PHARR, Texas - Business leader Brian Godinez is perhaps best known in the Rio Grande Valley as a marketing and communications specialist and CEO of ERO Architects.
But recently he has been busy promoting a sister company to ERO - South Texas Facility Partnership.
The Rio Grande Guardian caught up with Godinez at IWS4, the big industrial warehouse summit hosted by Pharr Economic Development Corporation that is held at Pharr Development and Research Center. South Texas Facility Partnership helped sponsor the event.
Godinez said he was pleased to co-sponsor IWS4 because he is partial to Pharr.
“I want to be a part of the success of Pharr. I grew up here and I have a long history here. My family still lives here,” Godinez explained. “And I remember back in ’04. I got hired by the City of Pharr to be a marketing consultant, and I watched Polo Palacios and his leadership, along with Fred Sandoval, start making some very early investments in Mexico and in the bridge, and start wanting to invest in a future and a vision that we're now seeing today.”
Leopoldo “Polo” Palacios was mayor of Pharr at the time and Federico “Fred” Sandoval was city manager.
Godinez said he has been following the incredible success of the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge and its surrounding industrial parks for many years.
“I have part of this with 25 years in architecture and engineering relationships, and specifically in Pharr I've had several projects here,” Godinez explained.
“I decided that industrial development was the place to go in the last two and a half years, with all the demand and warehouse space and industrial needs of this region. So, we moved here and every time Pharr Economic Development Corporation or the City of Pharr has an event, I always want to be a part of it. Anybody who's doing anything in industrial development is typically here.”
Asked what he thought of IWS4, Godinez said:
“Oh, I thought it was a great turnout. I was just recently at another event Pharr EDC did a week or so ago, and there's just not enough space to hold the interest level of what's happening here in Pharr. So, for me, in terms of my new company, South Texas Facility Partnership, we're wanting to be economic partners and helping meet that demand.”
Asked what South Texas Facility Partnership does, Godinez, its principal, said: “We’re focused on bringing investors, particularly from the north, into the region. We know that there's a high demand for industrial space in this entire region, specifically in Pharr and the Pharr-McAllen area. So, we decided to focus on bringing not only investment, but build on and leverage the architectural, engineering, and construction experience (of ERO Architects) with investors and other professional experts; to be a part of a team to help landowners, economic development corporations and developers to succeed in building the spaces they want to do.”
Godinez said there is one caveat to that.
“We think we can move faster, bringing the experience and the relationships we have. We know that when people are sitting on dirt, or they want to move their dirt and create buildings, they're sitting on a lot of interest, and they're sitting on a lot of banking relationships. They want to get some economic activity there. We have some secret sauce in our approach to projects that we think we can move them along quicker.”
Asked what the interest level is of investors from the north, Godinez said:
“We've already secured a 120,000 square-foot warehouse in Weslaco. We have three other warehouses that are pending opportunities that we're doing. We're also doing a truck terminal at Sharyland Park. We master-planned the Michael Fallek McAllen South Industrial Park. And so, there’s a lot of interest already.
“We’ve designed our first 250,000 square foot warehouse. We're doing quite a bit of industrial development planning right now, up and down the region, in different communities. But this is the place to be. This Pharr area is the place to be when it comes to a firm like ours and the professional services we offer, bringing those investments down here. You want to be playing in Pharr.”
ERO Architects will be celebrating its 25th anniversary next February. South Texas Facility Partnership is two and half years old. It was formed by Godinez and his partner, Octavio Cantu.
“But we brought in Shey Johnson, who's got 20 years of construction, business development and planning experience, to come run this venture for us,” Godinez said. “And so, he runs the San Antonio office with our team there, but he's down here every other week.”
Editor's Note: Here is an audio recording of the Rio Grande Guardian's interview with Brian Godinez, followed by his remarks at IWS4:
Here is a press release from STFP about Johnson’s appointment:
“With a strong background in business development and team collaboration, Shea Johnson is set to bring fresh ideas and strategic solutions to South Texas Facility Partnership (STFP). He joins the firm as Senior Vice President for Development.
"Shea will play a pivotal role in securing investment capital, developing and managing facility projects from inception to completion. His emphasis is always ensuring clients are at the forefront of everything STFP does. Shea's commitment to long-term relationship building is reflected in the way he addresses project challenges. He strives for lasting wins with every endeavor he leads.
"We enjoy the way Shea positions clients, partners and projects on successful tracks with his client- centric, high-energy strategic lens. It's why we're so glad he joined STFP. He's all about service and relationships,” said Brian Godinez, principal of STFP.
“Prior to joining STFP, Shea served as the vice president of development for Alamo System Industries (ASI), where he played a pivotal role in driving company growth and business development in both the Rio Grande Valley and Central Texas. Shea is on the advisory board for the Rio Grande Valley Partnership and has served on the board of directors for the Boerne Kendall County Economic Development Corporation (BKEDC) and the Town of Hollywood Park Economic Development Council.”
And here is STFP’s official About Us:
“With offices in the Rio Grande Valley and San Antonio, STFP principals have spent the last 24 years involved in a variety of facility projects ranging from industrial to commercial, and healthcare to hospitality. STFP’s build-to-suit and design-build project delivery methods meet specific client needs without the burden of a large up-front capital expenditure and avoid time-consuming processes. As a direct result of our streamlined approach with planning, design and construction, our clients watch their plans quickly turn into reality. STFP can reduce overwhelming financial and schedule pressures through our integrated management of strategic partnerships all involved with innovative planning, finance, design, technology, and construction practices. We enjoy going 'Above and Beyond' and showcase a commitment that surpasses basic requirements.”
