Category Archives: Industry

Serving Up a Family Tradition

Milano’s head chef Albert Garcia plates some of the Italian restaurant’s signature dishes. (VBR)

Angela Milano grew up in a home that room-by-room became an iconic restaurant that brought Italian food – and pizzas – to the Rio Grande Valley. Still going strong on West Pike Boulevard in Weslaco amidst farm scenery that evokes memories of a Valley of yesteryear, under a third generation of family leadership Milano’s endures, a Valley dining favorite that features family, great food and longstanding personal connections to their…

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Manufacturing services spur growth

IAI’s five Matamoros plants provide manufacturing services, such as laser etching, for American companies. (Courtesy)

When Bob Katusak launched International Assembly Inc. in Brownsville 26 years ago, he couldn’t have imagined how the company would evolve. In those pre-NAFTA days, businesses like his were known as shelter operations. In short, he established a manufacturing facility in Matamoros for small American companies that wanted to lower labor costs and contracted with IAI to oversee production, quality, labor and import/export paperwork. At that time, when AIDS was…

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Summer Camps Keep Kids Busy

JHK Equestrian Country Club owner Jamie Ricks instructs a student in the riding arena. (VBR)

When the final school bell rings in the summer break, many parents turn to private businesses for programs to keep their children active through new experiences. Throughout the Rio Grande Valley there are dozens upon dozens of summer camps offering just about any activity that catches a youngster’s fancy. From horseback riding to physical fitness and art to academics, these businesses offer year-round classes in their fields, but come summer…

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Vinyl Spins Back into Style

Valley Vinyls owner Victor Cantu spins an album on the turntable of his store’s sound system. (VBR)

The aroma of incense is in the air. Posters of rock and roll legends line the walls along with pieces of art created from old vinyl records, such as an image of The Doors’ Jim Morrison. Rows upon rows of bins are filled with vinyl records used and new. “I want this place to look like my bedroom when I was a kid, posters on the wall and all that,”…

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Sea Wolf Howls on Island

The Lobo Del Mar Dance Troupe performs an eclectic blend of international dances. (Courtesy)

Palm Street Bar & Grill on South Padre Island used to be just a place to grab a sandwich, enjoy a spirit or listen to good music. Not anymore. The bar and grill, now operating under the name Lobo Del Mar Café, has transformed into a potpourri of entertainment, art, food and people under the direction of a large family group of entrepreneurs. Sitting at the end of West Palm…

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TSTC Helps Fill Nursing Shortage

TSTC nursing

The Texas State Technical College nursing division in Harlingen is celebrating its second consecutive 100 percent national exam pass rate for its vocational nursing program. The milestone is a mark of distinction for the department working to relieve a shortage of nurses in the Rio Grande Valley and across the state. “We hold all of our students to a high standard,” said Heather Sauceda, TSTC vocational nursing program director. “Here…

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New UTRGV Doctorate Program Approved

(photo UTRGV)

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has received approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to establish a new degree program for a Doctor of Philosophy degree in clinical psychology. The new PhD program will focus on producing clinical psychology scientist-practitioners with knowledge about Hispanic cultures in the Rio Grande Valley and the United States. “Providing new educational opportunities for the students of the Rio Grande Valley is…

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Mission EDC Teams Up for Educator Training

computer science professional development

More than 100 teachers and counselors in Mission will receive computer science professional development this summer thanks to a local partnership. Mission EDC, Code/Interactive and the Mission Consolidated Independent School District are joining forces with Google to offer the training to 100 teachers and 20 counselors in elementary and junior high schools. One teacher from every grade level in Mission CISD’s 14 elementary and four middle schools will receive training.…

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UTRGV medical student receives award

David Goldblatt (photo UTRGV)

David Goldblatt, a second-year medical student at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, is one of 66 students in the nation to receive the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Medical Research Fellows Award for the 2018-2019 academic year. The HHMI Medical Research Fellows Program provides students financial support for one year of full-time, mentored research training in fundamental biomedical research. Awards are given to medical, dental and veterinary students interested…

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BCIC Offers Economic Development Grants

BCIC

Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation is seeking nonprofit and city partners to partner with to promote economic development. BCIC looks to promote the development through the BCIC Partnership Grants which focus on community development projects. Both nonprofit organizations and city departments are the focus of the grants. By design, the awards engage in the necessary community development needed to promote economic development opportunities. Through the grants, the BCIC will supplement up to $5,000…

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