How Small Texas Manufacturers are Gaining Access to Elite Defense Engineering Tools at a Critical Time
El Paso Makes is launching a cloud-based engineering platform to bridge the digital divide, providing regional small-to-medium manufacturers with the secure, high-tier tools required to modernize the U.S. Defense Industrial Base.
El Paso Makes, managed by the U.S. National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining, which also manages America Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, is becoming an essential regional program. El Paso Makes is launching a new shared, cloud-based engineering platform designed to give local manufacturers access to the same advanced digital engineering tools used by major defense contractors. It also builds on El Paso Makes’ broader mission to connect local industry, workforce training, and secure digital systems in support of national defense manufacturing. In the column that follows — our first in an All3DP Pro exclusive series — Eartha Hopkins explains why this capability matters now, how it fits into the Department of Defense’s shift toward digital engineering and secure cloud environments, and how El Paso Makes is positioning the region to play a larger role in the nation’s Defense Industrial Base.
El Paso Makes: A Program Rising to Meet America’s Defense Challenges
On the western edge of Texas, El Paso Makes is redefining how regional manufacturing supports national security. As the Department of War (DoW) advances digital engineering (DE), additive manufacturing (AM), and secure cloud systems, with computer-aided design (CAD) at the helm, it’s evident that America’s readiness depends on a stronger, more resilient Defense Industrial Base (DIB). This expansion marks its deliberate broadening to include manufacturing capabilities not previously developed at scale, representing a pivotal shift that reinforces the robust strength being built in communities like El Paso.
El Paso Makes, managed by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), is becoming one of these essential regional nodes. The program aims to strengthen local participation in aerospace and defense industries to grow the manufacturing landscape across West Texas and New Mexico. Established in 2023, the program’s primary goal is to provide small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) with access to modern engineering tools and training to successfully compete in defense markets that once felt out of reach.
By combining advanced technology with skilled local workers, El Paso Makes is building a stronger industrial base ready to tackle both current and future defense needs.
A digital front door to the Defense Industrial Base
CAD revolutionized engineering by moving from manual drafting to dynamic digital models. This shift laid the foundation for digital twin technology, allowing manufacturers to simulate and optimize processes before production. For El Paso Makes, embracing DE equips SMMs with the ability to meet DIB demands and compete globally. CAD bridges traditional craftsmanship with the future of intelligent manufacturing.
Historically, a major barrier preventing SMMs from entering defense supply chains has been limited access. Large-scale engineering software is expensive. Simulation tools require powerful infrastructure. Certification processes are complex and intimidating. El Paso Makes is now addressing these gaps.
In alignment with the 2026 National Defense Industrial Strategy, which calls for more diversified suppliers and stronger regional ecosystems, the program is building a shared digital infrastructure that gives local manufacturers the ability to design, test, and validate parts in secure, cloud-based engineering environments without needing their own specialized systems.
El Paso Makes, in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and other partners, is creating a cloud platform where manufacturers can learn, experiment, and build using the same tools relied on by large primes and advanced defense laboratories. It’s a technological equalizer; one designed for real-world use and real-world opportunity.
Closing the Digital Gap for Small Manufacturers
Even the most advanced tools are useless without people who know how to use them. And across the country, a projected shortage of millions of skilled manufacturing workers threatens to slow progress at the very moment innovation is most needed.
El Paso Makes is advancing the region’s defense manufacturing workforce through collaborations across academic partnerships, such as the New Mexico State University and other notable institutions, to build a network of industry and government, creating a modern talent pipeline aligned with today’s defense needs.
Graduates who once left the region to find high-paying technical jobs now have opportunities in their own backyard with positions rooted in advanced manufacturing, DE, and defense innovation.
This growing talent pipeline naturally connects to the region’s evolving digital infrastructure, which is redefining how local manufacturers innovate and compete. If the shared cloud platform is the backbone of El Paso Makes, digital twin technology is its beating heart, creating precise virtual versions of real-world assets so manufacturers can test ideas, predict issues, and refine designs long before making a physical part. This cloud-based capability helps SMMs cut costs and lead times while improving accuracy, fully aligning with the DoW’s shift toward secure, integrated digital engineering workflows.
Cybersecurity: the silent gatekeeper
For SMMs hoping to work with the DoW, meeting the cybersecurity maturity model certification (CMMC) standards is mandatory. Yet for these businesses, the costs and complexities of understanding compliance can be overwhelming.
El Paso Makes is tackling this with the same practical, community-focused mindset that drives its mission. These environments give local companies a secure foundation, one where they can confidently pursue defense contracts without fearing that a single vulnerability might disqualify them before ever beginning. This work aligns with the program’s deepening role in ecosystem development, as documented in the El Paso Makes supplier network and industrial base readiness resources.
Strengthening a region and the nation
El Paso Makes is, at its core, a story about people, manufacturers building a resilient, future-focused community in West Texas and New Mexico. By equipping local companies with modern defense production skills and digital infrastructure, from digital engineering to secure cloud collaboration, the region is positioning itself to meet the nation’s increasing demand for readiness and innovation. And anchoring this shift is CAD, the quiet engine that powers digital twins and streamlines complex engineering, helping regional hubs like El Paso strengthen and modernize the DIB for the years ahead.
About the Author:
Eartha Hopkins joined NCDMM as the Content Coordinator in 2024. Through the development of written content, she works to improve the public perception, awareness, and understanding of the Institute. With over 10 years of experience as a communication strategist, she has a strong skill set in creative copywriting, digital media, advertising, enterprise journalism, and public relations. Her technical writing background spans multiple industries, including technology, healthcare, and business, with articles featured in The Vindicator, Mahoning Matters, The Business Journal, Women’s Health, and more.
License: The text of "How Small Texas Manufacturers are Gaining Access to Elite Defense Engineering Tools at a Critical Time" by All3DP Pro is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.