New center to create more than 1,000 jobs
Construction on the largest industrial project in Harlingen history will begin soon following a groundbreaking ceremony on Dec. 4. The 920,000-square-foot CARDONE Industries distribution center is expected to be completed by December 2018, with some operations to start as early as the summer of 2018.
With a core processing facility in Harlingen for the past 10 years, CARDONE is the largest privately held automotive parts remanufacturer in the world. The $50 million expansion in Harlingen is expected to create more than 1,100 jobs in the first 10 years with a payroll of $327.7 million.
“We went through an extensive process to try and find the right place to put our distribution center,” said Michael Cardone, owner and executive vice chairman. “Not only was it financial, not only was it logistically strategic, but the people and the city was very important to us. As we went through that process we felt very strongly … that Harlingen was going to be the place for us.”
Harlingen Mayor Chris Boswell opened the groundbreaking ceremonies by welcoming the CARDONE expansion. “I think it says a lot about our workforce that CARDONE chose Harlingen,” he said.
Other dignitaries that addressed the crowd were Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., his son Rep. Eddie Lucio III, Rep. Oscar Longoria, Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. and Harlingen EDC Board President Dr. Gilbert Leal.
“As a Valley community we are very proud of the new state-of-the-art distribution center,” Sen. Lucio said. “The cutting edge distribution center is expected to have nearly $128 million in taxable sales and purchases and because it is projected that over $237 million will be added to our local tax rolls due to the facility’s assets. Today’s groundbreaking is a textbook example of economic and regional development.”
The CARDONE distribution center, located in the Harlingen Industrial Park on FM 509, is intended to support growing production at the company’s manufacturing facilities, one of which is located in Matamoros.
Construction on the facility came after more than a year of negotiations between CARDONE and the Harlingen Economic Development Corporation, as well as Cameron County, which recently approved a $1.7 million tax abatement agreement as part of an incentive package.
For more photos from the groundbreaking, visit the VBR photo gallery.