SpaceX has more than gained a foothold in southern Cameron County with its imposing rockets looming over Boca Chica Beach. More than 2,000 employees work at Starbase, a production and launch site just across the Laguna Madre from South Padre Island. Keeping such a large operation going as it pursues audacious goals related to space travel requires vast amounts of skill and know-how from its teams of employees. South Texas…
For decades, the scenario was the same for Rio Grande Valley residents when it came time to make job choices after receiving their technical training and education at area colleges. The better jobs and higher pay were elsewhere. Be it at the Port of Houston or jobs at aviation manufacturing facilities in California, Valley natives searched nationwide for careers that could match their aspirations. That equation is beginning to change…
The fallout from the economic upheavals of 2020 when coupled with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 have frayed supply chains from Asia and put global energy markets on edge. Two buzzwords are making the rounds of economic development talk as industries readjust and calculate what lays ahead. One term banding about is reshoring. This is the reestablishment of manufacturing operations in the United States after being previously located…
The Port of Brownsville’s Cargo Dock 3 reconstruction project has secured an $11.5 million grant under the Texas Department of Transportation‘s new Maritime Infrastructure Program. On Sept. 28, the Texas Transportation Commission approved a historic $240 million in funding for Texas ports to help increase trade, improve safety, and provide a more robust supply chain for the state and the nation. The Port of Brownsville’s Cargo Dock 3 project is…
The official word finally came in late June with the announcement that Houston-based NextDecade was building an $18 billion-plus liquefied natural gas plant at the Port of Brownsville. For port executives and community at-large leadership, the announcement was a combination of relief and elation in definitively knowing they overcame all obstacles and last-minute legal challenges. Site work began the same day of the announcement. The dirt started moving on the…
The Port of Brownsville‘s Foreign Trade Zone No. 62 saw a boost in the value of goods transported in 2022, reaching a record total of $13.9 billion in exports and imports. It is a notable increase from the $9.7 billion recorded in 2021. The U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones Board’s 2022 recent report to Congress revealed that FTZ No. 62 held its position as the second highest-ranking FTZ in the country for…
The Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement Project continues to move forward, as Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation recently announced the receipt of Notice to Proceed to perform essential improvements to the Brownsville ship channel for NextDecade Corporation’s Rio Grande LNG project at the Port of Brownsville. Great Lakes will commence Phase 1 of the project later this year. The historic BIH project will deepen the 17-mile-long Brownsville ship channel…
NextDecade Corporation has made a positive final investment decision to construct the first three liquefaction trains at the company’s Rio Grande LNG terminal. It will be the largest proposed liquefied natural gas export facility in the United States and it will be at the Port of Brownsville. “The future of the Rio Grande Valley’s economy begins at the Port of Brownsville,” said Brownsville Navigation District Chairman Esteban Guerra. “On behalf…
The Port of Brownsville, held a groundbreaking ceremony on June 22 for its latest economic development project, a 118-acre shovel-ready business park. This new industrial project leverages the port’s logistical advantages to support manufacturing companies and industry clusters with a base of operations that combines access to efficient multimodal transportation and robust storage capabilities. This development will provide a dynamic ecosystem for companies to collaborate, innovate and flourish. “The business…
The Port of Brownsville continues to gain national prominence among the leading maritime ports in the United States. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ most recent annual report ranking 150 maritime ports nationwide, the Port of Brownsville rose to 55th position in the country for the movement of waterborne cargo in 2021, a significant leap from 66th place in 2020. Throughout 2021, 8.9 million tons of cargo were…