My opening thought: the future of this region will not be decided by hope or chance.
It will be determined by how well all of you in this room work together. Working together as a community and as a region to structure opportunities like the ones we discussed today.
Today's discussion focused on deal structures, financing tools, incentives. The mechanics that move projects forward. You understand these tools well because they are often the difference between an idea and an investment.
But these tools represent something much bigger. They represent opportunity. Every project you help move forward, every company you help bring here creates jobs, builds careers, strengthens long-term prosperity. And in many ways, you are helping build the human capital that will define the future of this region.
Progress like this never happens alone. Economic development has always been a team effort. It requires cities, counties, economic development corporations, utilities, investors, developers, engineers, community leaders like you, all working in alignment towards a shared goal.
When that coordination happens, regions stop competing city by city and begin competing region against region.
And that is exactly what RioPlex is about. RioPlex is not replacing the work you and your organizations already do. It is about amplifying it. When you tell the story of this region together, when strategies are aligned, when we present ourselves as one economic region, this region becomes far more competitive nationally and globally.
The reality is that you are sitting in one of the most strategic economic corridors in North America. You have manufacturing strength, logistics connectivity, cross-border trade, energy, agriculture, aerospace, innovation, but most importantly, you have leadership. The people in this room understand how to move projects forward. You understand the tools, the risks, the partnerships required to turn ideas into real investment. When your experience comes together with a shared regional strategy, the possibilities become very exciting.
The truth is this, the RioPlex region is just beginning to realize its potential. Because global supply chains are shifting, manufacturing is moving closer to markets, companies are looking for regions that are organized and aligned, regions that are ready to move when opportunity appears. Few regions are positioned as well as the one you represent.
Because the infrastructure is here, the workforce is here, the connectivity is here. And most importantly, the leadership is sitting in this room. There is no one better than you.
As RioPlex grows, we're inviting leaders who share this vision to join us as Visionary Partners. Organizations that want to help shape the long-term direction of this region, and help ensure the opportunities we discussed today become real projects.
Thank you for the work you do every day to strengthen your communities. And thank you for being part of the effort to build something bigger for this region.
Because, in the end, the future of the RioPlex region will not be defined by geography. It will be defined by people like you. People willing to work together with purpose to build it.
And looking around this room tonight, I believe the future of RioPlex is very bright. Thank you all very much.
Editor's Note: The above commentary was prepared by Mario Reyna, executive director of RioPlex, for is closing remarks at a Deal Structuring Forum RioPlex hosted in Harlingen on March 11, 2026.
