Dallas Market Center is set to introduce Nearshoring America, a pioneering international expo designed to introduce new sources and production options for companies in the gift, home furnishings, and fashion accessory sectors.

DMC said it will be the “first North American event” to connect brands, importers, and sourcing professionals in the U.S. with “vetted factories and supply chain providers” from Mexico and Latin America.

Nearshoring America EXPO, held Dec. 9-11 at Dallas Market Center, will create a “forum for the nearshoring ecosystem,” the DMC announced.

By facilitating nearshoring, the DMC is positioning itself as a key player in helping businesses diversify their manufacturing and sourcing strategies away from more distant offshore locations

Cindy Morris, president and CEO of Dallas Market Center, said the DMC is responding to industry demands to address the demand for efficient supply chain solutions. The CEO outlined key motivations behind launching the new curated trade event.

“Many leading companies in several of the industries we serve have encouraged a juried event in Dallas,” Morris explained. The request for an event ‘created by the industry for the industry’ comes as these companies recognize Dallas Market Center’s “commitment to supporting more efficient trade,” including its “unique access to brands, factories, and service providers,” she noted.

Morris emphasized the Center’s extensive relationships in the industry, its “purpose-built marketplace infrastructure and operations,” the city’s logistical conveniences, and a secure setting for all involved.

‘Faster turnaround time in bringing goods to market’

Dallas Market Center said that exhibitors will include an invitation-only showcase of factories and supply chain providers that have been pre-selected based on their history, operating experience, and delivery. Also, it said that supporting enterprises including sourcing agents, trading companies, shelter companies, and design and production consultants will be represented at the expo.

Exhibiting companies will be vetted to ensure they are legitimately capable of supporting the center’s importer partners and that participants are expected from Mexico along with countries in Central America and South America such as Brazil and Colombia.

Dallas Market Center said that the show floor will feature a uniform presentation of each participant showcasing their production and/or supply chain services capabilities and that each exhibitor will be prepared to immediately engage with attendees regarding terms and conditions of product development and production.

“We are delighted about the new Nearshoring EXPO,” Alix Buckley, founder and CEO of Stephen Joseph Cos., a large multibrand gift company, said in a statement. “Having alternative options when sourcing goods will allow us to save time and expense in numerous ways — including the advantage of attending a show that brings suppliers in Mexico and Latin America together in one venue closer to home. Not to mention, the faster turnaround time in bringing goods to market.”

Buckley said her product development team “heard about the Dallas show while they were visiting Ambiente in Germany.”

Dallas Market Center said attendees will include importers of gifts, home furnishings, and apparel accessories seeking OEM product sources, project manufacturing services, and full-scale product development partnerships.

“We are proud to be working with the Dallas Market Center and industry colleagues to bring the first nearshoring expo for the Gift and Home industry to Dallas,” Chuck Fraelich, president of tag, a leading North American gift company, said in a statement. “We feel this forum will allow for importers, agents, and factories to come together and discuss business opportunities that could lead to transformational change as we diversify our supply chain.”

Spotlight on Mexico and Latin America

Dallas Market Center said that nearshoring has become a valuable alternative for importers within the U.S. in a range of consumer product categories.

It said a recent Morgan Stanley report noted that “Nearshoring has the potential to boost the growth of Mexican manufacturing exports to the U.S., from $455 billion today to an estimated $609 billion in the next five years.”

“Nearshoring becomes an increasing opportunity in the North American market, [and] we have to take advantage together,” Consul General of Mexico in Dallas, Francisco de la Torre Galinda, said in a statement. “México’s investments in infrastructure, logistics, and trade policies under the USMCA are attracting the development of nearshoring programs across all sectors, including the categories represented at the Dallas Market Center.”

Dallas Market Center said a Nearshoring Leadership Council, composed of leading importers, was critical to advancing the conversations and organization of the expo and support services.

The Nearshoring America EXPO also will be supported by a series of seminars and symposia focused on nearshoring in Mexico and Latin America, Dallas Market Center said.

Also, it said a Nearshoring America INDEX will be created that includes an exclusive and vetted list of factories and supply chain service providers organized by country.

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