Build Back Better Regional Challenge

The federal government is awarding a $40 million prize to the University of Texas at El Paso and its partners to revitalize the area’s manufacturing sector and strengthen U.S. aerospace and defense industries.

Among those who hope to benefit from this award are Pablo Rodriguez, owner of El Paso-based Prod Design & Analysis, and Alberto Meza, a UTEP mechanical engineering doctoral student. Rodriguez, a native El Paso an, earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He returned to El Paso, but could not find suitable employment so he bounced around several jobs before returning to El Paso to start his own company almost 19 years ago.

Prod Design in East El Paso has 120 employees, with half being engineers and technicians. The company manufactures devices for medical procedures such as open heart surgery. He met Choudhuri about three years ago and as a result of their talks, he created a splinter company two months ago, Prod Aerospace, that will cater to aerospace and defense contractors.

“We do see that market coming to El Paso,” said Rodriguez, who added that several contractors have already contacted him. “We see that little sparkle in their eyes.”

Meza, born in El Paso and raised in Ciudad Juárez, said he is passionate about aerospace, but was concerned that he would not be able to find a suitable job in the region – until now. He said the Build Back Better award gives him hope that he will be able to stay in his hometown and contribute to its growth