Statistics released from Mexico indicate that maquiladora employment in Reynosa has recently increased. President/CEO of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation Keith Patridge attributes the increase to companies shifting production to places where they have lower costs and a capable workforce.
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Mike Allen, former president of McAllen EDC and leader for the City of McAllen, passed away Wednesday evening. He was a true visionary and always fought to create jobs and grow the City of McAllen.
Services for Mr. Allen are as follows:
A rosary is set for Friday, Aug. 27 at noon at Sacred Heart Parish in McAllen and a funeral mass will be held on Saturday, Aug. 28 at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Mission. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church Building Fund.
Following is the link to the memorial site that is under development, but there are currently more than 70 photos posted of Mr. Allen along with three of his quotes.
Click here to learn more about Mr. Allen:
http://admin.southtexascollege.edu/memorial/allen/index.html
A recent article in The Monitor features Valley Superior Powder Coating, the leader in providing this type of service for companies in the Rio Grande Valley. General Manager Thomas Violett discusses how he provides this service to all manufacturers and companies in the Rio Grande Valley and Mexico and how it can help reduce emissions.
This company, with the help of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation, located in the McAllen MSA and has plans to expand.
Read the full story here.
According to a recent survey, “in McAllen, 93 percent of residents said they felt safe walking or driving in their neighborhoods, compared to 85 percent in El Paso, 80 percent in Laredo and 75 percent in Brownsville.”
The Border Network for Human Rights commissioned the survey of more than 1,200 border residents in McAllen, El Paso, Laredo and Brownsville, TX and other border cities in New Mexico, Arizona and California. Border Network Executive Director Fernando Garcia told the Texas Tribune this: “We hoped (this poll) would tell the real story of the border — especially the real perceptions and feelings of border residents about safety and security. This poll sets the record straight.”
McAllen is consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in the U.S., according to FBI Crime Statistics.
To read the full story, click here
According to a recent Kiplinger report, McAllen, TX ranks as a No. 4 on the list of least expensive cities to live. The report indicates that the cost of Living Index: 86.5 and the McAllen/Edinburg MSA Population is 706,039. The median household income is $28,328 and the average home price is $213,383.
To read the report, click here
In the Friday, July 30 edition of The Monitor, Business Reporter Ana Ley wrote an article about Rewards4Referrals, the newest program recently launched by the McAllen Economic Development Corporation.
Keith Patridge, President/CEO of the McAllen EDC said, “Years ago, there were four or five media sources where we could go advertise for companies who want to relocate here. Now, with the Internet, there are so many sources out there to choose from. Where do you put your money?”
To read the full story in The Monitor, click here
Johnson Controls, which “create(s) quality products, services and solutions to
optimize energy and operational efficiencies of buildings; lead-acid automotive batteries and
advanced batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles; and interior systems for automobiles,” is seeking a project manager in the McAllen,TX/Reynosa, MX region.
See the full job post here
To learn more about Johnson Controls, click here
To help promote healthy living and environmental protection, Farley’s & Sathers Candy Company (known as Dulces Famosos) in Reynosa sponsored a week-long health fair for all employees and their immediate families. In the parking lot outside the plant, which is located in Villa Florida Industrial Park, hospitals, health officials, schools and pharmacies set up tents providing free services and information. Dulces Famosos employs about 1,000 people and produces candy canes and other sweet candy for distribution in the United States.
“We’re very proud of our company and our employees,” said Randy Main, general managers of Dulces Famosos, to a group of employees and their children. “We have to do special things for our people and this fair is an example of this. Not only is it an example, but it’s a promise, an obligation and our social responsibility.”
Main said that employees would have time to receive private screenings and he was working with everyone’s schedule to ensure employees that had a pre-existing condition would have access to a specialist available at the plant. Keith Patridge, President/CEO of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation; Ralph Garcia, Vice President for Mexico Business Recruitment; and Victoria Hirschberg, Marketing Director for the McAllen Economic Development Corporation, participating in the inaugural activities at the Reynosa plant.
“The health fair exemplifies some of the great things that are still happening in Reynosa,” Patridge said. “Main, just like our other plant managers in McAllen and Reynosa, take care of their employees.”
“Number one (is that) we believe a healthy employee is a productive employee,” Main said. “And for that reason we are focusing this fair on health and number two, our employees have the right to leave each day in the same condition as when they arrived for their shift.”
The team at the McAllen Economic Development Corporation is happy to announce several new corporate citizens in our bi-national community. These new companies in McAllen and Reynosa speak to the strength and resiliency of our area in a time of economic downturn. In addition to these new companies, McAllen EDC currently is working with 28 projects on the U.S. side and about 10 in Mexico. We remain focused on highlighting our strategic location, cost competitiveness and available skilled labor force. Be sure to check www.mcallenedc.org for current updates and news from our organization. If there is anything you’d like to learn or if you know of a company interested in our area, pass our information along. We want to grow and sustain our local businesses.
As for our new businesses, McAllen EDC is happy to announce that Union Plastic & Metal Recycling has located its new operation in the McAllen Foreign Trade Zone. This company, with headquarters in Hong Kong and a 30-acre recycling site in China, selected McAllen as its first North American location. Yan Ho, regional manager, said they were looking to open in an already established hub of manufacturers to ensure steady business. When studying the North American market, the company selected McAllen to capitalize on the more than 200 companies in McAllen and Reynosa. Union Plastic & Recycling can collect and recycle industrial materials from computers, steel, paper and metal parts. The company plans to hire several people for its operations and hopes to expand its services and operations in McAllen/Reynosa.
“It’s been quite an adventure,” Ho said, adding that he is relieved to start operations in the new 28,000-square foot facility.
In Reynosa, TopLine Cosmetics recently announced a new 26,000-square ft facility in the Parque Industrial Reynosa. The company designs, manufactures and produces packaging for cosmetics and beauty products (ie: the L’Oreal Infaillible Lipstick tube/ Lip Gloss duo). According to premiumbeautynews.com, Topline has more than 2,000 employees and currently operates five factories in China. The Reynosa facility ―the company’s first in North America― will begin production in upcoming weeks and plans to hire about 30 people.
Topline President Charles Chang commented to premiumbeautynews.com about the new location, saying: “Not only does the new North American site increase our global presence, but it will significantly benefit our customers by reducing their working capital costs and supply chain lead time. The new plant thus adds value to our services by enhancing customer productivity and inventory management operations.”
And on another exciting note, construction on the new Textape facility on Military Highway in South McAllen is almost complete. The company, which processes and distributes pressure sensitive tape, C-TPAT seals and electrical tapes, will move into its new almost 17,000-square feet facility by the end of summer 2010. Their current facility is about 8,000-square feet, said Doug Scott with Textape. This new, larger facility will increase the production capabilities in McAllen and there are plans to hire several new people when the new plant becomes operational.
And the article starts:
“They say everything in Texas is big, and that sure goes for its stature in business.”
A recent study from CNBC ranked Texas the No. 1 state in the United States for business based:
* Cost of Doing Business, Workforce, Quality of Life, Economy, Transportation & Infrastructure,
Technology & Innovation, Education, Business Friendliness, Access to Capital and Cost of Living.
Texas received the highest amount of points ever. This is great news for McAllen. McAllen offers a competitive, low-cost business model that allows companies to have a strategic global location and direct access to the North American and Latin American markets.
View the full report here