BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr., says the county is close to landing a project that would be a game changer for the region.
He said he could not name the company or the industry it operates in at this point. However, he said its impact could be as great at SpaceX and the liquefied natural gas terminals being built at the Port of Brownsville.
“It's a project that we think - if we can finalize everything - will mean an absolute new and next chapter in the book that we've been writing ever since SpaceX and the LNGs have gotten here. Obviously they (SpaceX and the LNGs) have brought additionally related industries. That's where we're seeing additional growth (right now),” Treviño said.
“But this particular one - along with others but particularly this one - could be quite a game changer. And that's saying a lot after what we've been experiencing the last few years.”
Asked if it could be referred to as a game changer, Treviño said: "Absolutely."
Asked if he could name the company, Treviño said:
“I'd rather make sure that we get everything finalized as we get closer. But I think between the work that we're doing at the county, in conjunction with the city, in conjunction with the state leadership, we're very cautiously optimistic that we're going to be able to make this one a reality.”
The RGG Business Journal asked Treviño about the project after seeing a public notice in the Brownsville Herald this past Saturday. The public notice said Cameron County intends to hold a public hearing on March 24 to consider providing tax abatements to Austin, Texas-based Saronic Technologies, Inc.
Natalie Wiegland, vice president of operations for Saronic, is referenced in the public notice Cameron County posted in the Herald.
A spokesperson for Saronic said: "Saronic’s nationwide search for a location to build Port Alpha remains active and ongoing. Recent filings are a standard part of the vetting process for sites under consideration, reflecting the thorough and deliberate approach required by Port Alpha’s unique requirements.”
A Rio Grande Valley-based source familiar with the project said: “This project could be as big as SpaceX for the region. The state leadership has been very involved.”
According to the Austin Business Journal, Saronic is considering building a $3.2 billion shipyard at the Port of Brownsville that could create 10,000 jobs.
"Public filings reveal a 10-year buildout plan for a massive shipyard not far from SpaceX's home base. The Austin-based company behind the deal is seeking tax incentives for a four-phase maritime facility that will bring autonomous boats for the military to life,” the Austin Business Journal stated.
According to WorkBoat, Saronic has been awarded a $392 million by the contract U.S. Navy. Saronic has a link to this WorkBoat story on its website:
According to Phelan, the Navy moved from prototype development to production in less than 12 months, a timeline far shorter than typical shipbuilding and acquisition programs. “The Navy isn’t admiring problems from the sidelines, we’re moving at war-footing speed. With Saronic, we went from prototype to production in under a year. That’s rapid innovation, real competition, and combat power in sailors’ and marines’ hands, not on PowerPoints,” Phelan said in a statement on social media.
The contract focuses on Saronic’s Corsair platform, a 24' modular autonomous surface vessel capable of carrying roughly 1,000 lbs. over 1,000 nautical miles and achieving speeds greater than 35 knots. Saronic describes Corsair as suitable for blue-water missions ranging from maritime domain awareness to kinetic and non-kinetic strike roles.
The vessels are intended to support what Phelan characterized as a “hybrid manned–unmanned Fleet,” emphasizing fielded hardware and competitive procurement.
Saronic said its ability to transition Corsair into high-rate production resulted from internal investment in manufacturing capacity. Last week, the company announced a $300 million expansion of its Franklin, La., shipyard. The project will add more than 300,000 sq. ft. of production space and is expected to create 1,500 jobs in coordination with state and local partners.
The Louisiana facility — acquired from shipbuilder Gulf Craft earlier this year — is the development and production center for Marauder, another Saronic autonomous vessel that advanced from initial design to full development in six months. The platform has since grown to an 180' configuration designed for increased payload and operational range.
“We are proud to partner with the U.S. Navy to rapidly field advanced autonomous maritime capabilities. From day one, we built our company around rapid innovation and scaled manufacturing, enabling us to transition Corsair from prototype to fielded capability in high-rate production in under a year,” the company said in a statement.
“We approached the Navy with a proven capability and found a partner committed to testing, adopting, and procuring new technologies at scale,” the company continued. “Because we have invested heavily in our own production infrastructure and capacity, we can deliver these new capabilities at the speed and quantity the mission requires.”
Saronic said the Navy contract reflects broader shifts in federal acquisition policy aimed at opening procurement channels to nontraditional defense suppliers and accelerating fielding of commercial-derivative technologies.
Defense officials have emphasized the need to pair acquisition reform with domestic production capacity.
