Even through challenges, separations and hardships, the need to share special moments or celebrate never diminishes. The spreading of good cheer is a celebrated part of life, and Yard Fonts and RGV Yard Cards are both instrumental in bringing families and friends together one yard at a time. With their decorative and creative front yard displays, the two Hidalgo County-based businesses splash color and spark celebrations, especially when loved ones…
Weslaco often touts itself as a strategic mid-point in the Rio Grande Valley. Here, goods and services can move quickly and efficiently to all points in the region. The marketing pitch rang true to Robinson Fresh, one of the largest produce companies nationally. It is making a move to utilize a 46,000-square-foot facility at the Mid-Valley Industrial Park which will serve as a storage and distribution point for fresh produce…
There are few industries more sensitive to the immediate changes in the push-and-pull of economic trends than the housing industry. A year ago, the general economy came to a near standstill in the United States. The housing industry was hardly immune to the shock. “There was a pullback last March and April,” said Eddie Cantu, a Hidalgo County commissioner who is also a land developer. “People were waiting it out…
Ron Garza built a reputation as an administrator who could foster cooperation among Rio Grande Valley cities when seeking state funding and developing transportation systems. He served for years as the executive director of the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council. The job allowed him to work on projects with county judges, mayors and city managers across the Valley. Regional agreements are becoming more the norm in a historically divided…
The Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement has proven to be a nimble workforce training program. In 25-plus years, it has been helping unemployed and underemployed residents land better-paying jobs. It demonstrated that again recently when VIDA launched an electrician journeyman training program. Administrators at VIDA see the Liquefied Natural Gas project coming closer to reality at the Port of Brownsville. They recognize there is a growing market for electricians.…
Aracely Salinas’ start in business was born of grief as well as inspiration from her late husband. Michael Bryant Salinas was a longtime Rio Grande Valley paramedic and CPR instructor. For years, Aracely accompanied her husband to classroom and training sessions. Here, her husband taught the essentials of emergency medical care. When he died in August 2018, Aracely had life-changing decisions to make. One came fairly quickly when she decided…
In his days as a business school professor in Brownsville, John Martin had a key piece of advice for his students. “If you want to be a high salaried employee, leave the Valley, but if you want to be an entrepreneur, stay here,” Martin said. Martin is a member of the Rio Grande Valley Angel Network. The investor group provides seed money for aspiring entrepreneurs in return for equity in their…
Chad Nunnery was a high school state champion in distance running in his native Massachusetts. Seeing the long road and keeping at it are traits that would serve him in a future career. Nunnery would go on to start a business and guide it to early success in the challenging industrial manufacturing field. The New Englander-turned-South Texan now owns a manufacturing facility wedged between 23rd and 29th streets in McAllen. …
Mario Mendiola is an energetic, man-on-the-go entrepreneur and realtor who has a passion for both his hometown and its downtown. In early 2020, he saw through a lengthy restoration of a historic two-story building on the corner of Texas Avenue and Sixth Street in downtown Weslaco. A formerly abandoned building is now a stylishly restored building for offices and upstairs apartments. Mendiola had another downtown project brewing. He wanted to…
Michelle Quiroz is an engineer by training and had a fascination for a topic beyond her work for a large corporation with manufacturing operations along the border. The science and craft of coffee roasting fascinated her and got Quiroz wondering how to apply her disciplined thinking to a dream of owning and running a small business. It would lead to the beginnings of Reserva Coffee Roasters in McAllen. It opened…