Carrera: COSTEP’s two recent site selector visits to the RGV were a great success

MCALLEN, Texas – Rick Carrera, economic development director for the Council for South Texas Economic Progress, gave an update on his group’s work at the monthly meeting of the South Texas Manufacturers Association.

Carrera said COSTEP has just concluded two site selection tours. One was in the Upper Rio Grande Valley and took in a trip to an industrial park in Reynosa. The other was in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and took in a trip to an industrial park in Matamoros. 

Carrera thanked Pharr Economic Development Corporation for its help with the Upper Valley visit and the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation for the one in the Lower Valley.

“We have hosted two out of our three FAM (familiarization) Tours. They were very successful. Overall I think we had nine different site selectors from all over the country that come down to visit the area,” Carrera told the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service, at the conclusion of the STMA meeting.

“I believe seven out of nine site selectors had never been here before. Two of the nine had been here but had it been some time ago. They were fantastic.”

Carrera said he has followed up with all nine selectors. 

“They were all very happy with the tour. It was an eye opener for them. Because, again, most had not been to the area. They consider South Texas to be San Antonio. So they were very pleased.”

Carrera said the two tours could result in the Valley landing some top manufacturing companies.

“I’ve had some of the site selectors actually reach out to me with some industry leads. They have some companies in mind that they want to bring back to the area at some point. So overall, very, very positive.”

Asked which industries the two companies are in, Carrera said all he could say at this point is that one is a manufacturing firm and the other is a high tech company.

The third Fam Tour will cover the Laredo area, Carrera said. No dates have been confirmed but it should take place in the coming weeks.

In his remarks to STMA, Carrera also spoke about a new manufacturing company it helped recruit for the Port of Brownsville.

“We, along with Port of Brownsville, helped the Port of Brownsville land a company. They celebrated a groundbreaking recently for what will be a light manufacturing for food products.