RGV Business Journal

Once only available in major cities, this technology is now saving lives in the Rio Grande Valley.

ECMO — short for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation — is a specialized form of life support that temporarily replaces the function of the heart and lungs.

In this episode of the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal podcast, host Naxi Lopez speaks with Dr. Andrew Phillips and Jennifer Tobar about how the Valley’s ECMO program was built, what it takes to operate around the clock, and the real-life stories behind this critical care breakthrough.

The Rio Grande Valley Business Journal presents highlights from its inaugural Economic Outlook Luncheon, featuring keynote economist Pia Orrenius, vice president at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

After opening remarks from publisher Ramiro Garza Jr., Orrenius breaks down Texas job trends, housing affordability, migration shifts and cross-border trade — and what those forces could mean for the Rio Grande Valley in 2026.

The program wraps with audience Q&A and a regional industry panel discussing workforce development, LNG, real estate and infrastructure investment. It’s a timely conversation on where the RGV economy stands — and what’s ahead for South Texas businesses.

In this Rio Grande Valley Business Journal podcast episode, reporter Kristen Mossbrucker-Garza talks with Bert Guerra of Cine El Rey and James Alexander of The Flying Walrus about the growing tensions between city leadership and longtime downtown stakeholders.

The conversation covers:

• The original Heart of the City revitalization plan
• Recent enforcement actions and power shutoffs
• Zoning proposals affecting historic downtown
• The role of arts and music in economic development
• Why founders created the Heart of McAllen organization
• What comes next for businesses, residents, and artists

Guerra and Alexander share personal stories from decades of investment in McAllen’s cultural scene — and explain why they believe downtown deserves protection, thoughtful planning, and real collaboration.

🎧 Listen for a deep dive into how policy, culture, and community intersect in one of South Texas’ most important business districts.

Subscribe for more RGV business, economic development, and community conversations.

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.

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