This week, Edinburg Mayor Richard Molina and the city council gave a commitment for funds establish the city’s first downtown bus trolley system. The $126,000 letter of commitment is as a local match for a federal program that through Valley Metro – if approved by the Federal Transportation Administration – would provide an additional $719,000 to establish routes in the local community. Funds from the federal goverment would come via the…
Grainger Industrial Supply recently made a donation fo $6,000 worth of tools to South Texas College. The tools were given in effort to assist students preparing to enter the workforce, The donation of tools to STC marks the first time the broad line supplier of maintenance, repair and operating products has donated in bulk to the college. STC has now created a system for dual enrollment students who are unable to afford…
Forty community leaders and stakeholders from the Rio Grande Valley recently traveled to Washington, D.C. for the second annual RGV2DC fly-in. During their time in D.C., attendees met with members of Congress, including senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz and Congressman Beto O’Rourke. Mayor of McAllen Mayor Jim Darling; elected officials from Mission, Pharr, and Brownsville; as well as senior leadership from the RGV Partnership, University of Texas at Rio Grande…
For this blog about Hurricane Season preparedness, we thought it would make sense to get some business continuity tips from a real expert — a business owner who survived multiple disasters. Three Brothers Bakery, a 69-year-old business owned by Janice and Robert Jucker, suffered losses of around $1 million after Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston last August. In 2008, the destruction caused by Hurricane Ike forced the couple to close the…
The Pharr International Bridge hosts a free BridgeConnect Trade Session on the new toll system June 21 from 2-4 p.m. The session povides an overview of the enhancements coming soon for customers to cross more efficiently. The system will also replace all existing tags for current customers. The BridgeConnect Trade Session will take place at the Pharr Development and Research Center, 850 W. Dicker Road in Pharr. BridgeConnect is implemented by the…
President and CEO of the Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce Robert Rosell is one of a handful of professionals nationally receiving a scholarship from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. The National Institute Scholarships recognize recipients for their involvement in both industry professional organizations and community service. Rosell will participate in the Institute for Organization Management‘s curriculum which consists of four week-long sessions taught by university professors, industry experts and…
John Reed has unanimously been elected to serve as chairman of the Brownsville Navigation District. Reed has served as chairman prior from 2010-2012. His new appointment is also for two years. He continues to serve alongside BND Vice Chairman Sergio Tito Lopez and Secretary Ralph Cowen. Both men were also unanimously elected to the serve as part of the executive board. Local businessman Esteban Guerra also was sworn in as…
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…
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…
As they grow, local small businesses often promote longtime employees to supervisory or management positions without providing training in essential skills. Conflicts arise when an individual does not know how to be a boss – how to delegate work, how to guide subordinates to keep projects on schedule, how to deal with a team’s strengths and weaknesses, how to listen. Workplace conflict, whatever the cause, leads to inefficient operations…