One of Steve Valdez’s primary goals in leading the Weslaco Economic Development Corporation was to make it “a data-driven organization.” Valdez took the EDC’s helm in 2021. In the years since, Weslaco has continued its steady and sure growth in reaching higher levels of growth. The data Valdez speaks of shows the recording of some new high-water marks in 2024. Weslaco generated over $1 billion in taxable sales for the…
A groundbreaking ceremony took place Oct. 14 in Weslaco, with the Weslaco EDC announcing the development of the Mid Valley International Industrial Park. The second industrial park for the city will be on the corner FM 1015 (International Blvd.) and Mile 9 Road (Sugarcane Drive). The development is a master-planned, 146-acre industrial and retail subdivision. The existing park, less than a mile away, has limited space available and the demand…
The Weslaco Economic Development Corporation has a new executive director and its new leader comes from within the organization. Steven M. Valdez was selected as the executive director by the EDC’s board on May 19. Valdez formerly served as the EDC’s director for nearly five years. He comes into his new job with an understanding of the organization’s key functions. He also knows how it interacts with city government. Those…
The Weslaco Economic Development Corporation has awarded 37 local businesses with financial assistance from its small business loan/grant program. The program was announced in early May to help small businesses cope with the fallout of COVID-19 hardships. The EDC said the loan/grant program helps with payroll, mortgage, rent, utilities and basic operation costs. “The growing economy in Weslaco has based its success on the traditions set by our small business…
The Rio Grande Valley’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis will be prolonged. It could take 12-to-18 months, at the minimum, said leading bankers and economic development specialists. They say the recovery from the widespread business shutdowns this spring will stretch well into 2021. Recovery will also be dependent on one key factor. “It’s all going to depend on how we contain COVID,” said David Deanda, the president of Lone…
Irineo Capetillo knows what it’s like to navigate through the birth, emergence and subsequent struggles of a business that even in success, needs assistance if it hopes to see further growth. Going into 2019, Capetillo knew his Kapal Industries had outgrown its Donna facility. He also needed a second facility to expand his cabinet making and countertops manufacturing operations. The early search for a second facility in the Rio Grande…
Esteban Mejia Jr. has the restless energy of an Air Force veteran who once worked long shifts as a nuclear cruise technician. Returning home, the Mercedes native built an information technology business from scratch. He’s now working to extend his brand. “My dad would tell me, growing up, ‘Never back down from work,’’ he said. “So I’m always thinking, ‘what else, what else can I do?’” Mejia is the founder…
Kicking off the Weslaco 100 celebration on Dec. 6 is the Century Leader Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Knapp Medical Center Conference Center. Ray Perryman will serve as the keynote speaker. Perryman, the unofficial Texas economist with a sense of humor, is the president and CEO of The Perryman Group, an economic research and analysis firm based in Waco. His firm’s more than 2,000 clients since inception…
Rolling by the Kapal Cabinet House, a director with the Weslaco Economic Development Corporation makes an observation of what economic vitality means to a city. “Everyone enjoys seeing life back in the building,” said Steve Valdez as he moderates the Weslaco EDC’s 2019 bus tour. The tour is an annual event that brings together community and business leaders to view Weslaco’s economic gains. They also witness how the EDC’s efforts…
The bays of a brand new 82,500-square-foot warehouse swing open. Truck trailers stand ready to receive freshly packaged 500-pound bales of Rio Grande Valley cotton. “The gins are working 24/7, so we have to be ready,” said Laura Salazar, the general manager of Commodities Integrated Logistics. Salazar walks through the warehouse in Weslaco. Forklift operators are busy transporting packages of cotton to and from the trailers. It’s the cotton season…