Dear RioPlex Members and Supporters,
We are pleased to share a comprehensive update on recent activities and what is on the horizon for our binational corridor initiative.
RioPlex proudly welcomed Amazon’s announcement of a 62,000-square-foot delivery station in Brownsville, Texas — further strengthening South Texas and Northern Tamaulipas as a logistics powerhouse. This is exactly the kind of global investment validation that RioPlex exists to attract and amplify.
RioPlex has been building a powerful bridge between Michoacán agricultural producers and U.S. markets through our RioPlex Tour Michoacán initiative — and the results are tangible.
On November 14, 2025, RioPlex hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for La Bonanza Avocados, a family-owned company from Uruapan, Michoacán, with more than 20 business leaders from Michoacán in attendance as part of a commercial mission that also included a visit to SpaceX at Starbase. La Bonanza broke ground on a 110,000-square-foot cold-storage logistics center in Pharr, Texas — a two-phase facility featuring more than 30 loading docks, high-capacity refrigeration, and mezzanine office space designed to support the distribution of Michoacán-grown avocados and other perishables to U.S. markets.
Building on that momentum, RioPlex recently hosted lemon and lime growers from Apatzingan, Michoacán, at Chairman Joaquin Spamer’s Klub Nautique property in Mission. I opened the event by making clear RioPlex’s commitment: “We’re not asking for anything; we’re going to help you. If you need something from us, we’ll do it, and we’re not going to ask for anything.” These engagements reflect the spirit of RioPlex — opening doors, making connections, and demonstrating that the Rio Grande Valley is the premier gateway between Mexico and the United States.
RioPlex proudly supported the 2026 National Manufacturing Expo hosted by UTRGV’s Institute for Advanced Manufacturing at the Brownsville Campus, bringing together manufacturing leaders, innovators, and higher education partners to discuss the future of energy manufacturing, emerging technologies, and workforce development.
Our most ambitious event to date is on the horizon. On September 9–10, 2026, RioPlex will host an international business summit in Mexico City, bringing together business attachés from the countries that conduct the highest volumes of trade with the United States. We anticipate more than 200 attendees representing the global business and diplomatic community. This is a landmark opportunity to place the RioPlex corridor on the radar of international investors, trade representatives, and foreign commercial offices in a way that no regional initiative in South Texas has attempted before. More details on the agenda, sponsorship opportunities, and delegation participation will be shared in the coming weeks. We strongly encourage our members to consider being part of this historic moment for our region.
Everything you have read in this update is the result of our members, our board, and our partners leaning in together. RioPlex is not a promise — it is a movement that is already producing results. Trade connections are being made. Investment is arriving. The world is paying attention to our corridor.
Our investment pipeline continues to grow, with active prospects spanning multiple industries and representing billions of dollars in potential investment and thousands of jobs for our region.
We also need more active members who can become part of the team. If you know someone — a business leader, developer, economic development professional, or regional partner — who shares our vision and wants to roll up their sleeves, please send their information my way. Every great team grows stronger with the right people around the table.
We ask each of you to stay engaged, bring others to the table, and continue sharing the RioPlex story in your own circles. Our strength is in our unity — one region, one voice, one future.
Thank you for being part of RioPlex.
Warm regards,
Mario Reyna
Editor’s Note: The above commentary was penned by Mario Reyna, executive director of RioPlex. The commentary is Part Two of a two-part series on RioPlex activity over the past six months. Click here to read Part One.
