MISSION, Texas - Mission Economic Development Corporation has provided more information on its recent to San Luis Potosí.
The group originally commented on LinkedIn but has now issued a press release with more details. The release is titled: Mission EDC Strengthens Economic Ties with San Luis Potosí.
“The Mission EDC team signed a bilateral trade accord with San Luis Potosí’s leadership, held private meetings with city and state economic development officials, convened an investors roundtable, and addressed representatives from more than 750 automotive and logistics companies during a weeklong visit to the El Bajio manufacturing region last week,” the press release stated.
According to Mission EDC, the trade mission focused on promoting the commercial expansion of the Anzalduas International Bridge, building upon relationships first formed last year. The group said it also explored trade potential in Central Mexico.
“San Luis Potosí continues to position itself as a powerhouse in Mexico’s automotive sector. Meanwhile, Mission is rapidly becoming a hotspot for investment and trade thanks to Anzalduas’ new cargo capacity and thousands of acres in logistics and industrial-ready space,” Mission EDC CEO Teclo J. Garcia said.
“This partnership marks a significant milestone in fostering collaboration and growth between two vibrant regions that are primed for success. But Mission doesn’t move forward alone, it does so in the context of the RGV region.”
Anzalduas International Bridge is being expanded to take fully loaded truck cargo in both directions. The new feature should be ready early next year. Two new industrial parks are being built close to the bridge by private developers.
Garcia said the Mission EDC team hosted a private investment roundtable, where it welcomed questions from potential foreign investors, discussed Mission’s role in Mexico’s manufacturing region, and engaged with key stakeholders, including industry clusters and INDEX leaders.
He said they also met privately with Jesús Salvador González Martínez, the state’s secretariat of economic development, and had constructive dialogue on international crossings, border wait times, and planning reciprocal visits to better understand the RGV.
As part of the visit, Mission EDC had a booth at MEXICONOW’S Nearshoring Automotive Industry Summit. “The team hosted the welcoming reception and showcased Mission's growing investment potential to over 750 representatives from the automotive, industrial, and logistics sectors. The conference, attended by over 2,000 participants, offered extensive networking and partnership opportunities,” the Mission EDC press release stated.
The Mission EDC press release said Mission Mayor Norie Gonzalez Garza, a member of the EDC board of directors, led the delegation in San Luis Potosí. It said she was welcomed by San Luis Potosí's leadership, including Interim Mayor Alexandra Daniela Cid González, Director of Sister Cities and International Relations Mario Leal Campos, and Jaime Chalita Zarur, the city’s economic development director.
“Together they discussed opportunities and possible partnerships regarding trade and logistics. They sealed the discussions by signing a bilateral trade pact to collaborate on investment, transportation, and commerce to enhance economic development ties between both cities.”
Mayor Gonzalez Garza said: “Our trade mission to San Luis Potosí was very fruitful. We’re extremely thankful to San Luis Potosí’s leadership for making time to connect and collaborate with us, and we look forward to hosting their delegation in the great city of Mission, Texas in the future.”
MISSION, Texas - Mission Economic Development Corporation says it has just concluded a successful trade mission to San Luis Potosí.
The group said it discussed new trade opportunities linked to the expansion of the Anzalduas International Bridge and brainstormed ways to bolster economic development ties between the two cities.
One of the highlights was attending MexicoNow’s Nearshoring Auto Industry Summit, which attracted over 750 automotive, industrial and logistics company representatives. The summit was held at the San Luis Potosi’s Convention Center.
“More than 2,000 people registered for the conference, Mission EDC said, on a posting on LinkedIn. “Our team continues to network and connect with a diverse range of stakeholders to explore and capitalize on the nearshoring trend, all while forging partnerships to drive the growth and development of the automotive sector in Mission.”
In addition, Mission Mayor Norie Gonzalez Garza signed what the City of Mission believes is an “historic bilateral trade accord.” Also signing the document was San Luis Potosí Interim Mayor Alexandra Daniela Gonzalez.
Mission EDC says the accord commits the two cities to “work collaboratively on trade, investment, transportation and education issues to enhance economic development in both cities.”
The mayors were joined by SLP’s cultural director Jaime Chalita Zarur.
“Mayor Gonzalez Garza was bestowed the honor of writing in the city’s “Libro de Oro,” a 90-year-old book reserved for the city’s most distinguished visitors,” Mission EDC stated, on LinkedIn.
“This partnership marks a significant step forward in fostering collaboration and growth between our two vibrant regions. Mission has invited SLP - and it has accepted - to visit in the near future. More to come.”
Mission EDC has been cultivating relationships with the industrial sector of San Luis Potosí for past few years. Last year it held talks with industrial, transportation and auto clusters in SLP along with education leaders and those from the SLP chapter of Index, the maquiladora trade association. The group was also in the audience when the state’s Governor addressed the 2023 Nearshoring Auto Industry Summit.
“Our ‘Mission’ is to continue developing relationships and business ties that will lead to investment and increased for Mission, the RGV and Texas and raise the bridge’s profile,” Mission EDC stated on LinkedIn.
“San Luis is a historic city that is moving fast into the future with BMW, auto and battery plants and large multinational operations by GM, Goodyear, Bosch, Honda, Cummins, Honeywell and many, many more.”
Teclo Garcia, CEO of Mission EDC, said that with the expansion of Anzalduas International Bridge - which should be able to handle fully loaded trucks headed both northbound and southbound next year - and a sprawling 320 acres of new industrial and warehousing space, Mission is rapidly becoming a hotspot for attention, new investments, and trade opportunities.
Garcia pointed out that BMW, GM, and Goodyear “lead a group of powerful San Luis Potosí industrial firms that employ tens of thousands of people and spurred the creation of a huge supplier network and thousands more jobs in this fast-growing business-centric city.”
In a posting on LinkedIn, Garcia said: “Signed a trade pact with San Luis Potosí, held a private meeting with the state economic development secretary, conducted an investment roundtable, met with cluster and Index leaders and delivered a message (to) an international auto manufacturing conference. Not a bad week for the Mission EDC.”
Garcia said the primary goals of the MEDC’s trade mission were to “promote the Anzalduas International Bridge to an industrial and transportation powerhouse, raise Mission’s and the RGV’s profile in central Mexico’s manufacturing region and seek opportunities for investment, job creation and other bilateral opportunities.”
Last but not least, Garcia said, was building all-important relationships.
“Mission and the RGV are at nexus of a dynamic US-Mexico region that has had trade, manufacturing and jobs grow exponentially in the few last years. Places like Austin, SA (San Antonio), Monterrey and SLP are blowing up and we, as a region, must be cognizant of our importance and leverage that into jobs and investment,” Garcia added.
