimited Electro. 
“If you have opportunities and do not have the staff to cover them, then the opportunities pass by and you can’t take advantage.” 
Meza developed his company’s commitment based on professionalism and honesty with clients to make the company competitive in in the middle of any trade war 
“Nowadays large companies with huge capital or medium-sized companies with very low costs attack you; competition is always constant,” he said. “Having these values is what allows the customer to stay with you and continue doing business, because the degree of confidence they have in us is also their power to accomplish their goals with the companies they work with.” 
Meza’s greatest inspiration, and role models, are his parents, who come from farmworker families. 
“When they were young, my parents were not just standing in one place, they stayed somewhere until they found a place with a good job,” he said. “My father was very committed to work and was always on time. He never had a single delay that I remember and he was always at home. My mother was strong in character, but quiet and very close to the family.” 
“The most important thing for this Mexican businessman that his work becomes a legacy for his children and family. 
“I’m not running a company to just be doing well economically, but to transcend after time and to leave the company in the hands of someone who has the same desire and the courage to continue with a project of this kind in Baja California and San Diego “.