American Industries: execution, speed, and certainty in Chihuahua’s industrial expansion

Chihuahua’s industrial real estate market is entering a phase of strategic consolidation, where performance is increasingly defined by execution capacity, infrastructure readiness, and the ability to respond to accelerated investment timelines.

“The market is no longer driven only by availability or cost,” said Adán Gómez, VP Business Development at American Industries. “Today, companies are evaluating how quickly they can start operations and how prepared developments are to support that from day one.”

From this perspective, demand across the state is not only active—it is more selective, more technical, and increasingly aligned with global manufacturing trends.

A market defined by scale, selectivity, and performance

In Ciudad Juárez, the industrial market has reached a scale of more than 89 million square feet of Class A and B inventory, with a vacancy rate of 8.2% as of Q1 2026, slightly above the national average of 8.0%.

Over the past two years, gross absorption has exceeded 3 million square feet annually, with an average of 18 transactions per year, driven primarily by logistics, warehousing, electronics manufacturing, and printing industries.

• Recent transactions in Q1 2026 illustrate the diversity of demand:
• NORMA (330,000 SF, metal-mechanic, Los Fuentes).
• BOYD (240,000 SF, medical, ROCA).
• Friction Tech (210,000 SF, automotive, Prologis).
• DSV (100,000 SF, logistics, Prologis).

Average asking rents for Class A properties remain competitive at $0.70 USD/SF/month.

In Chihuahua City, the market presents a more constrained and highly competitive environment. Inventory exceeds 22 million square feet, with a vacancy rate of 4.8%, significantly below the national benchmark, reflecting occupancy levels above 95%.

Gross absorption reached 1.6 million square feet in 2024 across nine transactions, marking the strongest performance in the past four years. In 2025, activity moderated to 368,000 square feet across three transactions, indicating a more selective—but not stagnant—market.

Recent transactions in Q1 2026 include:

• Safran and GKN (234,000 SF, aerospace, American Industries Aeropuerto Park and Intermex Carolina).
• Mercado Libre (156,000 SF, logistics, American Industries Aeropuerto Park).

These projects highlight continued demand for high-value manufacturing and logistics operations, particularly in developments capable of meeting advanced technical specifications. American Industries’ Aeropuerto Park stands as a clear example of this new generation of industrial infrastructure.

“The market is clearly rewarding speed,” Gómez noted. “Developments with immediate availability are capturing the majority of transactions, particularly in expansion projects.”

A diversified pipeline of global investors

Demand across Chihuahua is led by a combination of logistics and advanced manufacturing sectors, including aerospace, electronics, precision automotive components, and medical devices, with a growing presence in defense-related technologies.

“What we are seeing today is a much more diversified demand, both in terms of industries and origin of capital,” Gómez explained. “That gives the market a stronger and more resilient foundation.”

Recent activity reflects this diversity. In addition to the previously mentioned projects, companies such as Leviton (electronics, U.S.), Coppel (logistics), and multiple Asian investments—particularly from China—are actively shaping the market, alongside confidential projects currently in process.

The origin of capital underscores the structural impact of nearshoring, with strong participation from:

• United States and Canada
• Europe (United Kingdom, France, Germany)
• Asia (China, Taiwan, Japan)

All seeking to establish manufacturing platforms in Mexico to serve the U.S. market under USMCA advantages.

Beyond nearshoring: a structural shift in demand behavior

Nearshoring redefined the industrial market between 2021 and 2023, reaching historic levels of absorption. At the national level, gross absorption exceeded 70 million square feet in 2022, before stabilizing at approximately 46 million square feet in 2025, reflecting a normalization after peak relocation activity.

In Chihuahua, the impact was particularly significant:

• Ciudad Juárez recorded over 7 million square feet absorbed in 2022 across 45 transactions.
• Chihuahua City reached 2.2 million square feet across 16 transactions.

By 2025:

• Ciudad Juárez registered more than 3 million square feet across 18 transactions.
• Chihuahua City recorded approximately 378,000 square feet across three transactions.

“The most important shift was not how much the market grew, but how the client profile evolved,” Gómez stated. “Today, we are working with companies that need to be operational within six to nine months.”

This change has reshaped development strategies. Speculative construction is no longer optional—it is essential.

The new technical baseline for industrial projects

The evolution of demand is also reflected in the technical requirements companies now prioritize. Industrial projects are increasingly defined by:

• Higher technical specifications: 32-foot clear heights as the minimum standard, with 36 to 40 feet required for advanced manufacturing.
• Energy capacity: scalable electrical infrastructure and robust substations as critical decision factors.
• Speed of delivery: immediate availability outweighing build-to-suit timelines.
• Sustainability: growing demand for LEED or EDGE certifications, as well as metrics related to water consumption and carbon footprint.

“In many cases, power availability has become the deciding factor,” Gómez emphasized. “Not only current capacity, but the ability to scale it as operations grow.”

These specifications are already embedded in projects developed by American Industries, particularly within its Aeropuerto Park, where infrastructure is designed to meet the evolving requirements of advanced manufacturing and logistics operations.

At the same time, operating models are evolving. Companies are increasingly adopting shelter and administrative service schemes, allowing them to accelerate market entry while reducing operational complexity—an area where American Industries has built a strong value proposition beyond real estate development.

Chihuahua’s competitive edge: certainty at scale

Chihuahua is not simply recovering from the nearshoring cycle—it is entering a new phase of market maturity, characterized by more sophisticated projects, more demanding clients, and higher expectations for developers.

“Chihuahua is not a market in transition—it is a market entering a more sophisticated stage,” Gómez noted. “And that requires a higher level of execution from both investors and developers.”

The state remains Mexico’s leading exporter, a top generator of IMMEX employment, and one of the country’s primary recipients of foreign direct investment. Its competitiveness is built on a combination of factors:

• Strategic location with direct access to U.S. border crossings.
• A mature industrial ecosystem with specialized suppliers.
• A highly experienced manufacturing workforce.
• Balanced market fundamentals.

As of Q1 2026:

• Ciudad Juárez maintains availability above 8%, offering scale and flexibility.
• Chihuahua City operates at 4.8% vacancy, with stable rents around $0.67 USD/SF/month, compared to markets such as Monterrey at $0.75.

However, beyond these fundamentals, one factor has become increasingly decisive: operational certainty.

“Companies are not just looking for square meters,” Gómez concluded. “They are looking for certainty—a partner that understands the full process and can support them at every stage of their investment.”

With more than five decades of experience and a fully integrated platform that combines industrial space, shelter services, and operational support, American Industries continues to position itself as a strategic partner for companies seeking to establish and scale operations in Chihuahua.