After managing 16 school kitchens in North Texas as a nutritionist, Rio Grande Valley native Veronica Barrera-Cuellar returned home with a dream of attending pastry school. She ended up selling chocolate. “I love pastry and I wanted to go to pastry school, but life happens,” she said. Needing to find a livelihood, she teamed up with her sister Patricia and began looking into franchise opportunities to start their own business.…
As technology races ahead by leaps and bounds, one thing never changes when operating a business. In the end it’s all about customer service. Across the Rio Grande Valley there are several locally owned companies offering residential and commercial security systems, and they all say their success is grounded in connecting with customers. Unlike some national security companies that contract with sales representatives and service technicians, these businesses take…
The need for storage and distribution space for the variety of fruits and vegetables imported from Mexico has long been a driver of industrial demand in the Rio Grande Valley. The agriculture industry has fueled the rise of Pharr as a global powerhouse and the home to a variety of thriving agriculture-related businesses. The Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge is the sixth-largest land port of entry in the United States and currently…
Whether sitting down for a tough negotiation or interviewing a potential new hire, most business people would like to be able to know more about their conversational counterpart than just the words coming out of their mouth. Learning to read a person’s body language can give valuable insight into what’s going on behind the verbal exchange. Body language expert Jan Hargrave says research shows 55 percent of personal communication is…
McAllen Chamber tool helps small businesses from Laredo to Kingsville Many small businesses cannot afford consultants or market research to help them keep up with the competition or identify potential customers. But the McAllen Chamber of Commerce offers access to a free online tool that can help. SizeUp McAllen allows business owners to do their own local market research through its extensive database that includes revenue comparisons, consumer demographics, labor…
When Marlen Saenz began selling picture frames at a local flea market 12 years ago, she never dreamed her little business would grow to where it is now after receiving a $1.3-million SBA 504 Real Estate & Equipment Loan. At the U.S. Small Business Administration, we know business success can be achieved with the right tools. And Saenz is just one of the 54,773 reasons the Rio Grande Valley has…
McAllen Culinary Academy makes cooking comfortable Food excites Chef Marcel, and he shares that enthusiasm with cooks who turn to him to sharpen their skills in the kitchen. The McAllen Culinary Academy may sound like a school for cooks wanting to become professional chefs, but that’s not what inspires Marcel. “I’m not looking to teach professional cooks,” Marcel said. “I am more for people who want to better themselves for…
Creating economic clout The Rio Grande Valley, often referred to as Rio South Texas, offers many choices for both global business location and generous economic development incentives. With a dynamic young labor force, great weather, low cost of living and plenty of recreational activities year round, the Rio South Texas region is an ideal location for companies looking to expand or relocate. For several decades, business leaders across the Rio…
There have been technological advances in so many areas around the world, from commercial to residential. One thing that hasn’t changed as dramatically is transportation. Fifty years ago, big rigs were pounding the roads, delivering produce from coast to coast and border to border. Today, those 18-wheelers are doing the same thing. The insides and the panel instruments have all been upgraded to include GPS and many other new functions,…
Rene Castro’s dad asked him a simple question – could Rene make a solar screen for one of the windows in the house. “I went to Home Depot, bought the material and made it,” Castro said. “Then he just said you should do this on the side. But I knew nothing about the solar screen business.” A few weeks later, he decided to start RRC Quality Solar Screens and now,…