San Benito working to draw high-tech manufacturer

SAN BENITO — The city’s Economic Development Corporation is teaming up with Matamoros officials to help a Mexican high-tech manufacturing company bring “many” good-paying, high-skilled jobs to town, an official said.

In working with the manufacturer, the EDC is entering into an agreement with the Matamoros Committee for Economic Development to help draw companies into both sides the border, EDC Executive Director Ramiro Aleman said.

As part of the agreement, Grecia Zertuche, the Matamoros agency’s executive director, is helping the prospective company expand its operations into San Benito, he said.

Aleman said the EDC’s board is reviewing plans to offer the company incentives.

“They are definitely looking and exploring this as a very viable location,” he said in an interview.

Aleman described the company as a high-tech manufacturer, declining to release its name as officials work on its proposed expansion.

“It’s an advanced manufacturing company,” he said. “It’s high-tech. It’s going to be very technical. It would create many good-paying, high-skilled jobs. It’s clean, so there’s no issue with any type of emissions. They’re also going to create a large capital investment.”

Manufacturer expected to draw companies to town

The manufacturer’s expansion is expected to draw other companies to the city, Aleman said.

“When the project comes to fruition, it will spur other economic development,” he said.

Aleman said he plans to announce the company’s expansion into San Benito before the end of the year.

San Benito-Matamoros agreement

Last week, the EDC and the Matamoros economic development agency signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at working together to help draw companies into both sides of the border, Aleman said.

The agencies are planning “to work together to help attract companies to both communities and to the area around the Free Trade Bridge at Los Indios,” he stated. “I get calls from American-based companies actively entering the Mexican and Latin American markets so I refer them to my counterpart in Matamoros.”

Pact focuses on Free Trade Bridge

The agencies are planning to help draw companies to the area surrounding the Free Trade Bridge at Los Indios, from which the city generates toll revenue based on its 25-percent ownership of the bridge opened in 1992, Aleman stated in a press release.

”We believe the Free Trade Bridge at Los Indios is a great asset,” he stated. “It’s also the bridge with the shortest commercial truck wait times in South Texas. With a 25-percent stake in the bridge, it is to our advantage to develop both sides of the border. Increased bridge crossing brings increased revenue. Also, Matamoros is growing to the west and most of the newer industrial parks are situated on the west side of Matamoros, which makes the Los Indios Bridge a logical crossing point.”