Category Archives: Industry

BPUB Wins Award for Excellence

e-Brief Features Government News Comments
BPUB Director of Finance David Medrano

The Brownsville Public Utilities Board received the Government Finance Officers Association Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its annual comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2024. This report has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and…

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Learn about the State of the 956

Community Events e-Brief Features Government News Comments
Legislative Luncheon

The Rio Grande Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the City of Edinburg, will host the 2026 State of the 956 Legislative Luncheon on Jan. 21. The annual State of the 956 luncheon brings together regional leaders, policymakers, business owners and community stakeholders to discuss public affairs and issues affecting the Rio Grande Valley. Attendees will hear from elected officials representing the region on legislative priorities, economic development initiatives and…

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Vet Finds Purpose Abroad & New Mission In RGV

News Professional Services Comments
An employee for Six Shooter Softwash reaches high to clean a commercial building at a worksite in the Valley. (Courtesy)

Sixto Garza Jr. joined the U.S. Army four days after graduating from Edinburg High School in 1982. Like many youngsters reaching adulthood, Garza knew he wanted to do something beyond the confines of his hometown. He just didn’t know what or where.  “I didn’t really have a sense of direction,” Garza said. “The military gave me that structure. It gave me a career.” He would become immersed and trained to…

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Veteran Helps Businesses Find ‘Roadmaps’

Featured News Professional Services Comments
Cristina Wilson, center, who has held high leadership ranks in the U.S. Army, receives an award from the Rio Grande Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. (Courtesy)

Cristina Solis Wilson’s 26 years in the military have imbued her with the values of the U.S. Army and ones that serve as the foundations of coaching business owners to success. Purpose, motivation and direction are the principles learned in a military life that have seen her rise to the ranks of being a command sergeant major and representing the pinnacle of enlisted ranks in the Army. Only a small…

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Attention To Detail Spices Up Vet’s Salsa

e-Brief Features Food & Entertainment News Comments
David Carter stacks up his array of salsa products at a Rio Grande Valley street market. (Courtesy)

David Carter grew up a Kansas kid experiencing some of the more extreme weather fluctuations seen in the United States. There are severe winter storms and blizzards to go with severe thunderstorms over the Midwest plains. Then there are the tornadoes. Kansas averages over 80 tornadoes a year and the big storms of the state became immortalized in “The Wizard of Oz.” “I grew up in southwest Kansas and I…

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‘Veteran Way’ Guides RGV Business

e-Brief Features News Professional Services Comments
Every November, Armored Painting and a group of 50-plus volunteers paint a local veteran’s home as part of Operation Veteran Paint Project. (Photo Armored Painting)

Nelson Martinez and Joe Robledo met in fifth grade and from that point on seemed to live parallel lives. They lived one mile apart in Las Milpas in southern Pharr. Both men graduated from Hidalgo High School and each went on to serve two combat tours in Iraq. Martinez served in the Army and Robledo is a Marine. They are each college-educated with bachelor’s degrees in business administration.  Their friendship…

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Vet Finds Mission In Training Dogs

e-Brief Features Featured Government News Professional Services Comments
Daniel Villarreal connects with Fajo, who is among the elite type of dogs used for detection work.

Daniel Villarreal’s exit from the U.S. Army came in 2006 and he knew the next mission ahead. He wanted to train dogs for law enforcement and detection work and to help fellow veterans who need service dogs. Villarreal had received an introduction to the world of dogs and how they are trained before enlisting in the Army. He was eager to do that work full time in his post-military life…

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Port of Brownsville: Building the Future

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

At the southernmost point of Texas, where the Rio Grande meets the Gulf, the Port of Brownsville is driving a new era of growth and opportunity. Vessels, trains and trucks traverse the port’s industrial landscape, signaling more than just cargo in motion. This is the economic engine driving the Rio Grande Valley’s economy. As the only deepwater seaport located on the U.S.-Mexico border, the Port of Brownsville has become a…

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Lone Star National Bank Wins Statewide Awards

e-Brief Features Finance/Banking News Comments
Lone Star National Bank Best of Community Banking Awards

The Independent Bankers Association of Texas, the largest state community banking association in the nation, recently honored Lone Star National Bank in McAllen with four Best of Community Banking Awards. LSNB received a Best of Show Gold Eagle award for its “Starr County Volunteerism” community service entry, a Gold Eagle Award for its “Cowboy Cash” innovation entry, a Silver Eagle Award for its “Client Testimonials” marketing entry, and a Bronze…

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Mid-Valley Florist Celebrates Expansion

e-Brief Features Featured News Retail Comments

Nayelli Valdemar was ebullient on a sun-splashed September morning in looking out the windows of her newly expanded business. Valdemar’s Funky Flower Shop in Mercedes enjoyed a chamber of commerce ribbon cutting in mid-September to commemorate a doubling of the square footage of her business. The new floor space of Funky Flower at 400 square feet may not register much excitement at the H-E-B stores where she once worked. It…

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