HARLINGEN, Texas - Orlando Campos, CEO of Harlingen Economic Development Corporation, says he is very confident of landing a billion dollar-plus data center for his city.
In fact, he told the RGG Business Journal, the “strong possibility_ projects he and his team are working on add up to $5 billion-plus worth of investment.
“We've got a lot of interest in Harlingen… in fact, a lot more than what we've ever had before. We’ve got 12 active projects that we are cultivating for the community that could bring in a potential investment of five plus billion dollars. These are projects that would not just have a tremendous and positive impact within Harlingen, but that would have had huge positive impact in the entire region,” Campos said.
The Business Journal secured an exclusive interview with Campos upon the conclusion of a Rio Grande Valley Partnership Commercialization & Investment Tour event, held at Texas State Technical College’s Welcome Center.
In his remarks at the event, Campos spoke about securing a data center for Harlingen. He elaborated on the prospect in his interview with the Business Journal.
“We were fortunate to host different investors and real estate brokers as well as individuals that are interested in learning about what what is happening here in Harlingen. And so this was a great opportunity to showcase and bring people up to date of what we're working on and what the future looks like in terms of future growth here in our community,” Campos said, referring to the event.
Campos said he was “very thankful” to the Partnership for hosting the event and bringing in stakeholders from across the Rio Grande Valley.
Asked what the key points of his presentation were that he wanted to get across, Campos said:
“I came aboard (HEDC) two years ago, and so we've hit the road hard in promoting the community and ensuring that none of the projects that the organization was working on slipped through the cracks. We have certainly done that.
“But, along the way, it was also important for individuals to know that we have also been working hard in promoting the community throughout the U.S., as well as in Mexico, for potential investment and creating more potential prospects.”
Campos said one of the big advantages Harlingen possesses is a large and skilled workforce.
“One of the things that makes Harlingen ideal for these (data center) type of projects is the labor force that they need. And our labor force is not just tied within the boundaries of Harlingen. We bring in a number of employees from Southern Cameron County, from the Brownsville area, and as far west as Mission. So, by choosing a location that's closer to the center, they're able to tap to a much larger labor force.”
Campos said HEDC is working “very closely” with its workforce partners “to ensure that we invest in the training that is needed for these companies, to ensure that they have the labor force that they need.”
Another advantage, Campos said, is Harlingen’s central location in the Valley.
“It’s all about location, location, location as well. And so Harlingen is ideally situated to be able to provide support to a lot of these industries that are looking at the region. We're getting very close to making two announcements on two projects that are choosing Harlingen for that same reason.”
In his presentation, Campos referred to a big data center project coming to El Paso. He said Harlingen is not far behind in making a similar announcement.
“These type of projects, because of their capital investment, take a lot of time to develop. We're not talking about a few million dollars. These projects are billions of dollars of investment. So, when a company is looking at making that type of investment, they want to make sure that all their T's are crossed and their I's are dotted. That the site that they select checks all the boxes for what they need,” Campos said.
“We've got quite a number of companies that are kicking the tires looking at potential data center locations. We've got one that has focused in on Harlingen. They've tied down 1,800 acres within the industrial area of the community for such a development. And so this would be a five-plus billion dollar development.”
Campos said HEDC has non-disclosure agreements in place that prevent him from naming the companies he is talking to.
“We can't say which project or what company it is. But, we’re working with them on a daily and weekly basis to provide all the information that they need as they do their due diligence.
“Data centers obviously require huge power demands, and we've got quite a number of large projects that are happening here in the region. And so, when you look at data centers, they will obviously absorb a lot more power. So for us, it's also very critical that we bring AEP and other electrical providers and producers to the table to help meet the demands that these companies have.”
Asked how probable it is that Harlingen Weill get a data center, Campos said:
“I'm very positive that we'll get a data center. With the technological advances that are happening throughout the country and the growth of the AI industry, they will require backbone infrastructure to be able to run these types of new resources that are starting to percolate and grow throughout the world. I think the Valley is ideally situated to be able to take advantage of some of this growth in this industry. And so, of the prospects that we're working with, I feel very confident that we'll be able to get some data centers here in the Valley.”
Asked how big the investment would be, Campos said:
“The investment is in the billions. So, obviously, it's a huge economic boon in terms of property tax revenue that would come in to the cities and the counties that are able to attract them. But, more importantly, it also elevates the required labor force and training that is needed. These are high-paying jobs that would come. We’re not talking about thousands and thousands of jobs. We're talking about several hundreds of jobs and industries that don't currently exist here. And so this translates into more opportunities for our local residents.”
Editor’s Note: Here, below, is a video recording of the interview the RGG Business Journal secured with Orlando Campos at the RGVP event. In the interview, Campost talks about his success in getting the South Texas Manufacturers Association to host one of their monthly meetings in Harlingen.
