Rio Grande Guardian's Podcast

HARLINGEN, Texas - The two official workforce boards in the Rio Grande Valley have been awarded almost $2 million to improve the development of the region’s talent pipeline to high-quality jobs.  The two groups are Workforce Solutions Lower Rio (WSLR) and Workforce Solutions Cameron (WSC). The former looks after workforce development in Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties. They have received a $1,...

MCALLEN, Texas - The president and founder of Commodities Integrated Logistics says the cities and economic development organizations in the Rio Grande Valley should pool their resources to market the region. Joaquin Spamer was one of the panelists at the “CEOs Unite – Let’s Get Uncomfortable” summit. The event was hosted by Hidalgo County Prosperity Task Force and Futuro RGV. In his remarks, Spam...

MCALLEN, Texas - Businesswoman Val LaMantia was one of the panelists at the “CEOs Unite - Let’s Get Uncomfortable” summit. The event was hosted by Hidalgo County Prosperity Task Force and Futuro RGV. LaMantia is one of the directors of L&F Distributors, which is a major wholesaler for beer giant Anheuser-Busch. In her remarks, LaMantia said L&F had to overcome a huge loss in sales that was...

MCALLEN, Texas - Businessman and developer James W. Collins was one of the panelists at the “CEOs Unite - Let’s Get Uncomfortable” summit. The event was hosted by Hidalgo County Prosperity Task Force and Futuro RGV. Collins, who moved to the Rio Grande Valley from Amarillo in 1980, is chairman of Rioco Partners, Ltd., a real estate investor-developer and private equity investment company. He is al...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation is to host, for the first time, a StartUp Week in May 2024 to celebrate entrepreneurialism.  Nathan Burkhart, vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation at BCIC, made the announcement at the group’s StartUp Texas Emerging Industries Pitch Competition, held Dec. 14 at the eBridge Center for Business and Commercialization....

AUSTIN, Texas - When the Rio Grande Guardian exclusively interviewed Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr., last week he alluded to some big news on the horizon. Asked what 2024 might have in store, Treviño said: “We’re hoping to end (2023) with a bang and thankful for all of the progress and development that we’ve had over this past year. Hopefully we’re going to start the new year with some ve...

MCALLEN, Texas - Hidalgo County Prosperity Task Force is likely to recommend the establishment of a rapid transit authority, Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez has confirmed. The subject came up at a summit the task force hosted jointly with Futuro RGV at South Texas College’s Pecan Campus last Friday. The summit was titled, “CEOs Unite: Let’s Get Uncomfortable.” Interviewed later, Cortez told th...

HARLINGEN, Texas - Mike Reeser, chancellor and CEO of Texas State Technical College, spoke at a recent groundbreaking ceremony at TSTC-Harlingen. The ceremony celebrated construction of two new facilities and renovation of one existing building at the Harlingen campus, including space for two programs new to the campus: Diesel Equipment Technology and Plumbing and Pipefitting Technology. The Autom...

RANCHO VIEJO, Texas - Three leaders from the lower Rio Grande Valley have been asked how they think 2024 will go for their respective organizations. Eduardo Campirano, port director for Brownsville Navigation District, said:  “Obviously, the continued progress of the Port (of Brownsville). The growth and the construction is still ongoing. And, of course, the biggest one of all is going to be the R...

MCALLEN, Texas - Estrada Hinojosa and Company hosted a luncheon at the McAllen Country Club on Dec. 7 so that leaders from Hidalgo and Starr counties could learn more about the North American Development Bank. NADBank was set up during the NAFTA negotiations of the early 1990s.  The keynote speaker at the event was John Beckham, the incoming managing director of NADBank. Before Beckham gave his sp...

MCALLEN, Texas - John Beckham, the incoming managing director of the North American Development Bank, was the keynote speaker at a luncheon hosted by Estrada Hinojosa and Company. The event, which drew many VIPS, elected officials and community leaders from Hidalgo and Starr counties, was held at the McAllen Country Club on Dec. 7. Estrada Hinojosa and Company hosted Beckham and other NADBank offi...

MISSION, Texas - Aaron S. Demerson, the recently appointed president and CEO of the Texas Economic Development Corporation, says he loves visiting the Rio Grande Valley because he gets to experience the can-do attitude of its people. Austin-based Demerson was in the Valley recently. Asked what the region’s best assets are and why investors should take a look, he  said: “The best food America. No,...

MISSION, Texas - Julian Alvarez may have left the Texas Workforce Commission a year ago to go into the private sector but he is still in great demand for all things workforce related. The senior vice president for Lone Star National Bank not only still gives talks about workforce training, he also helps facilitate key meetings. For example, he is currently helping Valley Grande Institute for Acade...

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 Partner...

RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas - Starr County leaders such as Rose Benavidez and state Rep. Ryan Guillen are concerned about they say are inaccurate maps showing a high percentage of residents having access to broadband. Benavidez, president and CEO of Starr County Industrial Foundation, moderated a panel discussion on ways to bridge her county’s digital divide. The panelists were four executives with Rio...

WESLACO, TEXAS – Recently, the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service reported exclusively on the Rio Grande Valley Partnership’s inaugural “State of the RGV Real Estate” forum in Weslaco. The event was sponsored by ERO Architects and Alamo Systems Industries. Here is a link to the story written by Guardian reporter Patricia Martinez. Now, thanks to Ron Whitlock Reports , we have audio rec...

RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas - Patrick McDonnell, CEO of VTX1, says the Rio Grande Valley can learn a lot from  the way Chattanooga, Tennessee, embraced broadband. McDonnell was a panelist at an event hosted by Starr County Industrial Foundation that explored the potential of public-private partnerships to bridge the digital divide. McDonnell said Chattanooga leaders got the private sector to subsidize...

MISSION, Texas - The Council for South Texas Economic Progress is close to landing two big manufacturing firms, one in the food industry and the other in aerospace. COSTEP cannot reveal many details just yet but CEO Adam Gonzalez has confirmed that, if South Texas wins out, one of the companies would be making a $50 million investment and the other anywhere between half billion dollars and 1.5 bil...

MISSION, Texas - Valley Grande Institute for Academic Studies held a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Center for Education & Economic Development in Mission on Nov. 28.  The Weslaco-based educational institution has opened an outreach center in the CEED building.  VGI has been able to draw down $240,000 through the help of two different hospitals, Mission Regional and Valley Baptist. Each hospit...

MCALLEN, Texas - Mike Willis says he has, for a few years, provided advice to manufacturing firms about how to deal with unions. He says he has told them that the time to worry about union activity is not when the union is starting a wage campaign. He said the firms need to pay attention to how they treat their workers all the time. The executive director of the South Texas Manufacturers Associati...

WESLACO, TEXAS - Last month, the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service reported exclusively on the Rio Grande Valley Partnership’s inaugural “State of the RGV Real Estate” forum in Weslaco. The event was sponsored by ERO Architects and Alamo Systems Industries. Here is a link to the story written by Guardian reporter Patricia Martinez. Now, thanks to Ron Whitlock Reports , we have audio r...

WESLACO, TEXAS - Last month, the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service reported exclusively on the Rio Grande Valley Partnership’s inaugural “State of the RGV Real Estate” forum in Weslaco. The event was sponsored by ERO Architects and Alamo Systems Industries. Here is a link to the story written by Guardian reporter Patricia Martinez. Now, thanks to Ron Whitlock Reports , we have audio r...

AUSTIN, Texas - Civil rights attorney Roberto Lopez does not expect the Biden Administration to come to the aid of immigrants arrested under the sweeping new powers Senate Bill 4 bestows on law enforcement. Lopez, a Rio Grande Valley native, is the beyond borders senior advocacy manager at the Texas Civil Rights Project. TCRP works to defend the civil and human rights of border communities and of...

MCALLEN, Texas - Joey Treviño, executive director of the Rio Grande Valley Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America, was a panelist at a recent summit on apprenticeships. The 2nd Annual Apprenticeship Summit was hosted recently by South Texas College.  In his remarks on the STC panel, Treviño said he was proud to have set up a women’s committee that promotes women in the constructi...

MCALLEN, Texas - On this, Thanksgiving Day, we would like to give thanks to the Ditch Diggers of America. Joey Treviño, executive director of the Rio Grande Valley Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America, recommended we watch a video on YouTube titled Ditch Diggers. Treviño said he tries to play the video at all the classes he hosts.  “It's a poem that a construction worker p...