Rio Grande Guardian's Podcast Mario Muñoz

PHARR, Texas - Steve Valdez, executive director of Weslaco Economic Development Corporation, gave a presentation recently to visiting national site selectors.


The site selectors were brought to the Rio Grande Valley by the Council for South Texas Economic Progress and Pharr Economic Development Corporation.


Valdez met up with the selectors at a breakfast event held at the Forum by Regency in Pharr.


Interviewed after the event by the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service, Valdez spoke about the key points he wanted to get across to the site selectors. Here is an audio recording of the interview:
To read the new stories and watch the news videos of the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service go to www.riograndeguardian.com.

PHARR, Texas - Rick Carrera, economic development director for the Council for South Texas Economic Progress, recently gave an in-depth presentation about the Rio South Texas region to four national site selectors.


The event, held at the Forum by Regency in Pharr, was co-hosted by COSTEP and Pharr Economic Development Corporation.


In his remarks, Carrera said the Rio South Texas region, which includes the Rio Grande Valley, Laredo, and northern Tamaulipas, has “remarkable trade advantages. He said the binational region of the U.S.-Mexico border offers manufacturers the best of two worlds. Firms have the opportunity to work within two trade zones, thereby offering tangible returns on investment.


Carrera said the region also offers “unlatch” transportation and logistics infrastructure. 


“Rio South Texas is at the heart of North America’s supply chain. You have access to the region’s 18 bridges, North American Class 1 rail network, deep-water seaports, interstate highways, regional airports, and a top air cargo international airport, providing seamless connectivity.”


Carrera said the region offerers immediate access to major trade routes on the east and west coasts of the United States, Mexico, and Canada.


Carrera told the site selectors that the Rio South Texas region has a large and growing population with an extremely young workforce.


“With a growing population of four million people and an average age of 29, employers empower their businesses with a diverse and dynamic workforce, now and in the future.”


A brochure prepared for the site selectors said Rio South Texas offers:


A strategic geographic location between to counters that leverages worker e talent and trade agreementsA growing, young labor forceDeveloped land and seaportsOne of the largest, trainable workforcesU.S.’s lowest cost of livingSynergistic manufacturing closer/process between the U.S. and MexicoAvailable land and wide open spaces for developmentBusiness-friendly environmentsNo winter season, 365 fly days

Here is an audio recording of Rick Carrera’s presentation to the site selectors


To read the new stories and watch the news videos of the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service go to www.riograndeguardian.com.

DALLAS, Texas - Senior executives from two border-based banks were on a panel that discussed nearshoring.
 
Michael Scaief, chairman of the board and CEO of Texas Regional Bank, and Gerald ‘Gerry’ Schwebel, executive vice president of IBC Bank, spoke at the Texas-Mexico Business Forum in Dallas. The moderator was Fernando Sepúlveda, founder and CEO of Emtech and chairman of AEM.
 
It was hosted by the Dallas chapter of the Asociación de Empresarios Mexicanos (AEM). The title of the panel was “Shaping the Future. Financial Services and Nearshoring Insights.”
 
In his remarks, Scaief spoke about disruption and risk. He also spoke about China getting a “foothold” in the North American economy thanks to manufacturing companies moving their operations to that country. But now, he said, some of those companies are coming back.
 
“What we're seeing today is a disruption event that is allowing the opportunity for Mexico and the U.S. to benefit. The question is, how long will it last? And what is the risk of us losing that down the road? What do we have to do today to preserve that long term? So those are the types of things that I'm thinking about when I think about cross border trade,” Scaief said.
 
"There’s a lot of nuances that go into making it successful and those are the guys that can do it.”
 
Scaief was referring to the bankers in his team.
 
“I am not the banker. Those are the bankers over there. Those are the guys that do it all. I'm the strategist. So, I can't give you a lot of insight on how we do it in Mexico. What I reflect on is history and how history is repeating itself over time,” Scaief said.
 
Scaief added: “What we're interested about are two things. Well, three things: disruption, risk, and certainty.”
 
In his remarks, IBC’s Schwebel spoke about his four decades in the business. He said much of the first 20 years was spent helping U.S. companies enter the Mexican market. He said much of the last 20 years has been helping Mexican companies establish themselves in the U.S.
 
Schwebel said he was more interested in doing business that resulted in long term relationships, rather than one-off deals. He said he sends those deals to other banks.
 
“In my 40 years plus of work, and I've seen a lot of changes. There has been a lot of changes, and it's all been for the good because at the end, as I said last night, it’s (about) the people, our customers, our employees. It’s that relationship that really builds and allows us to grow together and be part of that economic development and vitality.”
 
Schwebel said he would like those in the audience to leave with a particular thought.
 
“I would like for us to leave today with thinking that, in the competitive world that we're in, we're North American. We're thinking North American. And we need to understand that together as three countries we can compete and work together and compete globally, rather than competing against each other,” Schwebel said.
 
“So instead of saying, I’m from Mexico, how about saying we’re from North America and I'm creating jobs in North America, with companies in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. And vice versa, US companies thinking that I'm North American working with with Mexico and creating economic vitality with the whole North American region.”

Editor's Note: Go to the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service to read the full story.
 Here is an audio recording of the panel discussion.
To read the new stories and watch the news videos of the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service go to www.riograndeguardian.com.

MCALLEN, Texas - Ralph Garcia, vice president of international business recruitment for McAllen Economic Development Corporation, has spoken about new industrial space being created on the north side of his city.
 
“As we continue to grow as a community, one of the challenges that we have on the south side, being close to the border, is availability of real estate. And so the City took the initiative on the north side,” Garcia explained.
 
“They purchased a 1,200-acre site along with the McAllen Foreign Trade Zone. The FTZ purchased an additional 211 acres and it's right between an airport and an old military base.”
 
Moore Air Base is an inactive U.S. Air Force facility that was sold to private concerns and partially transferred to the Department of Agriculture.
 
“That airport is still used, so that's a site that we're promoting for new development, new projects,” Garcia said.
 
Garcia made his comments in an in-depth presentation to site selectors who were brought down to the Rio Grande Valley by the Council for South Texas Economic Progress. The event was held at the Forum by Regency in Pharr.
 
“We're currently working on a project for a high-tech facility that's being quoted out to several different construction companies in our area. It's about us $50 million or $60 million project we're excited about. We hope to get something going here pretty soon,” Garcia said.
 
Garcia also spoke about the McAllen Foreign Trade Zone. He said it was established in 1968 and covers 800,000 square feet.
 
“The Foreign Trade Zone really was our community trying to establish a base for industrial developments. The Foreign Trade Zone still caters to a lot of our industry. If you're bringing in raw materials from other parts of the world and you want to bring it into an FTZ without having to pay duties or taxes you can still do that,” Garcia said.
 
Some of the revenue the McAllen FTZ generates goes to McAllen EDC, Garcia explained. “Some of that we get to spend an economic development which is quite unique. It helps fund a lot of the things that we do.”


Editor's Note: Go to the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service to read the full story.
To read the new stories and watch the news videos of the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service go to www.riograndeguardian.com.

It is with great pride and excitement that I stand before you today for this historic groundbreaking ceremony for the new air traffic control tower here at Valley International Airport. 


This project marks a significant milestone in our continuous efforts to enhance and expand our facilities to better serve the citizens of the Rio Grande Valley. 


Over the past decades, Valley International Airport has not only witnessed tremendous growth, but also demonstrated a remarkable recovery from the impacts of the pandemic. Our resilience and ability to adapt quickly have ensured that we continue to serve as a vital link in the economic fabric of the region, even during the most challenging times. 


The city fathers knew what they were doing when they made a decision in 1950 to form the Harlingen Airport Board. The board's organizational structure in itself has been vital to our growth, as well as admired by our peers. 


Valley International Airport is undeniably a major asset for the Rio Grande Valley. It has enormous potential for future growth and expansion. It is poised to serve the diverse needs of our community for many years to come. 


As we break ground on this state of the art air traffic control facility, we reaffirm our commitment to safety, efficiency and innovation. 


The dedication and commitment of the airport board have been crucial in bringing to completion projects that will propel us and our success into the future. 


I would like to thank our FAA partners at the Texas district office. We have (FAA Texas Airports District Office Manager) Anthony Bryant here today.


Today as we embark on this new chapter with the construction of our advanced air traffic control tower, we also celebrate the near completion of the new Runway Extension Project and the new special Category 2 instrument landing systems that come with that. We want to thank Bryan and the FAA. 


Together these initiatives are set to significantly enhance our operational capabilities and ensure that valley International Airport remains the airport of choice in the Rio Grande Valley. 


So again, thank you thank you to each and every one of you here in attendance today. This groundbreaking is about laying groundwork for new opportunities and continuing to dream big together. 


Let’s celebrate the bright future that lies ahead for Valley International Airport, the city of Harlingen and the entire Rio Grande Valley. 


Editor's Note: The above commentary is based on remarks Marv Esterly gave at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new air traffic control tower at Valley International Airport in Harlingen. Easterly is aviation director for VIA. The ceremony took place e on April 24, 2024.
To read the new stories and watch the news videos of the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service go to www.riograndeguardian.com.

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS - Bret Gardella, executive director and CEO of the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation, was in the audience for a presentation about the possible creation of a Greater Brownsville Municipal Development District.


The presentation was made by Brownsville City Attorney Guillermo (Will) Treviño at a breakfast event hosted by the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce. 


Brownsville voters are currently being asked if they support the creation of a Greater Brownsville Municipal Development District (MDD). If they do, both Gardella’s group, GBIC, and the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation would be collapsed to make way for the MDD.


Gardella was not slated to speak at the event. However, Brownsville Chamber President Esmy Villarreal asked if Gardella would answer a question in the Q&A portion from Larry Jokl, a real estate agent and former chairman of the Brownsville Chamber board of directors. Gardella obliged.


Jokl asked if any jobs would be lost if voters said “yes” to the creation of the MDD and the termination of GBIC and BCIC. Gardella responded:


“So that is not my decision. I am not the director of the MDD. I have not been told I'm going to be the director of the MDD if it's created. So, it would be my anticipation, if the commission does create this, that they're going to combine forces. Are there going to be some redundancies? Probably. 


“But, the nice thing that the mayor and the city commission have told both organizations (GBIC and BCIC) is that nobody loses a job. Nobody loses their title and nobody loses their salary. 


“Now that does not mean they're all going to be combined under the MDD umbrella. Some people may transition to go to work for the city. So the goal is not to fire people, alright, to put people out in the street. The goal is to make sure that the resources, the folks, are brought together to do what is in the best interest of the City of Brownsville. How are we going to grow this? So that's what I've been told.”


Gardella stressed he was providing information about the two propositions currently before Brownsville. He said he was not advocating for or against them.


The election for the propositions is May 4. Early voting starts April 22. 


Here is an audio recording of everything Gardella said from the stage at the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce event. The emcee is Esmy Villarreal, president of the Brownsville Chamber.


To read the new stories and watch the news videos of the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service go to www.riograndeguardian.com.