Thank you, Honorable Judge, members of the County Commission. So, we're here in support of the project and the proposed tax abatement this morning for Project Hercules, which is Saronic. With that, I would like to make three points.
First, this is a project that's considered a regional economic engine. A project of this scope, size, scale, magnitude does not operate in isolation, which means that a project like this will create an ecosystem around it. So, that's where us, Greater Brownsville EDC, like you heard from Orlando (Campos) at the Harlingen EDC, Ramiro (Aleman) with the County, Bill (Dietrich) at the Port, and his team, it's our job to develop that ecosystem around it.
At $3.2 billion in capital investment and the creation of 10,000 direct jobs, it’s the kind of a vest investment that's going to drive growth, not just in Brownsville, but in Cameron County and throughout the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas.
We have huge momentum right now, and it's a momentum which is being helping us attract additional companies, suppliers, skilled workers, and related industry, which continues to grow over time. And that's the ecosystem that this project is going to create.
Second, it's a fit for the Brownsville economy. This project aligns with a broader transformation that we're currently witnessing in Brownsville and the surrounding region. It’s a transformation where we are building an economy that spans from advanced manufacturing, energy, space, aerospace. Remember, energy and space six, seven, years ago, that did not exist. Fast forward to today, now we have an opportunity at tech, AI, and defense.
Third, it reinforces the long-term competitiveness of this region. So, from an economic development standpoint, this is all about the competitive positioning of this region. It's about the ability to attract and support projects of this scale to do the following: increase and diversify our workforce skill sets and opportunities, expand our supplier base, and build that ecosystem of forward-thinking companies, and ensure that this region continues to grow in a sustainable and a meaningful way.
And lastly, a large scale of investment like this project, it's going to send a direct and a powerful message to the market, and that message is that this city, this county, and this region can and will compete on the global stage for these projects, like we have in the past.
So, I'll leave you with this. In annual operations with this project, we're looking at $4.9 billion in total spending, nearly 20,000 total jobs, when you're looking at direct, indirect, and induced jobs. $1.4 billion in annual wages. This is money that does not exist here today. It is money that will end up in the pockets of Cameron County residents, and that is the money that creates disposable income for our local population. And it's that disposable income that drives small business and Main Street, USA. This is money that ultimately will increase the GDP.
Honorable Judge and County Commissioners, it is this increase in GDP which will ultimately result in the creation of what we call in our industry generational wealth. Like the (Point Isabel ISD) Superintendent, Dr. (Teri) Capistran mentioned, we had the opportunity to tour Saronic, and she said it very well. Seeing the employees there, talking to the employees, it changes their lives, and that is the true embodiment of economic development. Thank you.
Editor’s Note: The above remarks were made by Gilberto Salinas, president and CEO of Greater Brownsville Economic Development Corporation, at a public hearing held by Cameron County Commissioners Court on June 2, 2026. The hearing was held to consider giving Saronic Technologies a tax abatement on a $3.2 billion shipyard and manufacturing hub project at the Port of Brownsville. No decision was taken by the commissioners.
