MCALLEN, Texas - The most convenient place to invest in, if you are in the manufacturing industry, is the Rio South Texas region.
This is the view of the Council for South Texas Economic Progress. The group defines Rio South Texas as the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo.
COSTEP has created a new database with details of all the manufacturing activity in the region. Click here to view a new website that has the data.
“Situated within the U.S. yet directly connected to Mexico’s industrial corridor, this region offers the best of both worlds: the strength, stability, and legal certainty of operating in the United States, combined with proximity to Mexico’s manufacturing powerhouse and skilled labor base,” COSTEP states.
According to the new data, the region has 140 industrial parks and 400 manufacturing companies in strategic sectors such as automotive, aerospace, electric-electronic, medical, energy and logistics.
Through its research, COSTEP has been able to identify 315 of these manufacturing companies. Of these, 267 are in northern Tamaulipas, and 48 are in Rio South Texas.
The region offers world-class connectivity, COSTEP states, with nine international airports, three maritime ports, 18 international bridges, and one spaceport.
The population of region is more than 3 million, COSTEP states. Of these, 1.0 million are in Rio South Texas and 1.9 million are in northern Tamaulipas.
COSTEP CEO Adam Gonzalez provided details of the new manufacturing industry data at an event held at South Texas College. Among those who attended were economic development leaders, industry stakeholders, and regional partners. Gonzalez said the data showed that Rio South Texas and northern Tamaulipas are two highly integrated regions that together form one of the most dynamic industrial corridors in North America.
Several industrial segments dominate the binational supply chain. They are:
Among the most significant supply chain linkages identified are:
According to Gonzalez, these findings reinforce the role of Rio South Texas Region as a strategic platform supporting North American manufacturing supply chains, particularly as companies across the globe continue to pursue nearshoring strategies and greater supply chain resilience.
After the event, the RGG Business Journal secured this interview with Gonzalez:
A COSTEP press release included commentary from a number of regional leaders. They welcomed the new data COSTEP has unveiled. This is what they had to say:
Jeffrey Salcedo of Edinburg Economic Development Corporation:
“This is a sophisticated tool for the entire ecosystem, providing data that is otherwise difficult to obtain. It allows us to map opportunities and helps investors better understand the strengths of our region.”
René Xavier González of CODEM:
“Consolidating this information allows us to attract investment tied to specific projects and scale those opportunities to a much larger level.”
April Castañeda of Donna Economic Development Corporation:
“It’s data that we need for EDCs to recruit manufacturing companies. The partnership between the Donna EDCs and COSTEP is going to be very beneficial, especially with the new international bridge coming to Donna.”
Steven M. Valdez of the Economic Development Corporation of Weslaco:
“We are grateful that COSTEP took the first step in compiling this information. This data helps companies understand the supportive systems and supply chain ecosystem available to them in the region.”
Andy García of Allied Consulting Group:
“This platform allows for data-driven decisions that benefit everyone. It shows that COSTEP truly cares about the region as a whole.”
Teclo Garcia of Mission Economic Development Corporation:
“This information is extremely valuable and useful for us as we build the talent pipeline needed to support new companies entering the region.”
COSTEP’s press release added: “The Industrial Data System was developed to provide verified industrial intelligence that helps economic developers, investors, and corporate decision-makers better understand where manufacturing concentration is occurring, how supply chains are evolving, and where opportunities for expansion exist.
“By bringing together reliable data on manufacturing companies, sector specialization, and supply chain relationships, the system provides a powerful tool for identifying growth opportunities and strengthening cross-border collaboration between Texas and Northern Mexico.
“As the manufacturing economy of North America continues to evolve, initiatives like the Industrial Data System position Rio South Texas Region as a data-driven, binational platform for industrial investment and supply chain growth.”
