Mohamed Sharaf found kindred spirits in Mercedes that he said reminded him of his father’s farming and agricultural homeland in Syria.

The vice president for development of the Waxahachie-based Victron Energy Inc. examined various South Texas markets for a site to build a high-end travel center that would be reminiscent of a Buc-ee’s, with a look reflecting a community’s history and heritage. In visiting the Rio Grande Valley, Sharaf was looking for a location that would attract commuters and truckers with numerous gas pumps, large bathrooms and shower facilities.

“We did a lot of market research and found there was no better location or city than this one for what we wanted to do,” Sharaf said at a July 13 groundbreaking in Mercedes for the Gateway travel center. “We believe the travel center is going to give commuters between McAllen and Harlingen, as well as truckers, a new option. There will be nothing like this in the Valley.”

Sparking New Growth

The 12,000-square-foot travel center will sit at the intersection of Mile 2 E Road and Expressway 83. The location is about a quarter mile east of the Rio Grande Valley Premium Outlets. 

It will include a full-fledged Wendy’s to go with a higher-end convenience store and a deli. Its exterior design will feature large photos of boot-making and the cowboy and ranching heritage of Mercedes that is reflected yearly with the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show. A Chick-fil-A will open next door to the travel center.

Victron is a leading fuel distributor for ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, Texaco and Conoco. The Dallas-area company is also a major retail and property developer in Texas. Sharaf is the son of Victron’s late founder, Ali Sharaf, who started the company in the mid-1980s with a single convenience store. He would later develop Victron to have holdings and developments throughout Texas.

“My father came from a community like this one, with small farming and agriculture,” Sharaf said at the groundbreaking. “One of the things my father wanted to do was to come into a community like Mercedes to bring growth and opportunities.”

A Lead To Follow

The travel center development is a major breakthrough for Mercedes. It will open in early 2023, with construction now ongoing. City leaders hope that other developers will follow Sharaf’s lead and come to Mercedes. 

“It says a lot for someone like Sharaf to see something in us and put it on the line for us,” said Fred Gonzalez, the president of the Mercedes Area Chamber of Commerce, who is also the president of the board of the Development Corporation of Mercedes. “It has opened some eyes. We have other developers looking at Mercedes thanks to Mohamed bringing this project here.”