iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 11h

New USDA red dye rules ruled out regular chamoy for school snacks. So Valley Ice Cream turned to McAllen's I Love Chamoy, which colors its sugar-free chamoy with hibiscus. Their mangonada paleta is now in La Joya, Mission and PSJA schools. It may be just the start. tinyurl.com/k6vrz2nm

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 20h

Pharr International Bridge just doubled its capacity: a second structure, 4 new lanes. At Pharr’s first Gateway Forum, leaders in customs, logistics, produce and manufacturing said the real test is whether processing, workforce & the Valley’s freight network can keep up. tinyurl.com/5fny9zf6

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

A new state filing puts Soluna Holdings' Kati 2 AI data center in rural Willacy County at $471.8M: 471,884 square feet and about 112 megawatts of IT load. Construction is set to begin this week. tinyurl.com/9mc8pasa #RGV #DataCenters #ArtificialIntelligence #RenewableEnergy

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Brownsville advanced a stormwater utility fee to replace its Resaca Fee, projected to raise $6.2M a year for drainage and flood control. Most homeowners would still pay $6.25 a month; businesses would pay by impervious surface. tinyurl.com/s8ehdbwv

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Tamaulipas wants to sell beef, not just cattle. A proposed $44.5M project, Carne Tam, would finish, process and brand beef in-state after screwworm curbs disrupted U.S. cattle trade. Operations targeted for mid-2027. tinyurl.com/2dw7nyux #CarneTam #Tamaulipas #Ganaderia

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Tariffs had their biggest jump since Smoot-Hawley in 2025, yet U.S. imports grew 4.5%. A new Dallas Fed analysis finds AI data center demand drove a 68.3% surge in computer imports, much of it through Mexico, while imports from China fell 40%. tinyurl.com/3veabb6p

010

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Nearly 100 years in San Antonio, and a new roof to carry them forward. Noble Texas Builders, along with a roofing contractor and community donors, teamed up to repair the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration Convent at no cost to the order. Join the celebration Wednesday! tinyurl.com/23f7y6u3

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Exclusive: The city of Starbase EDC's strategy shows a $3B bond for SpaceX growth. The rocket manufacturer says it will use the tax-exempt bonds to pay for spaceport construction, as opposed to corporate bonds, which are taxable and have higher interest rates. Here's what you should know.

rgvbusinessjournal.com

Starbase EDC may issue $3 billion in tax-exempt bonds to support SpaceX, records show

Starbase EDC’s strategy is taking shape, with up to $3 billion in tax-exempt bonds proposed to support SpaceX expansion

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Saronic Technologies breaks ground Wednesday on Port Alpha, its $3.2 billion shipyard at the Port of Brownsville, with VP J.D. Vance and Gov. Greg Abbott expected to attend. The project could create up to 10,000 direct jobs, with operations set for 2028. tinyurl.com/3hmy898b

001

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

ICE deported 10,142 Rio Grande Valley residents between October 2022 and March 2026. The Caminos Institute estimates the lost spending cost the regional economy $180.6 million, with construction, health care, and food service hit hardest. tinyurl.com/3ztd39fe

010

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Gov. Abbott issued a disaster proclamation Monday letting Texas farmers, truckers, and businesses temporarily use cheaper, untaxed dyed diesel on public roads. Diesel hit a record $5.97 a gallon statewide in Sept, and some pumps near the Port of Brownsville neared $7. tinyurl.com/rdrppwv4

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Starship is now an orbital rocket. SpaceX's Flight 14 launched from Starbase in South Texas on Monday, reached orbit for the first time and deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites before splashing down in the northern Pacific. tinyurl.com/238wxszp

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

What does it take to keep goods moving across the border? More than new lanes. Carriers, customs brokers, educators, and officials met in Reynosa this month to talk certification, cargo tracking, and a driver turnover problem that's forcing companies to rethink training. tinyurl.com/4t4ffeka

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Brownsville’s housing master plan: newcomers earn ~$79K vs. ~$51K for longtime residents, most growth is on the city’s edges, and lower-income rentals remain a gap. Give feedback at the Oct. 29 open house (5-7:30 p.m., main library) or online. More info at the link tinyurl.com/yr8b5tfj

tinyurl.com

First look at Brownsville’s housing master plan. What you need to know and how to get involved.

RGV Business Journal covers business news in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and the Mexican cities of Reynosa and Matamo

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Edinburg has seen $1B+ in construction permits in 3 years. EDC chief Raudel Garza talks Zoho's Echo Hotel campus, downtown's revival, and what's next on the RGVBJ podcast. tinyurl.com/mwupx2pw #Edinburg #RGV #RioGrandeValley #SouthTexas #EconomicDevelopment #Zoho #UTRGV

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Filling a 16-gallon tank in the Rio Grande Valley now runs about $67, up from roughly $44 when gas was near $2.75. Commuters, home health workers and food trucks are all feeling it. A look at fuel and food costs across South Texas: tinyurl.com/2usv2zhk #RioGrandeValley #Inflation #GasPrices

001

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Starbase is now about 8,100 acres after annexing 7,133 acres near Boca Chica Beach on Sept. 21. We looked at who owns the land, what SpaceX is building toward Brownsville, and why some landowners and environmental groups are pushing back. tinyurl.com/ykkmdxjt

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

RGV jobs through August: a net 1,800 gain, but McAllen-Edinburg-Mission added 2,900 while Brownsville-Harlingen lost 1,100. Federal jobs grew fastest in both metros. And how Texas counts multi-site employers may be hiding some Brownsville hiring. tinyurl.com/55jz2b98

110

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered TCEQ to stop issuing permits for data centers until ERCOT finishes auditing large grid-connection requests — his fourth move against the industry since June. In the RGV, permitted projects can proceed. Those still in planning are stalled. tinyurl.com/wfekxczr

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Matamoros’ private sector is shifting from waiting to selling. CODEM has grown to 33 cross-border members, including the Port of Harlingen and RioPlex, while Alianza Matamoros builds a case for the city as a Plan México development hub. tinyurl.com/5n6pu7e8

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

13,377 apprehensions. 10,142 deportations. New FOIA-based data on what immigration enforcement means for the RGV's workforce and economy — out now on the RGVBJ podcast with the Caminos Institute's Andrik Gonzalez. tinyurl.com/5n8599v8 #RioGrandeValley #RGVBJ #Immigration #SouthTexas

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Cameron County: 4 companies eyeing a combined $40B in investment and 30,000 jobs. That's just the start of the RGV's next manufacturing challenge — supply chains, workers, and infrastructure. Check out our 5 takeaways for RGV businesses: tinyurl.com/ym7a93j9

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Remember that Austin-based technology startup with big plans at the Port of Brownsville? Well, Saronic Technologies was just awarded a new contract for landing craft utility vessels for the U.S. Navy.

rgvbusinessjournal.com

Saronic lands Navy landing craft contract, first build at Brownsville's Port Alpha

RGV Business Journal covers business news in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and the Mexican cities of Reynosa and Matamo

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

McAllen is investing $204 million to add a new potable water source to its portfolio, reducing reliance on the Rio Grande River. Now the city is preparing four construction bids to encourage local businesses to compete for a slice of the work.

rgvbusinessjournal.com

McAllen’s $204M water investment expects to seek construction bids in 2027

RGV Business Journal covers business news in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas and the Mexican cities of Reynosa and Matamo

010

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Math teacher. Garage coffee roaster. Pitch competition finalist. Petronilo Vázquez's Bonampak Coffee Roasters didn't take home Mission EDC's $25K grand prize Wednesday — but he's still calling it a win. tinyurl.com/bddks2ke

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

SpaceX targets Sept. 22 for Starship Flight 14 — first attempt to put Starship in full orbit (~6 trips around Earth, ~10 hrs) and deploy 26 Starlink V3 satellites. Launches from Starbase, Cameron County. tinyurl.com/2s3kxfzj #SpaceX #Starship #Starbase #CameronCounty #RGV

010

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

SpaceX told Brownsville officials it'll eventually need 2 million gallons of water a day for Starbase — about 20x current usage and ~4.7% of the city's total supply. The company is donating $220M for water infrastructure in exchange for a fast-tracked land deal. tinyurl.com/yu6z8t4y

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Crunch Fitness in the RGV: expanding into Harlingen under new ownership while the Pharr location just reopened after a $400K tax closure. Same brand, different franchisees, very different balance sheets. We broke down the SBA lending and lease details. tinyurl.com/mvy75w9k

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Mexico's car sales are up 4.7% this year even as factory output slips slightly. With 76% of its vehicle exports headed to the U.S., the split matters for the RGV. tinyurl.com/mr73ckxr #RioGrandeValley #AutoIndustry #CrossBorderTrade #Reynosa #Manufacturing #Nissan #KIA

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Edinburg's Texas Cook'Em: High Steaks posted a nearly 7-to-1 ROI in its 20th year. $1.34M in economic output from a $196K investment, per a new UTRGV report. Attendance hit 15,600+, almost double last year's turnout. "Brought in 15,000 people in a matter of five hours." tinyurl.com/2te78hre

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

The Rio Grande Valley's cotton harvest is wrapping up with yields 10-15% above average — good weather and light pest pressure helped. But acreage remains ~1/3 of historic levels, and half the Valley's cotton gins sit idle. tinyurl.com/4wu8c36u #RGV #Cotton #TexasAg #Farming #CottonHarvest

001

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

SpaceX is putting $220M toward Brownsville's water infrastructure — in exchange for 444 acres near Starbase after a 6-hour city commission vote. New podcast breaks down the 2 water projects behind the deal. tinyurl.com/mscxjrwh #SpaceX #Starbase #Brownsville #RGV #SouthTexas #Desalination

010

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Tamaulipas is training 60 local businesses — most with no export experience — to break into the Texas market, with H-E-B, Stripes and Valero identified as potential retail connections. Texas' goal is clear: 100 Tamaulipas products on Texas shelves. tinyurl.com/ytm97tn7

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Donna–Río Bravo Bridge board approved $110K+ in tech upgrades ahead of Oct. groundbreaking on its $62M expansion. Revenue's climbing to $3.2M this fiscal year, but southbound trucking has nearly disappeared. Financing's next phase hinges on diplomatic note from Mexico. tinyurl.com/y3vt7dvw

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Edinburg and Brownsville just picked up 2 of the 4 newest Texas cultural district designations — the Edinburg Arts District and Brownsville's Mitte Cultural District. Both now eligible to compete for state arts grant funding. tinyurl.com/5786w24h #RioGrandeValley #Edinburg #Brownsville

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Mayors of Brownsville, McAllen & Reynosa are among the delegation heading to Mexico City this week for RioPlex's FDI Summit — pitching South Texas & Northern Tamaulipas as one binational investment region. tinyurl.com/42mnccrt #RioPlex #BorderEconomy #CrossBorderTrade

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Texas A&M's $30M Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Hub near the Port of Brownsville is slated to open by January 2027 — training aluminum welders for Saronic, expanding LNG programs, & matching RGV workers with nearshoring industry. 20% productivity gains reported so far tinyurl.com/azvz9fvm

001

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Valeo (yes, the GM central compute unit is being built in McAllen) sent execs to Texas A&M's McAllen campus to recruit engineering students on sustainability + careers. "Picture yourself and your limits by looking at that map." tinyurl.com/ycxz6m38 #RGV #McAllen #Valeo #TexasAM

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

UTRGV ranks No. 4 nationally and No. 1 in Texas for the 4th year running in Washington Monthly's 2026 tuition-value rankings — No. 2 among public universities nationally, No. 2 among 4-year HSIs. full story: tinyurl.com/3ztmb2fh #UTRGV #RioGrandeValley #HigherEd

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Half of northern Tamaulipas' sorghum farmland sat idle this cycle — not from drought, but because planting means losing money. More than 823,000 acres went unplanted. What it means for Texas grain exports across the border → tinyurl.com/ymb2a9fx #Agriculture #Tamaulipas

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

New Dallas Fed research: Texas job postings for AI-exposed roles are down ~8% vs. less-exposed roles. Not mass layoffs — employers are just not backfilling when people leave. Recent college grads may feel it first. tinyurl.com/muhp4dz2 #BorderEconomy #AIJobs #RGV #LaborMarket #DallasFed

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Texas hospitals could lose $27M a day as ~$9.8B in Medicaid funding is withheld over the next year. RGV border counties have the state's highest Medicaid enrollment and fewest providers. What it means locally: tinyurl.com/32rhuvkd #RioGrandeValley #Medicaid

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Nearly $164 million in water conservation funding is coming to the Rio Grande Valley. NADBank plans to contribute $76 million toward irrigation upgrades in 12 districts, part of a push to conserve about 44,000 acre-feet of water annually. Full story: tinyurl.com/459enpd3

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

TWIA may restrict windstorm coverage to owner-occupied primary homes only — a change that could drop nearly 4,000 Cameron County second homes from the rolls. Est. $60M/yr in savings for the state insurer. Sept. 1 committee discussion is the first step. tinyurl.com/5n7vz95n

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Brownsville is down to two finalist cities for a USL professional soccer franchise after the league secured an interested ownership partner, city officials announced. No decision yet on the team — or the other city in the running. tinyurl.com/mwss53tx #Brownsville #RGV #USL #ProSoccer

010

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

McAllen just landed a $225M Valeo plant — its first in North America. New RGVBJ podcast episode digs into how the city's EDC and Chamber teamed up to make it happen, plus the small business programs (Latina HOPE, Project Next Move) doing the same for local entrepreneurs. tinyurl.com/2b254eza

010

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

25+ RGV employers, dozens of job seekers, one Pharr job fair. Healthcare & retail booths were swamped; logistics saw less interest. One 18-yo aspiring electrician says she'll likely have to leave the Valley to get her start. Story: tinyurl.com/3xny9n86 #RGV #SouthTexas

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

TxDOT just attached a $192.4M price tag to widen the only road to Starbase — SH 4 / Boca Chica Blvd, going from 2 lanes to a divided 4-lane highway. Traffic there is up more than 10x since 2019 (645/day → 6,743/day). Bids expected FY2027. RGVBJ had this 1st, in December tinyurl.com/yawhu7zr

000

RGV Biz Journal @rgvbizjournal.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

RGV job growth is slowing. McAllen added 4,800 jobs over the year (+1.58%). Brownsville added just 100. Tech jobs fell in both metros while healthcare, education, and hospitality kept growing. Tariffs, visa restrictions, and ICE enforcement are complicating the outlook. tinyurl.com/4cpd29pr

000