CHARLOTTE, N.C 25th October, 2026 (PRnob.com) – Southward Advisors, a supply chain implementation firm with offices in Charlotte and Mexico City, is offering a structured nearshore manufacturing service for U.S. companies that want to move production from Asia to Mexico without building their own plant first.
The service takes manufacturers from an initial feasibility review through supplier selection, pilot production and scale-up. It is aimed at small and mid-sized companies that face rising tariffs, long ocean lead times and limited visibility into overseas suppliers, but lack the in-house team to manage a move to Mexico on their own.
"Most of the companies we talk to already know Mexico could work for them. What they don't know is where to start, which suppliers are real, or what the move will actually cost," said John Hyatt, founder of Southward Advisors. "Our job is to answer those questions with real production data before a client commits serious capital."
Southward Advisors' nearshore manufacturing service follows five stages:
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A review of the current costs, supply chain risks, and the compromises involved in choosing between Mexico and the client's present source.
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The selection of suppliers and sites. This involves identifying and verifying manufacturing partners in Mexico and choosing the regions most appropriate for the product.
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The production will be carried out in a pilot phase, with limited production runs used to check quality, cost and logistics before the volume is increased.
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The process is being optimised, with the aim of stabilising the new operation through lean manufacturing and process improvement.
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Scaling up involves increasing capacity while monitoring performance in accordance with the agreed metrics.
In Mexico, the company's local team conducts supplier qualification and factory visits and advises clients on the USMCA, the IMMEX program, and cross-border logistics. Most projects last three to six months, with the exact length depending on product complexity, compliance requirements, and the scope of the pilot.
Southward Advisors' past projects include:
1. A kitchen cabinet maker from the Midwest switched its sourcing from China to a supplier in Guanajuato and as a result saved over $200,000 on Section 301 tariffs at the same time as reducing the amount of inventory it had to keep.
2. A manufacturer in the Southeast that sold closet dehumidifiers through the major U.S. retailers combined the use of plastic components, bags, and the purchasing of chemicals in Mexico, achieving tariff savings of nearly one million dollars each year.
3. A company from the West Coast which developed production in Mexico for its mobile office cubicle dividers and as a result achieved savings of about $3 million.
As Hyatt added, nearshoring needn't involve setting up a factory from the very beginning; for many manufacturers the best first move is to select a good supplier and carry out a pilot study to verify the figures.
Manufacturers have the option of obtaining a nearshoring roadmap via the Southward Advisors website.
About Southward Advisors
Southward Advisors, which was set up in 2016 by John Hyatt, is a firm specialising in the implementation of strategic supply chains with the aim of bringing manufacturing operations to Mexico and other countries in Latin America. It offers support with nearshoring manufacturing, sourcing and the development of supply chains as well as process improvement consulting to small and mid-sized enterprises and to multinationals. The company is a member of the US-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, Holland House Mexico, the Irish-Mexican Chamber and the Mexico Strategic Sourcing Alliance, and has appeared on CBS News and Deutsche Welle. It has offices in Charlotte, North Carolina, and in Mexico City.
Media contact
Southward Advisors
Call: +1 704-885-6773
Website: https://southwardadvisors.com
