In this episode of the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal podcast, Kristen Mosbrucker-Garza sits down with Mike Willis, executive director of the South Texas Manufacturers Association, to discuss tariffs, automation, supply chains and workforce challenges shaping manufacturing today.

Willis explains why jobs didn’t “disappear,” how consumer choices fueled globalization, and what companies really need to invest in U.S. production. The conversation also explores SpaceX’s game-changing impact on Brownsville, the Valley’s role in binational manufacturing, and why workforce shortages remain one of the biggest barriers to growth.

“Manufacturing isn’t about jobs being stolen — it’s about efficiency, automation and competitiveness.”
— Mike Willis

Brownsville is experiencing a historic economic shift — and for the first time in modern history, more people are moving into the city than leaving.

In this episode of the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal podcast, Gilberto Salinas, president and CEO of the Greater Brownsville EDC, breaks down what’s driving that transformation. From SpaceX’s Starbase operation to major LNG projects near the Port of Brownsville, Salinas explains how long-term economic development efforts are reversing decades of brain drain and reshaping the regional economy.

Topics discussed include:
• Why Brownsville now ranks among the fastest-growing cities in the U.S.
• How SpaceX has triggered a wave of suppliers and global manufacturers
• The job and housing impacts of LNG and energy investment
• Workforce, infrastructure, and housing challenges tied to rapid growth
• Renewed cross-border collaboration with Matamoros, Mexico
• What Brownsville could look like over the next 5–10 years

This conversation offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at how major industrial projects translate into real jobs, rising incomes, and long-term opportunity for South Texas.

🔔 Subscribe for more coverage of the Rio Grande Valley economy, development, and cross-border trade.

Federal officials, SpaceX defense contracts and AI data centers are transforming the Rio Grande Valley.

In this episode of the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal podcast, our reporters break down border security policy, ICE enforcement, SpaceX’s expanding role as a defense contractor, and the rise of AI-powered data centers in Cameron and Willacy counties.

On this episode of the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal podcast, host Naxi Lopez-Puente speaks with Jonathan “Johnny” Vasquez, executive officer of the Rio Grande Valley Builders Association (RGVBA), about the state of residential construction in the Rio Grande Valley.

Vasquez discusses why the market has slowed, what affordability pressures look like (tariffs, regulation, land costs), how inventory is shaping buyer behavior, and why builders are pushing for a permanent workforce solution — including support for the bipartisan Dignity Act and expanded legal work pathways.

What we cover
• RGV construction slowdown: what’s driving it
• Inventory + rates: why it’s a buyer’s market
• Affordability: tariffs, regulation, and cost pressures
• Land prices and growth trends
• Workforce impacts and policy solutions
• What the Dignity Act would change

Rio Grande Valley Business Journal host Naxi Lopez-Puente speaks with Mario Guerrero, CEO of the South Texas Builders Association, about what builders and contractors say they’re seeing on construction sites across the Rio Grande Valley — and how worksite enforcement activity can ripple into project delays, construction loans, timelines, and the broader local economy.

Guerrero also discusses how the South Texas Builders Association formed during COVID-era disruption, what builders learned from supply-price spikes, and why workforce availability is now one of the biggest constraints in the local housing pipeline.

🎧 Watch, share, and subscribe for more RGV business reporting and interviews.

Topics covered
• Worksite enforcement and construction delays
• The “mid-pour” example and direct jobsite cost impacts
• Construction loans, banking risk, and inventory pressures
• Workforce gaps and the skilled trades pipeline
• Tariffs, interest rates, and affordability headwinds
• How the association formed and what’s next

Rising construction costs, higher land prices and changing buyer demand are reshaping the Rio Grande Valley housing market.

In this interview, a local builder and real estate broker walks through what affordable new construction looks like today in Pharr, how labor and material costs have changed over the past decade, and why incentives are becoming more common in a buyer’s market.

The conversation covers inventory levels, land prices, labor shortages, financing realities, and what buyers and sellers should understand before making their next move in the Valley real estate market.

📍 Highlights include:
• Affordable housing in the RGV• New construction costs• Buyer vs. seller market dynamics• Labor and land price trends• What today’s buyers are asking for

In this episode of the RGV Business Journal, host Naxiely Lopez takes listeners on a tour with Joaquin Spamer from McAllen, Texas, as they explore two of his ongoing construction projects shaping the Valley’s growth.

From groundbreaking developments to the vision behind each build, Joaquin shares what it takes to bring large-scale projects to life and how construction in the RGV plays a vital role in driving regional progress.

👷‍♂️ Tune in for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at how innovation and infrastructure are transforming South Texas — one project at a time.

#RGVBusinessJournal #RGV #McAllen #Construction #TexasDevelopment #Infrastructure #CommunityGrowth

In this episode of the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal Podcast we sit down with Dante Galeazzi, CEO/President of The Texas International Produce association where he talks about agricultural restraints and water supply issues facing the Rio Grande Valley

The Rio Grande Valley is growing fast — but with growth comes challenges. 🏗️In this episode of the RGV Business Journal, host Naxiely Lopez sits down with Richard A. Garza, Broker and Owner of BIC Realty, to discuss some of the key infrastructure issues affecting the region. From transportation and drainage to planning and development, Richard shares his perspective on what’s holding the Valley back and what solutions could help move it forward.🎧 Tune in to hear an honest, insightful conversation about the future of infrastructure, real estate, and sustainable growth in the RGV.#RGVBusinessJournal #RGV #Infrastructure #BICRealty #TexasGrowth #EconomicDevelopment #CommunityProgress

Este episodio del pódcast presenta una entrevista con Mari Carmen Cadena, una profesionista con más de 30 años de experiencia en desarrollo económico y atracción de inversión extranjera en el norte de México. Ella comparte su trayectoria —desde estudiar en el extranjero, trabajar en el gobierno y promover a México internacionalmente, hasta unirse a desarrolladores industriales, convertirse en bróker y finalmente crear su propia empresa. Explica el crecimiento de la región Reynosa–Matamoros, sus fortalezas en manufactura (especialmente en autopartes), su identidad cultural y la importancia de ver la frontera entre México y Estados Unidos como una sola región económica. También habla sobre las necesidades de infraestructura, nuevas inversiones que están llegando a Matamoros y por qué el área está bien posicionada para seguir creciendo.