This chapter analyzes the development process of Atenquique, a town now
under corporate ownership, showing how corporate changes have affected the
livelihood and welfare of its inhabitants. The chapter reports about the consequences of
the privatization of the Paper Mill Company that used to belong to the state; it affected
environmental conditions and caused economic decline in Atenquique. The ownership
change resulted from globalization that took place after the very successful years of the
paper mills after 1950s. This chapter reports about the quality of life of the labor force
of this Paper Mill Company under the impact of globalization, and workers’ feelings
about the new corporate owners. We applied descriptive and exploratory methodology.
The Industrial Company of Atenquique was growing, while it was owned by the
Mexican State. After the company had become private property, the town was declining
and lost population and economic output, and this decline also affected the regional
surrounding population.
Keywords: Atenquique, company town, culture, economic decline, environmental
development, economic development, free time facilities, globalization, Jalisco,
lumber, Mexico, neoliberal model, paper, privatization, regional development,
shrinkage, state ownership, town, well-being.