Category Archives: Industry

Valley Regional Medical Center Named to Top 100 Hospitals

e-Brief Features Healthcare News Comments

Valley Regional Medical Center has been recognized as a top performing hospital in the 2026 Modern Healthcare 100 Top Hospitals program powered by Premier. “We are extremely proud of and grateful to our colleagues and clinicians on our medical staff whose dedication made this achievement possible,” said Joe Hernandez, CEO of Valley Regional Medical Center. “Our commitment to best practices helps us deliver high-quality care with our patients at the…

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RGV Cities Highlight Local History

Featured Government News Comments
The old Cameron County Courthouse was vacant for years before being renovated in the early 2000s to serve as a county administration building. (Courtesy)

Gabriel Ozuna likens local preservation and historical committees to the planning and zoning boards found in many cities.  The members of both types of commissions are usually appointed by local City Commissions. Each board sets forth rules and guidelines on development. The goal is to ensure orderly growth and development in the local community. The P&Z boards have long been essential components of local governments, but the same cannot be…

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McAllen Lands Major Auto Tech Facility

Manufacturing/Industrial News Comments
McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos, left, and Valeo President Jeffery Shay share the spotlight at the company’s groundbreaking ceremony in late March. (Courtesy)

A French-based global automotive supplier has broken ground on a 226,000-squre foot facility in McAllen in what its president of North American operations says is a start of a partnership “that will span decades.” Jeffrey Shay, an executive for Valeo, said his company’s $225 million investment “is a ground-breaking moment for the city of McAllen.” Valeo designs, manufactures and sells advanced components, systems and software to major automakers in the…

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Craftsman Finds Calling In Leathers

News Retail Comments
Ramiro Paz displays one of his decorative leather masks. Each part of the mask is handcrafted to create a unique treasure.

There exists an important difference between the many purses found in stores and those purchased from Ramiro Paz.  Store-bought purses, even those from iconic brands, are made of canvas coated with polyvinyl chloride. Paz’s purses are handcrafted with genuine leather, as are his wallets, belts, money pouches, and knife sheaths. His journey to being a craftsman took him through active military duty in the U.S. Navy, then becoming a schoolteacher…

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Texas Valley Coastal Bend VA Wins Best Patient Experience Award

e-Brief Features Healthcare News Comments
VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Healthcare System

VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Healthcare System in Harlingen has been awarded the 2025 Veterans Health Administration Customer Experience Award for Best Patient Experience Award for facility complexity level 2. This national recognition honors VATVCBHCS demonstrating the Under Secretary for Health’s Veterans First priority by delivering exceptional patient experiences and exemplifying VHA’s mission to build trust, improve access and provide high‑quality, veteran‑centered care. The VHA CX Awards recognize facilities that…

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Mother/Daughter Duo Find A Niche

News Retail Comments
Christina Lopez, left, and her daughter, Sydney Salas, opened Johnston’s Hat Co. in McAllen in October 2025. (Courtesy Johnston’s Hat Co.)

Sydney Salas graduated from Texas A&M University in 2025 and immediately headed down a road less traveled. Her bachelor’s degree was in public health, but she had another field in mind. Salas flew to Denver in May 2025 with her mother, Christina Lopez, who is a State Farm Insurance agent in McAllen. Lopez was yearning to saddle up and fill an untapped niche.  “I wear a lot of hats and…

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Park Brings Nature To City’s Backyard

Community News Recreation & Tourism Comments
A pedestrian walkway makes its way through lush native flora at the Olmito Nature Park.

Joey Lopez took office in 2019 as Cameron County’s Precinct 2 commissioner.  He took office with $500,000 for park development as made available from a successful 2012 bond vote. The funds, Lopez said, were just sitting there and not being utilized in his northwest county precinct.  Lopez began scouting for landowners who could donate tracts of land to the county for park development. The county commissioner set his focus on…

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New Refinery Puts Port ‘On The Map’

Manufacturing/Industrial News Comments
The current construction of the Rio Grande LNG facility at the Port of Brownsville will be one of three major industrial complexes at or near the Port of Brownsville. (Courtesy)

The first new refinery to be built in the United States in 50 years is coming to the Rio Grande Valley at the Port of Brownsville and local officials say it will make the region a hub for energy logistics and growth. America First Refining with the financial backing of India-based Reliance Industries will construct the facility on the southside of port’s shipping channel. It will take up to seven…

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Manufacturing Investment Coming to McAllen

e-Brief Features Featured Manufacturing/Industrial News Comments
Valeo

Valeo, a global automotive technology leader, will establish new U.S. manufacturing operations in McAllen. This announcement came recently through the McAllen Economic Development Corporation, in partnership with the City of McAllen and Hidalgo County. Headquartered in Paris, France, Valeo is a leading automotive technology company with operations in more than 30 countries worldwide, serving major automakers with advanced technologies that support vehicle safety, electrification, connectivity and next-generation mobility. Valeo’s decision…

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Port of Brownsville Celebrates 90 Years

e-Brief Features Manufacturing/Industrial News Comments
Port of Brownsville

Celebrating 90 years of progress in 2026, the Port of Brownsville has transformed a bold vision into an economic powerhouse, securing billions in private investment and anchoring one of the fastest-growing manufacturing and logistics hubs in Texas. Established by voters in 1928 and officially opened in 1936, the port reshaped the southernmost tip of Texas from an agriculture-based economy into a global trade gateway. The construction of the Brownsville Ship…

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