rgv partnership

WESLACO, Texas - A senior executive with Killam Development says demand for industrial real estate in Mexico and the southern US is accelerating with his company receiving inquires from Alaska, Indiana and Illinois.

Rene Alcalá, director of business development, RGV leasing and sales for Killam, was a panelist at the recent State of the RGV Real Estate Forum hosted by the Rio Grande Valley Partnership and RGV First. Killam is developing a large industrial park near the Anzalduas International Bridge in Mission.

“The demand for industrial real estate in Mexico and the southern US is accelerating as we saw with Carlos Marquez’ and Carlos Telles’ presentations,” Alcalá said.

Industrial real estate specialists Carlos Marquez and Carlos Telles were on the same panel as Alcalá.

“Within the next five to ten years we expect to see an interconnected web of manufacturing, assembly, warehouse logistic facilities emerge as these corporations seek to optimize their supply chains,” Alcalá said.

Alcalá asked those in the audience if they remember watching news during COVID and seeing shipping containers stretched out for miles at sea trying to get into the Port of Los Angeles. Supply chains were disrupted and some products were unavailable in the stores, he recalled.

“So that is what we want to avoid. The risk mitigation of having to depend on sea transportation of these products rather than buying land (along the border of the US or Mexico). (It) is a lot easier (to buy landO and a lot more cost effective. The distances are shorter. So those are some of the benefits that we see with near-shoring.”

Editor's Note: Go to the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service website 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.

MISSION, Texas - Teclo Garcia, the CEO of Mission Economic Development Corporation, has explained his group’s plans to market Anzalduas International Bridge within Mexico.

Mission is going to focus on cities further south than Monterrey, such as San Luis Potosí, Querétaro and Aguascalientes.

The reason for this, Garcia said, is because Laredo and Monterrey are so closely aligned. 

At a commercialization and investment tour hosted by the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, Garcia said he and some of his team recently participated in a trade mission to San Luis Potosí.

“We chose San Luis because of the relationship that Laredo already has established with Monterey. I've met with Governor Garcia at least three times. I know his his right hand guy for national trade and his team and they're not unfriendly. I'm just saying that's just what they're doing; they’re using Laredo. So let's try to find something else,” Garcia said.

“San Luis is a little bit further south. But they know that Laredo is packed and they don't have any more space. They (Laredo) want to build another bridge, actually two more bridges, one on the south side, one on the north side. But that's going to take a decade to get done. 

“So what does San Luis and Querétaro and Aguascalientes and all those other cities supposed to do in the meantime? We can provide an alternative for them.”

Garcia pointed out that Anzalduas International Bridge will be able to take fully loaded trucks north and south bound in the not too distant future. 

“We're very focused on this as an effort going forward,” Garcia said, referring to the promotion of the bridge, which Mission co-owns with the cities of McAllen and Hidalgo. “This is something that the (Mission EDC) board (of directors) has directed us to do and it's exactly what we want to do.”


Editor's Note: Go to the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service website 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.

RAYMONDVILLE, Texas - Ron Mills, Willacy County Navigation District’s port director, won a round of applause when he said Port Mansfield is about to bring 500 to 700 high-paying jobs to the county. 

The reason the jobs are coming, Mills said, is because Port Mansfield has signed contracts with 11 companies that want to develop the port. He said Port Mansfield is being transformed from a sleepy fishing village to a commercial maritime hub for vessels coming from Mexico.

The reason for the transformation? The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently dredged the port’s ship channel so it can now take ocean-going vessels. The Texas Department of Transportation is also making a significant investment, Mills said, to ensure that heavy trucks are kept outside of the residential areas.

Mills spoke about the transformation of Port Mansfield during the Rio Grande Valley Partnership’s 2023 Valley Legislative Tour. In his speech, Mills pointed out that Gov. Greg Abbott has made investment at sea ports a priority for the 88th Legislature.

Here is an audio recording of Mills’ remarks to the visiting state legislators and policymakers.

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

ELSA, Texas - Michael Pacheco, an associate with Coldwell Banker Commercial-RGV,  is predicting a "wave of development" in Elsa, Texas.

Pacheco spoke at a "Commercialization and Investment Tour" event co-hosted by the Rio Grande Valley Partnership and Elsa Economic Development Corporation.

"There are more eyes on the city of Elsa than there ever have been," Pacheco said. By way of example he said he has four different developers, from the For Worth and Houston areas, interested in purchasing a 1.3 acres pad site near the new Sonic Drive-In.

Pacheco said he also has five pad sites for development along Edinburg Avenue. He expects these pads to be turned into office space. 

The attached podcast has Pacheco's remarks at the RGVP event.

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

EDINBURG, Texas - The AT&T Foundation is donating $25,000 to the Rio Grande Valley Partnership to help address the Valley’s digital divide.

At a news conference held at a UT-Rio Grande Valley facility in Edinburg, AT&T’s J.D. Salinas said his company was investing $2 billion across the country over the next three years to bridge the digital divide.

With the funding, RGV Partnership is to ask UTRGV to provide courses to help those with limited or no computer skills. UTRGV says it will provide instruction in four centers across the Valley, one in each of the region’s four counties. 

“I am honored to announce today, that together with UTRGV and the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, and with the leadership of Senator Hinojosa (without him we would not be here today), AT&T is giving a $25,000 grant through the AT&T Foundation to the RGV Partnership to support South Texans impacted by the digital divide,” Salinas said.

“This grant is part of AT&T’s recent announcement (of a) nationwide commitment to bridge the digital divide and homework gap. AT&T is committing more than $2 billion over the next three years to bridge that digital divide through affordable broadband offers for both consumers and education institutions, as well as high quality educational resources, community investments through AT&T’s Connected Learning (program).”

Salinas is vice president of external and legislative affairs for AT&T.

Appearing with Salinas at the news conference were Sergio Contreras, representing the RGV Partnership, state Sen. Juan Hinojosa of McAllen, and three representatives from UTRGV - Veronica Gonzales, Ron Garza, and Linda Ufland Romo.

The attached podcast features remarks given at the news conference by AT&T’s Salinas, along with interviews with RGVP’s Contreras and UTRGV’s Ufland Romo. 

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 - Kurt Knight-Turcan, Enbridge’s director for business development, has spoken about his company’s natural gas pipeline activities in South Texas.

Knight-Turcan gave an in-depth presentation at a recent Texas Association of Business/Rio Grande Valley Partnership Business Summit held at the McAllen Convention Center. 

Here is everything Knight-Turcan said at the event. 

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 - NextDecade’s senior vice president for policy and corporate affairs has spoken about the potential of Liquefied Natural Gas export terminals at the Port of Brownsville.

David Keane gave an in-depth presentation about the latest developments in energy exports at a recent Texas Association of Business/Rio Grande Valley Partnership Business Summit held at the McAllen Convention Center. 

Here is everything Keane said at the event. 

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 - Eduardo “Eddie” Campirano, port director for Brownsville Navigation District, says he is “enthusiastically optimistic” about business activity at the Port of Brownsville, including construction of liquefied natural gas export terminals. 

Campirano gave an in-depth presentation about the latest developments at his port at a recent Texas Association of Business/Rio Grande Valley Partnership Business Summit held at the McAllen Convention Center. 

Here is everything Campirano said at the event. 

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

WESLACO, Texas - Weslaco’s restaurants are being frequented much more often than might be expected.

In fact, pro rata, some national franchise eateries in the city are among the busiest in the whole United States. 

One explanation could be that there are not enough restaurants in the city, forcing local residents to visit them over and over again. Another possibility is that Weslaco is pulling in a lot of customers from neighboring communities. A third reason? Maybe the people of Weslaco eat more. 

These and other possibilities were discussed during a recent bus tour of Weslaco by the Rio Grande Valley Partnership. The Valley’s regional chamber of commerce organizes a trip to a different Valley city each month. Those attending the Commercial and Investment Tours include realtors, developers and economic development leaders.

Prior to the bus tour, the City of Weslaco and Weslaco Economic Development Corporation hosted panel discussions. The expert that discussed the local restaurant scene was Craig Garansuay, of the brokerage firm Corporate Asset Partners.

“Weslaco works because it is a real city,” Garansuay said. “There is a medical community, you have residential growth, you’ve got airports, education, high schools, college, trade.”

Garansuay said Weslaco has “all of the ingredients” needed to build a thriving community.

“Retail follows the rooftops, industrial brings the rooftops. And so you have got the culmination of all those ingredients coming together to create a hub for the Mid-Valley.”

Editor's Note: To read the full story go to the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service's website. 

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