When it comes to having a burger, most people think about fast-food joints like McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s or Jack in the Box. Others favor chains known for having some of the best hamburgers in the country, like Corpus Christi-based Whataburger and In-and-Out Burgers of Irvine, Calif. Some people might say that all beef patties placed inside a bun or roll are basically the same, but three of the oldest…
Texas Southmost College has recently announced the launch of the new Industrial Scaffolding Committee Basic Access program in response to a shortage of skilled industrial scaffold builders in Texas and the Gulf Coast region. The Industrial Scaffolding Committee Basic Access program is a two-week, 80-hour Workforce Training program that will prepare students for the Industrial Scaffolding Committee certification. Students who complete the Industrial Scaffolding Committee Basic Access program will learn…
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…
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…
A Mexican entrepreneur who has achieved success with nopal-based powders, candies and breads is working to break into the U.S. market, with a little help from his friends at the Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Center, a real-life entrepreneurship laboratory in Brownsville. Acting as a business incubator, the center is part of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Office of Community Engagement and Economic Development. “What we focus on is business…
Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation is seeking nonprofit and city partners to partner with to promote economic development. BCIC looks to promote the development through the BCIC Partnership Grants which focus on community development projects. Both nonprofit organizations and city departments are the focus of the grants. By design, the awards engage in the necessary community development needed to promote economic development opportunities. Through the grants, the BCIC will supplement up to $5,000…
Public-private collaborations to build a workforce for the future have picked up speed in recent years amidst growing concerns that some skills needed to prosper are lagging behind advancements in technology. Electric cars whizzing around at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour offer a recent example of how some young people in the Rio Grande Valley are looking forward. Thirty-one teams representing middle schools, high schools and colleges…
One of the first customers of the recently opened Venture X shared workspace in Harlingen was a Dallas production company that needed a place to make an advertising pitch to South Texas H-E-B executives. The company had made arrangements for a space in the Los Fresnos area, but discovered internet connectivity problems in advance of the meeting. So they contacted Venture X and rented a 10-person meeting room equipped with…
The Women’s Business Center of Cameron County and the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce are now accepting applications from those interested in starting a business for its DreamBuilder Academy. The 12-module course is designed specifically for women (although anyone can participate) and creates a step-by-step framework for starting a business. The DreamBuilder format helps participants realize if they should start a business, as well as understand a business plan. Costs with…