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Thirty years of primary in-market experience is not a credential. It is a contact list.

CIMA International was built on relationships developed over three decades of selling, advising, and operating in Mexico and Latin America. There is no research database that replicates knowing every major WD in Mexico by name - knowing who they trust, what they carry, and how they decide.

Principal

Chip Carlson

Chip Carlson founded CIMA International LLC after a career built entirely in Mexico and Latin America - as a field representative, as a senior executive, and as an outside advisor to companies entering and expanding in the Americas. That career was not spent studying the market from a U.S. headquarters. It was spent in it.

Chip spent more than 500 weeks in Mexico over thirty years, accumulated more than one million flight miles in the Americas, and crossed Mexican customs more than 250 times. Those numbers represent a continuous in-market presence that is uncommon at any level of the industry, and that is the foundation of everything CIMA does.

"The gap between what headquarters knows and what the market requires is real, consistent, and expensive. I have spent thirty years standing in that gap."
Chip CarlsonFounder & Principal, CIMA International LLC
Career Record
  • O'Reilly Auto Parts VP of International Business Development - led the company's Mexico operation through growth from 19 to 65 stores and 1,100 to 3,000 team members; opened the first O'Reilly-style distribution center in Mexico; launched the O'Reilly brand in the Mexican market
  • O'Reilly / Mayasa Acquisition Outside advisor and broker for O'Reilly Auto Parts' acquisition of Mayasa S.A. de C.V. - one of the largest Mexico automotive retail acquisitions
  • Freudenberg Sealing Technologies Led Mexico market entry and brand launch across the wholesale distribution and OE channels
  • CIMA International LLC Founder - business development consulting for the Americas, with engagements across market entry, distribution, M&A advisory, sales force structure, and cross-border trade compliance
Market Depth
  • 500+ weeks in Mexico Continuous in-market presence across all 28 states of the Mexican Republic
  • All top-39 accounts Direct selling relationships with every major wholesale distributor and retailer account in Mexico
  • 1 million+ flight miles Active field presence across Mexico, Central America, and South America
  • 250+ customs entries Cross-border operating experience that spans three decades of regulatory change
Industry Expertise

Sectors and associations

Industry Sectors
  • Automotive aftermarket - wholesale distribution, retail, and OE channels across Mexico and Latin America
  • Industrial distribution - cross-border distribution of industrial components, sealing systems, and manufactured goods
  • Consumer products - brand launch and channel development in the Mexico retail and wholesale market
  • Manufacturing and maquiladora - operations advisory for companies with Mexico manufacturing and U.S. distribution
Professional Affiliations
  • Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) - member and active participant in the Latin America committee
  • Auto Care Association - Mexico market working group contributor
  • U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce - member, cross-border trade and distribution
  • Automotive Parts Associates (APA) - supplier and distribution network participant
Speaking & Industry Presence

Industry presentations and trade programs

Chip Carlson has presented on Mexico market dynamics, cross-border distribution, and the operational realities of the U.S.-Mexico trade relationship at industry conferences and association events across the automotive aftermarket sector. Topics include Mexico market entry sequencing, distributor network structure and performance, USMCA compliance implications for parts manufacturers, and the cultural and relationship dynamics that determine success in the Mexico channel.

Mexico Market Entry
Latin America Distribution
Cross-Border Trade
U.S.-Mexico Commercial Relationship
Aftermarket Channel Dynamics
USMCA / T-MEC Compliance
Mexico M&A and Integration
Executive Leadership in Emerging Markets
About CIMA International

The firm

CIMA International LLC is a business development consulting firm specializing in the Americas - specifically the Mexico and Latin America markets for U.S. manufacturers, distributors, and companies seeking to enter, expand, or optimize operations in the region. The firm was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

CIMA does not operate as a general management consulting firm. The firm's work is concentrated in the markets and sectors where the principal has spent three decades building primary knowledge - the Mexico wholesale distribution channel, the automotive aftermarket, cross-border trade compliance, and the M&A landscape across the Americas. Engagements are taken selectively, with a direct line between the work and the principal's personal involvement in every client relationship.

The first conversation is about your situation.

Not a pitch for a scope of work - a direct conversation about the decision you are facing and whether CIMA can help.

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