Local actors and their incipient integration in the automotive industry in Aguascalientes. The case of glove washers

Abstract

The objective of this article is to explain the integration of glove washers within the local productive system, how the association between micro and small suppliers occurs and the networks they weave from their integration with the automotive industry, as well as the role played by governmental and non-governmental institutions in the local productive fabric. The underlying hypothesis is that the integration of local companies with transnational capital is minimal. There are companies established in the area, but their integration is not properly constituted with local capital. The case of studying the glove washers arises from the need to visualize those actors that do not play a leading role in the assembly of cars but do have a fundamental participation, although they generate very little added value, but their importance is unavoidable. For the methodological process, a semi-structured interview and non-participant observation were used. Five surveys were applied to managers or owners of companies specializing in glove washing in the locality. Interviews were also conducted with four types of actors: glove washers, managers of subcontracting service companies and representatives of Tier 1 and Tier 2 companies, until the categories were exhausted. The sample is qualitative and representative. The particularity is the non-existence of a specific classification for this type of activity. According to the informants, there are 60 industrial laundries in the State, but only 10 are registered with the Tax Administration System and SEMARNAT. However, upon corroborating the SEMARNAT: Registro de generadores de residuos del Estado de Aguascalientes (Registry of waste generators in the State of Aguascalientes), only three establishments were found: Ricardo Xicoténcatl Vega Jasso; LP. Confección y lavado, S.A. de C.V. (located in Aguascalientes) and Lescen, S.A. de C.V. (located in Jesús María). To operationalize the variables through the semi-structured interviews, discourse análisis was applied as a technique. Information was obtained on three aspects inherent to local development: trust, cooperation and competition, as well as expectations and the role of the government.