Manufacturing assembly plants (''maquiladoras'') were introduced in Honduras in 1976.  While their contribution to the economy remained small, they boomed at the beginning of the 1990s, mostly concentrating in northern Honduras, but after the mid-1990s they were expanded to the central region, including Tegucigalpa.  By 2005, at least 6 ''maquiladoras'' operated in the Central District.