Rolls-Royce Plans New Hub

At its Guaymas plant, Sargent's 95 employees keep the operation humming 24 hours a day making piston rings, alignment joints and assorted parts to be used in jet engines.

The production units in the 35,000ft² plant are named after U.S. baseball teams. The plant itself is called Green Monster Stadium by the workers.

The teams earn "runs" for on-time production, lack of defects and volume, Hernandez said.

"It motivates employees and improves efficiency," he says.

The Guaymas plant, located in the industrial park owned by The Offshore Group, opened in April 2004. More than 300,000 parts are shipped each year.

Headquartered in Tucson since 1990, Sargent's local operation has grown to 275 employees from about 190 in 2004, said Lisa Short, director of export and import compliance.

"We've identified growth potential because of the success we've had at the Guaymas facility," Short said, acknowledging that until the company entered Guaymas, she was unaware of the city's sophisticated manufacturing industry.

"Ten years ago I went scuba diving in San Carlos," she said, "and I didn't know there was anything else down there."

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