Custom Contract Manufacturing in Mexico
Shelmex is a contract manufacturer in Mexico for companies that own their product and need a reliable partner to build it. You bring the design and the specifications; we handle development, assembly, testing, and packaging, and ship the finished product where you need it.
You will not find a product catalog here: we only build what our clients design.
How Contract Manufacturing Works With Shelmex
In a contract manufacturing program, the product stays yours. You define what it is and how it must perform. Shelmex turns those requirements into a stable production process at our plants in Mexico and delivers finished units or components that meet your specifications.
- You provide: drawings or a prototype, your specifications, and your target volumes.
- We take on: process development, assembly, testing, inspection, and packaging.
- Together: we review your materials and components, including which ones can be sourced locally in Mexico at a better cost.
Looking for a partner to run a complete operation for you, from the plant and the workforce to permits and logistics? That is our manufacturing outsourcing model. Prefer to run production yourself while operating under our legal entity? See our shelter services.
What We Manufacture Under Contract
Wire harnesses and cable assemblies
Electronic assemblies and box build
Sub-assemblies and complete units installed in their enclosures.
Complete electronics programs
Electronic equipment with its full supply chain managed by our team.
Electrical cabinet assembly
Panels and cabinets wired and assembled to your design.
Product sub-assembly
Sub-assembly and finishing for paper, printed, and consumer products.
Specialty packaging
Specialty shopping bags and rigid boxes.
Rework
Parts and assemblies reworked to bring them back to your specification.
Don't See Your Product Here?
Since 1996 we have added new products to our plants, from paper products and packaging to wire harnesses and electronics. Send us the details and we will look at how to build yours. Tell us about your project.
From Specifications to Shipment
- 1. Review and planning: we study your drawings, prototype, specifications, and volumes, and agree on how the product will be built and checked.
- 2. Development and samples: we build first samples and refine the process. In 2019 we launched an incubator that helps small sub-assembly projects move from prototype to production-ready product.
- 3. Production: we manufacture at the scale you need, from small series to high volumes.
- 4. Testing and inspection: units are tested and inspected against your requirements before they leave the line.
- 5. Packaging and delivery: we pack to your standards and coordinate the shipment of finished goods.
Why Choose Shelmex as Your Contract Manufacturer
- Three decades of manufacturing: Shelmex has been manufacturing in Mexico since 1996.
- Growth built with contract clients: our first contract sub-assembly operation opened in 2006 in a 15,000 sq ft facility, reached 75,000 sq ft in 2008, and by 2013 our manufacturing floor had grown to 110,000 sq ft.
- Many processes in one partner: assembly, wiring, packaging, and, since 2022, electronic equipment with its whole supply chain, including plastic injection.
- A recognized exporter: Mexico's Council of Foreign Trade (COMCE) has given us its National Export Award twice, in 2005 and 2011, and we serve clients from around thirty countries.
- Close to the United States: our operations are based in Nuevo León, close to the U.S. market.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is contract manufacturing different from outsourcing or shelter services?
With contract manufacturing, you hand us the product and we build it to your specifications in our plants. With manufacturing outsourcing, Shelmex runs a complete operation for you, from the facility and the workforce to permits and logistics. With shelter services, you run your own production in Mexico under our legal entity, while we provide the facility, human resources, payroll, and permits.
Do you only manufacture electrical and electronic products?
No. Wire harnesses and electronics are strong lines for us, but our contract work also covers paper and printed product sub-assembly, specialty packaging such as shopping bags and rigid boxes, and consumer goods. Share the details with our team and we will review the project with you.
Who supplies the materials and components?
That depends on your program. You can supply the raw materials and components, and we can also work with you to identify components that can be sourced locally in Mexico at a better cost.