Margie Aguilar is co-founder and President of Industrial Strength Productions, a widely respected bilingual film and video production company located in Dallas, Texas.
Aguilar, along with creative partner Dan Craig, created Industrial Strength Productions in 1998, with a mission to raise the bar for quality Spanish language programming in the United States. It was a mission that was dear to Aguilar’s heart long before the company began.
“I remember, back in 1990, when I saw a special on the Hispanic boom in Dallas, I knew I was in the right place at the right time. I was on the ground floor and growing with the market,” says Aguilar. “Fifteen years later, I am proud to see Hispanics influencing the way America defines itself, and I’m proud to be part of the decision-making. I’m a participant, not a spectator any more.”
Margie Aguilar is a first generation Hispanic who was born in El Paso, Texas, the ninth of ten children. Although neither of her parents had completed grade school, they were adamant about their children getting a solid education. “My father thought education was more advanced in Juarez, Chihuahua so every day I would cross the bridge to Mexico to catch a bus to school,” said Aguilar. After high school, Aguilar convinced her father that as an American citizen, an American higher-level education would give her a career advantage. “I made it a point to excel in everything I did,” says Aguilar. “I didn’t want language to become a barrier.”
She married Frank Aguilar, her high school sweetheart, and moved to Dallas in 1988, where she became the production manager for the local Univision station, the top Spanish-language network. During her five years there, she met a man who had a major impact on her career. “Roel Medina opened my eyes to color and composition—he was a true role model,” says Aguilar. “He’s now a General Manager of Telemundo, and I still look up to him.”
After leaving Univision, Aguilar became a producer for J.C. Penney Company Communications, producing various video and film projects to support the corporation. But, it wasn’t enough. “Dan and I had worked together since Univision, so we knew we had a unique creative synergy—and that, by forming a company that pooled our talents, we were destined to be successful,” said Aguilar. So far, her predictions have come true. Industrial Strength Productions has enjoyed tremendous growth since its inception, and numerous industry accolades.
Aguilar and her partner are also dedicated to giving back to the community. For seven years they have donated their company’s services to Navidad en el Barrio, an organization that brings toys to underprivileged Hispanic children during the holidays. Aguilar herself began as a volunteer for Navidad en el Barrio in 1987 functioning as studio manager for the live telethon fundraising program and has served every year since. In 2002 she increased her commitment and dedication to the organization by becoming a member of the board while serving as the Chair of the board for the past two years. No matter what Mrs. Aguilar is doing, she wants to make a difference. And through Industrial Strength, she believes she already has.
“While we grow our client’s business through marketing and advertising, we continue to ensure the Latino community is never an afterthought. We educate our clients as to the buying power of the market, and the best ways to communicate to that market. When we’re done, we’ll never have a client asking for guacamole. They’ll know Latinos are mainstream, too.”
Most important quote “ first of all –I serve Jesus Christ…I just happened to produce video/ film for a living”.