Cross-Border
Expansion for a PE Backed Company
How a U.S.-based testing and inspection company built a 70+ employee operation while maintaining operational alignment across borders.
The Challenge
Founded in 1970, a U.S.-based provider of testing, inspection, certification, and calibration services for the life sciences sector faced increasing pressure to improve operational efficiency and sustain continued growth following a private equity acquisition in 2022.
Scaling operations exclusively within the United States or through traditional offshore models in Asia created limitations around:
• Talent availability
• Process improvement
• Operational scalability
• Staff training and onboarding
• Total operational cost efficiency
• Long-term operational leverage
• Position restructuring and adaptation
• Leadership visibility across distributed teams
The leadership team had prior experience working with global operational models and understood the importance of maintaining strong collaboration, operational visibility, and alignment across teams as the company continued scaling.
The Solution
To support operational margin goals and expand capacity more sustainably, the company partnered with Intugo to establish a nearshore operation in Guadalajara, Mexico that remained closely integrated with its existing U.S. operation.
Operations officially launched on July 15, 2024, beginning with a small team of three professionals focused on billing support, accounts receivable, and accounts payable functions.
Rather than scaling aggressively from the start, leadership established a phased operational roadmap designed to gradually expand support capabilities while maintaining alignment with U.S.-based teams.
Initial expansion efforts focused on:
- Billing support
- Accounts receivable
- Accounts payable
- Data entry operations
- Service order creation
Outcomes
As the Guadalajara operation continued expanding, teams were established across multiple business functions, including:
- Finance & accounting
- Customer operations
- Quality control
- Supply chain support
- Administrative coordination
In just two years, the Guadalajara operation grew to more than 70 employees and today supports nearly 10% of the company’s broader operation, with plans to expand to approximately 80 employees in the near term.
The closely integrated collaboration model helped leadership improve operational margins while maintaining strong alignment between U.S. and Mexico-based teams, creating a structured growth platform for the whole company.
ABOUT OUR CLIENT
Testing, Inspection, Certification, Calibration Provider
Operating across the healthcare, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and broader life sciences industries, the La Jolla, California-based company specializes in testing, inspection, certification, and calibration services for regulated environments. Its work supports the compliant operation of laboratory systems, controlled facilities, and critical technical infrastructure across the United States.
Hear from their own words
“Our team in Mexico has become an important part in our growth strategy”
Chief Executive Officer
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