Little did Al Salazar know that a small bait and tackle stand on South Padre Island would become a multimillion-dollar enterprise that keeps growing as time goes by. Today, the family business owns and operates seven restaurants, and is about to open an eighth eatery, Josephine. Salazar, the family patriarch who wears no fancy outfits and who often advertises himself holding a beer mug, said he opened a fishing stand…
The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation is seeking for start-ups and existing businesses for its “Business Improvement & Growth (BIG)” Program. These entities should be looking to relocate or expand in Brownsville’s Historic Downtown. Through the BIG Program, businesses and property owners can receive financial assistance for exterior and interior capital improvements. This includes signage improvements. They can also receive rent subsidy assistance for projects intended to create jobs and increase…
Region 6 Small Business Advocate Rhett Davis of the SBA’s Office of Advocacy host two local small business regulatory forums March 28. The forums are held in an effort to further the goals of presidential executive orders on regulatory reform. The goal of the visit is to hear directly from small business owners about federal regulations that concern them. This is an opportunity for small businesses to educate the Office of Advocacy through first-hand…
Walk into La Real Michoacana on north Texas Boulevard in Weslaco and you’re met by splashy colors of yellow and orange and vibrant reds with big photos of ice cream cones and paletas. It’s a happy vibe at a business geared to families and fun get-togethers as customers revel in what general manager Hilario Lozano said is “un sabor de Mexico.” A taste of Mexico from a state in the…
Deep South Texas is expected to see economic growth again this year, although the increases in activity may be a little smaller than the numbers for 2018, according to an economic forecast compiled by Salvador Contreras, director of the Center for Border Economic Studies at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. “Texas had a strong 2018,” Contreras said. “This year may not be as strong but we will have…
The Texas Board of Nursing unanimously granted Texas Southmost College initial approval to establish a new Associate Degree Nursing education program. The program will begin with the upcoming fall semester. “The re-opening of TSC’s ADN program was one of the priorities of the college and the board of trustees, and we’re excited to have achieved it,” said TSC Board of Trustees Chair Adela Garza. “TSC’s nursing program has a long…
Student of Texas Southmost College can now take advantage of free transit service from STC’s main campus to the International Technology, Education and Commerce Center. The Brownsville Metro Scorpion Connector service is a pilot program from TSC, Brownsville Metro and the City of Brownsville. TSC students can use Route 14 and all fixed route services free of charge with a valid TSC Student ID. During the spring 2019 semester, transit service runs…
The Small Business Administration estimates about 627,000 new businesses open every year. It might be a hobby to earn extra income, or a long-standing idea you finally want to act on. Whatever the motivation, there are resources available for people who want to launch a business in 2019. One of the organizations aspiring business owners can turn to is the Small Business Development Center housed at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Center…
The scene was reminiscent of an old-fashioned barn raising, where friends would turn out to help a farmer build a new barn, and then celebrate the accomplishment. But on this Saturday in December, what was being raised was a new covering for a damaged greenhouse at Acacia Farms in Bayview. The greenhouse, some 30 feet by 130 feet, lost its plastic covering in a freak windstorm earlier in the year…
For the third straight year, Foreign Trade Zone No. 62 at the Port of Brownsville ranks second in the nation for the value of exports. The figures come from the U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones Board’s annual report to Congress released Dec. 12. The port’s FTZ reported more than $3.5 billion in exported goods in 2017. Additionally, FTZ No. 62 ranks 18th nationally for the value of imports totaling more than $3.6…