How M3 Aerospace Grew Its Machine Shop 4x in 12 Months With Xometry

When the Montalvos started M3, they knew they needed an efficient path to connect with clients. Their combined engineering and business expertise gave their company a solid foundation — Sergio has more than four decades of engineering experience, and Sebastian holds an MBA from UC Berkeley Haas — but they faced some barriers to entry as a new shop without a body of work or connections to the types of companies they hoped to work with.

A Google search for ways to boost their business led them to Xometry. "As a brand-new company with no relationships and no past performance in the industry, we knew it would be hard to win work the traditional way," Sebastian said. "Xometry's two-sided marketplace allowed us to bypass that barrier entirely. The partnership not only created instant demand for us but it also helped us improve our processes, learn the industry, and most importantly, grow."

M3 Aerospace shipped its first part to a Xometry customer in August 2023, just two months after opening its doors. "What we value most is that Xometry gave us demand from day one, which allowed us to invest in equipment and people ahead of the curve," Sebastian said. "Beyond order flow, the platform exposed us to a wide variety of parts, materials, and industries, which accelerated our learning and sharpened our processes far faster than we could have managed on our own."

Access to diverse projects enabled M3 Aerospace to refine its shop-floor practices and pursue rigorous industry accreditations. Within its first two years, the company secured AS9100D and ISO 9001 certifications, achieved ITAR registration, and established CMMC Level 1 compliance.

These certifications and commitment to quality have led M3 to succeed on the Xometry platform, completing more than 500 jobs and earning over $2 million. “We quote fast, communicate constantly, and hold certifications that qualify us for work many shops can't take on,” Sebastian said. “That combination has earned us Xometry Ultra-Premium Partner status and the Xometry Manufacturing Excellence Award in both 2024 and 2025.” 

The consistent flow of work from Xometry paved the way for M3’s rapid expansion. “The growth has been dramatic,” Sebastian said. “We've gone from two to 12 CNC machines — 4x machinery growth in the last 12 months alone — expanded our facility, grown our team to seven full-time employees, and surpassed $2.3M in cumulative revenue. We also just recently secured a purchase of a brand-new, 2026 CNC machine. Previous to this, our newest machine was a 2006. We’re excited about what the future holds.”

Accessing work through the Xometry platform opened access to high-profile contracts that typically take years to secure. "Some of our most exciting work through Xometry has been for a leading aerospace company,” Sebastian said. "Winning and delivering that caliber of work as a young shop, on time and to spec, validated everything we set out to build. It's the kind of opportunity that simply would not have reached a two-year-old machine shop in El Paso without the Xometry platform."

Today, Xometry represents anywhere from 30% to 70% of M3 Aerospace’s overall order volume, depending on the shop’s open capacity. The business continues to expand its special processes, targeting Nadcap accreditation, along with additions in grinding, plating, and finishing. Headcount plans call for more than doubling the team over the next few years to support domestic demand during an era of manufacturing reshoring.

"M3 is a bilingual, family-run shop on the US–Mexico border, and we're proud to show that world-class aerospace manufacturing happens in El Paso," Sebastian said. "Our long-term vision goes beyond one shop: We want to help build a broader advanced-manufacturing ecosystem across the Southwest. We're grateful to the Xometry community for being part of our story — and we're just getting started."

Learn how tapping into Xometry’s platform can streamline your work and accelerate growth. For more information, reach out to partneronboarding@xometry.com or start your application.