Design-Build Manufacturing Expansion for Product Portfolio Diversification

Background

A global packaging manufacturer sought to rapidly diversify their product portfolio by expanding their paper-based product capacity to keep pace with evolving regulatory requirements and changing customer expectations across the North American market.

The company identified an existing warehouse in Tijuana, Mexico, as the ideal location for a high-output manufacturing facility, enabling both speed to market and logistical efficiency.

Achieving the transformation would require converting a non-manufacturing space into a fully integrated, modern operation capable of producing 600 million paper cups annually. We were selected to lead the engineering, design, and execution of this major facility transformation.

Approach

The engineering-led design-build project required navigating linguistic and cultural differences, as well as regional construction and permitting practices unique to Mexico. The warehouse conversion also introduced significant infrastructure challenges, including the integration of new utility systems into an existing structure not originally designed for manufacturing.

Additionally, the project carried a fixed capital budget and aggressive timeline that demanded disciplined coordination and adherence to proven processes. As this was the client’s first experience with a fully integrated engineering partner, we also guided the organization through the adoption of new project delivery expectations and standards.

Consistent cross-team communication helped align the client’s corporate engineering group with plant operations, supporting a unified approach to decision-making.

Results

The project was delivered under budget and achieved or exceeded all major schedule milestones.

The transformed facility now supports the client’s strategic expansion into paper-based packaging and strengthens its ability to serve the North American market efficiently.

Our structured approach, transparent communication, and disciplined execution strengthened the partnership and positioned the team for continued collaboration across multiple sites.