They came from two different walks of life – the cook and retail store manager – and in a Brownsville kitchen during an Easter break, they mapped out the beginnings of a business plan. It was 2010 when Bobby Saenz, with years of retailing management experience, approached Daniel Pompa, a graduate of a culinary school, and made a pitch. “I had a vision of a restaurant – burgers, wings, country…
The Edinburg Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors presented Thanksgiving meals to Edinburg families Nov. 14 at the Saint Vincent De Paul Center at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Chamber Ambassadors reached out to eleven families from the Edinburg Area by providing 11 prepared meals. These meals included turkey and all the fixings for their holiday. Making donations were the Chamber Ambassadors, Hidalgo- Starr County Medical Society, Rio Valley Realty, Best Western Plus…
The Edinburg Chamber of Commerce‘s 2018 Man and Woman of the Year will receive honors Nov. 9 at the chamber’s annual Installation Banquet. This year’s honorees are Robert and Janet Vackar, owners of Bert Ogden Auto Group. Recognition of Jennifer Garza as incoming president of the chamber board accompanies the celebration of the Vackars. Garza is currently the vice president of operations for Superior Health Plan. Also receiving recognition are Agustin Lozano…
Juan Guerra is now the city manager of Edinburg, with his appointment coming at a special Edinburg City Council meeting Oct. 9. Guerra comes to Edinburg with 18 years of experience in city government. This includes three years as city manager for the City of Pharr since 2015. Born and raised in Chicago, Guerra has been a resident of the Rio Grande Valley for 26 years. He is a graduate of Nikki…
Free financial education, which includes both small business and personal finance, starts Oct. 19 in Edinburg with PeopleFund’s “Financial Education Friday.” The series of free classes take also takes place Oct. 26 and Nov. 16. Held under BBVA Compass Center’s Pilot Program, the series is held at PeopleFund offices in Edinburg, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston. The Edinburg office is located at 300 S. Closner Blvd. Ste. 1. Session topics and…
The Edinburg Chamber of Commerce and Edinburg Convention & Visitor’s Bureau is currently accepting applications for an executive director. The executive director is a key representative for business owners and employers in Edinburg. The position focuses on membership, tourism and advocacy, as well as quality of life. The executive director is responsible for the overall operations of the organization, being responsible to the board of directors for a full range of…
Welcomed with great fanfare and full houses, the $88-million, 219,000-square-foot Bert Ogden Arena opens a new chapter in the Rio Grande Valley as the largest entertainment venue in South Texas and a boon for regional economic development. An estimated 5,000 people turned out for grand-opening ceremonies and arena tours in August, entertainer Luis Miguel performed a sold-out concert in September, followed by a near sell-out for a WWE wrestling card.…
The Texas economy added 32,000 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs in August, which marked 26 consecutive months of employment growth. Over the year, Texas added 394,500 jobs for an annual employment growth rate of 3.2 percent. Private-sector employers added 32,800 positions over the month. Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 3.9 percent in August, down slightly from 4.0 in July 2018. Locally, unemployment rates are also down in Metropolitan Statistical Areas. Brownsville-Harlingen…
Grindstone Coworking will open its new McAllen office space this month at the intersection of 10th street and Trenton Road at Trenton View Plaza. The location is open to remote workers, freelancers and small business owners in the Rio Grande Valley. Grindstone is now accepting membership applications and pre-leasing for private office suites. It is also offering an Early Bird Special available exclusively to the first 20 members to sign up.…
It was a grand opening for the record books. On Aug. 25, Alonzo and Yoli Cantu along with Bob and Janet Vackar personally welcomed guests to the Bert Ogden Arena, the new home of the RGV Vipers. Right off I-69 in Edinburg is where a preview party took place Saturday evening. The Bert Ogden Arena is a game changer, and entertainment in the Rio Grande Valley just went to a…