Mark Kroll jokingly calls himself the leader of a band of fools because he is the president of the RGV Angel Network. Kroll, who is dean of UTRGV’s Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship, explained that that it is one thing to train young entrepreneurs and another to have funding for them to tap into. “What we have not historically had in the Valley is people who have launched scalable…
“If there has been growth at Mr. G Propane, it is because of the foundation my father set,” said Zinnia Elizondo, marketing director of the Mission-based company. Amador Garcia, her father, was a migrant worker born in Ciudad Mier, who went on to serve in the U.S. Army, get a degree in education, and follow his entrepreneurial talents to open two convenience stores. In 1990 he bought a bobtail truck…
“As long as there is water, people are going to fish,” said Sandra Byrd, who owns Port Isabel’s Quik Stop with her husband Calvin. The couple bought Roy’s Quik Stop in 1984 from his father and quickly converted the grocery store into a bait shop. After reading about a bait stand that also sold lingerie for fishermen to bring home to placate their wives, Sandra realized she could have more…
Think of all the towns that have chosen a totem: Port Isabel’s porpoises, Louisville’s horses, Mission’s butterflies, Chicago’s cows. Mercedes is the only I know of that choose to spotlight an industry: the bootmaking business. At one time, Mercedes had 12 bootmakers, according to Hernan Gonzalez, the executive director of the Mercedes EDC. When Mercedes’ bootmaking legacy was chosen to represent the city, it was decided that each four-and-a half-foot…
Today at Thurmond Eye Associates, a third generation of doctors is treating diseases of the eye and vision problems at six clinics operated by what is probably the Valley’s longest continuously operating ophthalmic practice. Dr. Jack Thurmond opened the ophthalmology practice in a Weslaco apartment in 1962. Last December, Dr. William Gillum, who worked with Thurmond, retired after 30-plus years with the practice. Thurmond Eye has six ophthalmologists, with…
It takes more than great coffee to make a coffeehouse successful: comfortable, neighborhood vibes, an unrushed atmosphere, the chance to run into old friends and meet new ones, and of course, Wi-Fi. But step one in the coffeehouse seduction is the tantalizing smell of fresh roasted, fresh brewed coffee as soon as the door opens. A knowledgeable barista who cares about preparing you a coffee you will enjoy is step…
When you’re outside in the summer, a shady tree is the next best thing to an icy drink. Temperature in the shade runs about 15 degrees lower than adjacent unshaded areas. Shade trees near your business and home cast the same umbrella of cooler temperatures on the buildings. The result is less strain on your air conditioner (meaning lower bills) and less sun beating on the windows. Late fall is…
Marty Medina found that one problem with giving your book store in McAllen a French name is that people don’t know what you are selling. Her shop J’aime Les Livres, which is French for “I Love Books,” does attract customers who are fluent in French, as well as others who think her name is Jaime or that she sells only books in French. “I loved the way the name sounds,”…
For Mario Dominguez, his entire life seemed to lay the foundation for running a barbecue restaurant. He recalled childhood afternoons watching cooking shows on PBS. When he was in college, his father and brother would join him on road trips to Texas barbecue joints. After years of talking about opening a restaurant, Dominguez and his brother Santana Dominguez opened The Smoking Oak in January 2015 in Mercedes. It has a…
Tina and Eric Hoff wanted to run a business together, applying experience gained managing and working for different companies. “We selected five businesses that we had been in and that looked like, with a few great improvements, could turn around,” Eric said. Then the couple dropped in cold-turkey to see if the owners were interested in selling. The owner of one of those, the Village Bottle Shop in La Feria,…