Food manufacturer Westa Inc., the first tenant of the Port of Brownsville’s 118-acre business park, is finalizing the layout for its $20 million facilities at the port. Taking advantage of the port’s maritime access, Westa Inc. will receive grains via barge from the Midwest, enhancing the company’s supply chain operations for its high-capacity flour mill and sunflower seed processing plant set to employ 120 people. Last April, the company celebrated a…
OmniTRAX, the rail and real estate affiliate of The Broe Group, recently commemorated the 40th anniversary of its Texas rail affiliate, Brownsville and Rio Grande International Railway, at a ceremony of economic and community partners in Brownsville. Dignitaries from the Port of Brownsville, state and local economic partners, community leaders, and rail customers joined a leadership delegation from OmniTRAX and BRG to recognize the railroad’s pivotal role in keeping North…
Texas ports contribute more than $713.9 billion in economic activity for the state accounting for 28 percent of Texas’ gross domestic product, further advancing ports as a catalyst for state economic growth and job generation, according to a recent economic impact study by the Texas Ports Association. TPA’s most recent economic impact study was conducted by Martin & Associates, using data from fiscal year 2023. Since the association’s last report,…
The Brownsville Navigation District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers held a groundbreaking ceremony on Dec. 6 for Phase 2 of the Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement Project. The project will deepen the 17-mile-long Brownsville Ship Channel from 42 feet to 52 feet, improving navigational safety and enabling larger commercial vessels to access South Texas. “The Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement Project is paramount to the Port of Brownsville’s…
William Dietrich was fresh out of college after serving in the U.S. Army when deciding he wanted to be a police officer. That ambition brought him to Brownsville. The city’s police department was hiring and Dietrich went to where the job was being offered. Starting as a police officer, he saw the job as a stepping stone that would soon enough take him out of Brownsville. The first scenario may…
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Annual Report features the Port of Brownsville’s ascension to 50th position among 150 U.S. maritime ports for waterborne cargo. In 2022, the port handled 9.1 million tons of cargo, up from 8.9 million tons in 2021, moving from 55th to 50th place. The port’s comprehensive logistical network comprised of rail, trucking lines, vessel and barge services and pipeline connectivity are key to the transportation…
In its 85th Annual Report of the Foreign-Trade Zones Board to Congress, published Aug. 28, the Port of Brownsville’s FTZ No. 62 ranked third in the nation marking a 12-year-consecutive streak the value of exports at $7 billion. For the first time, FTZ No. 62 broke through the Top 20 list for the value of imports, ranking 14th with $3.2 billion worth of commodities imported. “Our foreign trade zone is an…
At a regular board meeting last week, the Brownsville Navigation District Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to appoint William Dietrich as port director and CEO. Dietrich becomes the ninth port director and CEO in the port’s 88-year history. In December, the BND Board named Dietrich interim port director and CEO while the navigation district conducted a national search for a new port director and CEO. “I would like to congratulate…
The Port of Brownsville recently held a ceremonial groundbreaking for its first tenant at the Port of Brownsville Business Park, Westa Inc. The April 18 ceremony marked a significant milestone in the development of the port’s 118-acre business park. Westa Inc., a major player in the agricultural industry, will invest $20 million to establish a state-of-the-art wheat flour mill and wheat storage silos at the Port of Brownsville. The company…
The Port of Brownsville was recently named the recipient of $1,116,279 in funding from the federal government for its Port of Brownsville Vessel Suitability Analysis and Feasibility project. Congressman Vicente Gonzalez announced the award in March as part of $15,622,100 in Community Project Funding for the 34th Congressional District of Texas. “By passing this final tranche of long-awaited funding bills, the U.S. House of Representatives has avoided a devastating and…