Mariana Linaldi-Rodriguez makes weekly runs to the Valley International Airport in Harlingen to pick up flowers. If she can’t get there, her husband Rodrigo does, or maybe an employee of their Southern Roots Flower Market makes the run for them. Flowers are coming in from Ecuador via Miami. They need to be fresh and ready to fill up the marketplace room at the Rodriguez’s floral business in McAllen. It’s not…
A groundbreaking ceremony took place recently at the Linn-San Manuel Veterans Park in partnership with the Edinburg CISD. The new park will provide recreational space for residents of the Linn-San Manuel area, including Brewster School and the various youth groups in the area. The Linn-San Manuel Veterans Park’s design by SDI Engineering LLC will feature space for fitness and wellness. This includes lighted walking trails with seating areas, basketball courts, softball/baseball fields,…
Victor Rodriguez and Sally Fraustro-Guerra are the McAllen Chamber of Commerce’s Man and Woman of the Year. The two will receive honors in 2021 at the chamber’s annual banquet. Fraustro-Guerra is a McAllen native, graduating from McAllen High School and The University of Texas-Pan American. She is a real estate broker at Coldwell Banker La Mansion, serving in that role for more than 20 years. She is also the owner/publisher of…
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the U.S. Small Business Administration is hosting a virtual Hispanic Business Summit on Sept. 30 at 2 p.m. The SBA’s purpose with the summit is to both guide and inspire Hispanic entrepreneurs by presenting them with success stories and informative discussions in Spanish. Hosting the event this year is SBA’s Region VI, consisting of District Offices in Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Arkansas.…
Keppel AmFELS at the Port of Brownsville will be building the largest hopper dredge in the United States thanks to a contract with Manson Construction Co. The 15,000-cubic-yard hopper dredge FREDERICK PAUP’s design is in collaboration with Hockema Whalen Myers Associates Inc. of Seattle, Wash. It will have a length of 420 feet, breadth of 81 feet and draft of 28.5 feet. The dredge is slated to be fully operational…
Today, SBA’s Lower Rio Grande Valley District honored the 2020 District Small Business Week awardees for six small business categories. The virtual ceremony is part of National Small Business Week going on now through Sept. 24. Michelle and Danny Quiroz of Reserva Coffee Roasters were named the district’s Small Business Persons of the Year. Both previously had successful careers working for large companies. However, Michelle’s passion for coffee drove their…
South Texas College is in the Top 3 nationwide and also in the top spot in Texas for enrolling and graduating Latinos according to Excelencia in Education. Washington D.C.-based Excelencia is a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve education outcomes for Latino college students. Their findings come as part of a Latino college completion study Aug. 12. STC enrolled 31,949 students in fall 2018, 95 percent of which were Hispanic…
As part of National Small Business Week, the U.S. Small Business Administration and cosponsors will host all virtual events Sept. 22-24. This year’s activities will include educational panels providing retooling and innovative practices for entrepreneurs. The event will recognize the national award winners, including the naming of the National Small Business Person of the Year. The event schedule includes three days recognizing America’s outstanding entrepreneurs. The events shine a spotlight…
The HELP for Small Business initiative continues to take applications until Sept. 30. The program began in late spring with the City of Harlingen and the Harlingen EDC recognizing the need for help as the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on the business community. That prompted the Harlingen EDC board of directors to set aside $1,000,000 to fund HELP for Small Business. The program had successfully assisted many small businesses.…
The Port of Brownsville will join the U.S. trucking industry in celebrating National Truck Driver Appreciation Week Sept. 13-19. This year’s celebration takes on a special meaning due to the spread of COVID-19. Professional truck drivers stepped up when they were needed most, and have kept the economy on its feet despite facing unprecedented obstacles. On average, more than 1,500 trucks enter the Port of Brownsville daily to pick up…