McAllen Economic Development Corporation

AUSTIN – A report released this week by the Brookings Institution is the latest to highlight the Lone Star State’s strong jobs climate, finding that Texas leads the nation in job creation with Austin, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Dallas and McAllen creating more jobs now than before the recession. According to the report, Austin saw the highest percentage increase in jobs of any city in the nation.

“Texas continues to set a national example for job growth, and I’m proud the Lone Star State is home to six out of the 14 cities that have more jobs now than before the recession,” Gov. Perry said. “Our low taxes, predictable regulations, fair courts, skilled workforce and low cost of living have made Texas the best state in the nation to live, work, raise a family and run a business.”

McAllen

Story from The Nueces County Record Star

Click HERE to view the March 2013 Metro Monitor by Brookings

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Texas’ Largest City Retail Markets

Ranked by Retail Sales

1. Houston     $35,354,740
2. San Antonio     $17,184,282
3. Dallas     $14,302,985
4. Austin     $10,813,562
5. Fort Worth     $6,972,843
6. El Paso     $6,273,122
7. Plano     $5,051,826
8. Arlington     $4,337,696
9. Lubbock     $3,712,894
10. Corpus Christi     $3,510,956
11. Amarillo     $3,045,808
12. Irving     $2,614,418
13. McAllen     $2,543,238
14. Laredo     $2,322,058
15. Grapevine     $2,145,316
16. Midland     $2,116,391
17. Tyler     $1,982,494
18. Odessa     $1,919,992
19. Frisco     $1,907,790
20. Beaumont     $1,738,145
21. Round Rock     $1,733,754
22. McKinney     $1,676,749
23. Lewisville     $1,636,204
24. Garland     $1,620,307
25. Longview     $1,580,033
26. Waco     $1,576,559
27. Abilene     $1,529,864
28. Denton     $1,497,635
29. Kileen     $1,473,472
30. Brownsville     $1,458,260
31. Grand Prarie     $1,456,927
32. Conroe     $1,402,045
33. Richardson     $1,384,651
34. Carrollton     $1,372,928
35. Mesquite     $1,355,313
36. Pasadena     $1,298,308
37. San Angelo     $1,266,224
38. San Marcos     $1,232,234
39. Witchita Falls     $1,217,493
40. Victoria     $1,199,065
41. Sugar Land     $1,162,431
42. New Braunfels     $1,061,042
43. College Station     $1,058,569
44. Hurst     $1,050,033
45. Georgetown     $1,004,335
46. Temple     $962,012
47. Pearland     $961,964
48. Baytown     $961,613
49. Sherman     $961,613
50. Harlingen     $913,931

Texas State     $264,247,639

Source: 2012 Texas Retail Survey

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February 25, 2013 | McAllen, TX – FibeRio, the developer and manufacturer of ground breaking Forcespinning® nanofiber production systems, today announced it has completed a $13M capital raise led by two global strategic investors – SABIC Ventures B.V., Saudi Basic Industries Corporation’s corporate venture capital arm, and Aster Capital Partners, sponsored by Solvay, Schneider Electric, Alstom and the European investment fund. The funding will be used to accelerate the company’s commercial growth, introduce larger scale production systems to the market and execute on a growing pipeline of orders and global opportunities with industry leading customers.

“The support of two of the leading, knowledgeable strategic investors in this space, SABIC and Aster Capital, is a strong validation of the uniqueness of our Forcespinning technology and will help the company accelerate our growth, open new markets and enable new applications for all of our customers” commented Ellery Buchanan, CEO of FibeRio. “This collaboration will greatly accelerate our vision of the Forcespinning process becoming the world’s leading, cost effective process to produce nanofibers at scale never before achieved.”

Forcespinning is a disruptive, platform technology which enables leading manufacturers to produce nanofibers on a truly commercial scale in a cost effective way using a wide range of polymers and an environmentally sensitive process. Forcespinning is the only fine fiber production system capable of both melt and solution spinning from lab scale to full industrial scale production. Unlike electrospinning, Forcespinning does not require materials to contain certain dielectric properties for processing which limits the materials that can be produced into fiber. Nanofiber applications are used in a variety of markets including filtration, nonwovens, battery separators, textiles, biomedical and conductive applications.

Hans Kolnaar of SABIC Ventures commented “FibeRio’s unique processing technology not only increases our market reach, but offers SABIC an opportunity to move further down the value chain with innovative fibers for our customers.”

“We view the cost effective production of nanofibers at scale as a key technological focus for the nonwovens marketplace for a wide variety of applications in the filtration, energy, medical, hygiene and textiles markets. Thanks to our sponsor, Solvay, we were able to validate that FibeRio has a unique breakthrough technology to accelerate nanofiber growth for all levels of production. We are excited to partner with a company that will be driving the deployment of nanofibers for the foreseeable future” commented Pascal Siegwart and Todd Dauphinais, partners at Aster Capital in a joint statement.

The combined breadth of resins represented by SABIC and Aster cover everything from commodity polymers such as polypropylene and nylon to high performance materials including fluoropolymers, polysulfones, polyethylene imines, and liquid crystal polymers among others. A number of these materials have never been made into nanofibers before and can offer materials performance advantages to FibeRio Forcespinning equipment customers. FibeRio, SABIC and Solvay will all benefit through the integration of a wide range of resins with Forcespinning technology.

FibeRio’s existing shareholders also participated in this financing round, including the University of Texas System – UT Horizon Fund, the University of Texas – Pan American, the State of Texas, Silverton Partners and Cottonwood Technology Fund I. As part of this financing, James Wilson, of SABIC’s Innovative Plastics Strategic Business Unit, and Todd Dauphinais of Aster Capital will join the FibeRio board of directors.

About FibeRio
FibeRio Technology Corporation provides the technology and capital equipment to transform the materials market through the unlimited availability of cost effective nanofibers. Founded in 2009, the company has already delivered several large scale industrial Forcespinning units to industry leading customers across the globe. The company is headquartered in its manufacturing facility in McAllen, TX. For more information, please visit www.fiberiotech.com or call 956-207-5448.

About SABIC Ventures
SABIC Ventures is the global corporate venture capital arm of SABIC, based in the Netherlands. Its primary goal is to seek out innovative technologies and businesses consistent with the company’s global strategy. Its investment focus includes functional materials, alternative feed stocks for chemicals and materials and alternative energy technologies. SABIC Ventures invests directly in seed stage, early stage and late stage companies.

For more information, please visit www.sabic.com/ventures

About SABIC
Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) ranks among the world’s top petrochemical companies. The company is among the world’s market leaders in the production of polyethylene, polypropylene and other advanced thermoplastics, glycols, methanol and fertilizers.

SABIC recorded a net profit of SR 29.24 billion (US$ 7.80 billion) in 2011. Sales revenues for 2011 totaled SR 189.90 billion (US$ 50.64 billion). Total assets stood at SR 332.78 billion (US$ 88.74 billion) at the end of 2011.

SABIC’s businesses are grouped into Chemicals, Polymers, Performance Chemicals, Fertilizers, Metals and Innovative Plastics. SABIC has significant research resources with 16 dedicated Technology & Innovation facilities in Saudi Arabia, the USA, the Netherlands, Spain, Japan, India and South Korea. The company operates in more than 40 countries across the world with around 40,000 employees worldwide.

SABIC manufactures on a global scale in Saudi Arabia, the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Headquartered in Riyadh, SABIC was founded in 1976 when the Saudi Arabian Government decided to use the hydrocarbon gases associated with its oil production as the principal feedstock for production of chemicals, polymers and fertilizers. The Saudi Arabian Government owns 70 percent of SABIC shares with the remaining 30 percent held by private investors in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

For more information, please visit www.sabic.com

About Aster Capital
Aster Capital is a leading energy and environment technologies focused venture capital firm sponsored by Schneider Electric, Alstom and Solvay, global leaders in the energy and chemicals industries, and the European investment fund through the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme. They have jointly invested in Aster’s second $135 million investment fund. With a total of $200 million under management, Aster aims to proactively leverage the expertise of these sponsors to support its portfolio companies in their further development. Aster Capital has offices in Paris, San Francisco, Shanghai, Tel Aviv and Tokyo.

For more information, please visit www.aster.com

[For interviews or custom quotes, contact Kial Gramley at kgramley@fiberiotech.com 

or call 956-207-5448 ext. 12]

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Previously ranked #3, McAllen moves up to the #2 spot in the Ten Least Expensive Urban Areas in the Cost of Living Index (COLI) released by the Council for Community and Economic Research.

The Cost of Living Index is published quarterly by C2ER.

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Household growth rates are slowing in Texas along with the national projections, yet the state tallies five separate metropolitan areas in the Top 10 for projected percentage increase in the number of households. The Austin, Fort Hood, San Antonio, Houston and McAllen/Mission metropolitan areas all have projected household growth rates above 6.6 percent for the five-year period.

“Projected household growth is a critical indicator for the economic prospects of a specific geographic area, and this data can help real estate, retail and a range of other businesses plan their growth strategy scientifically,” said John O’Hara, president of Pitney Bowes Software.

Complete SITE SELECTION Article

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Agreement to be formally signed Monday; flights commence March 15, 2013

McAllen, TX—The City of McAllen will formally sign an agreement Monday with Aeromar to offer nonstop air service from McAllen International Airport to Mexico City.

Executives from the regional Mexican airline, which is currently celebrating 25 years of service, will join McAllen Mayor Richard F. Cortez for the signing at a regular City Commission meeting on January 28, 2013, at 6 pm, at McAllen City Hall (1300 Houston Avenue).

Aeromar’s non-stop air service will commence on March 15, 2013 aboard CRJ-200, 50-passenger jets. The airline offers top notch customer care and is mainly focused on the business traveler. Flights will depart out of Mexico City to McAllen early afternoon and from McAllen to Mexico City early evening, with enhanced seasonal service during the Easter and Christmas vacation periods.

“One of the most effective economic development tools the City of McAllen can hope for is air service from important Mexican cities to and from McAllen,” said McAllen Mayor Richard F. Cortez. “Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the world and we are extremely pleased that Aeromar is offering non-stop service so that international travelers can easily visit our city.”

Through the partnership Aeromar holds with United Airlines, passengers can earn miles in the MileagePlus frequent flyer program and redeem for travel to over 1,250 destinations worldwide.

“For 25 years, we have been committed to the Mexican market by offering high quality air transport service. Today we are proudly announcing a new chapter for the company: our first international flight to McAllen, Texas,” said Ami Lindenberg, Aeromar President. “

“Aeromar is truly grateful that this City welcomes foreign investment and that it believes in the reliability and the constancy of our Company. This announcement is indeed a day for celebration and the start of much more to come for Aeromar. We are fully committed to this new partnership,” added Lindenberg.

To book flights, travelers can purchase tickets online by visiting www.aeromar.com.mx or by calling (855) 237-6627.

PHOTO and VIDEO opportunity: Media representatives are invited to the official signing, inside the City Commission Chambers, on the third floor of McAllen City, beginning promptly at 6 pm.

More About Aeromar

· Established in 1987 and celebrating 25 years of continuous service, Aeromar is Mexico’s most experienced regional airline.

· From its operations base in Terminal 2 of Mexico City’s International Airport, Aeromar serves a network of 25 domestic destinations.

· With a fleet of 14 ATR-42 and 2 CRJ-200LR regional jets, Aeromar operates 100 average daily flights. As launch customer of the ATR-72 600 in North America, Aeromar will add two of these new generation aircraft during Q2 2013.

· Aeromar stands out as an airline focused on customer service and on time performance, offering the best schedules and amenities for the frequent flyer, whether traveling for business or pleasure.

· Aeromar also offers vacation packages, special VIP flights and “FastPaq” cargo and courier service.

News Release Courtesy of City of McAllen’s Public Information Office

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According to the latest  numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Texas takes up 6 of the top 10 spots on the list, in terms of percentage change.

The top 3 metros in the nation for positive percentage change are:

1. Austin

2. Houston

3. McAllen-Edinburg

Complete Article by THE BUSINESS JOURNALS

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In this latest edition of McAllen Economic Development Corporation’s Newsletter, we feature the 20th Anniversary from Alcom de Mexico, Inc. in Reynosa, and Alpine Electronics of America’s World Supplier Expo at the McAllen Convention Center.

President and CEO, Keith Patridge, provides his thoughts on 2012 and an outlook for 2013.

Also included, end of year market summaries for McAllen and Reynosa, as well as updates from the McAllen EB5 Regional Center.

Complete 2012 Winter Newsletter

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Alpine Electronics of America, Inc., a manufacturer of audio equipment, display settings and navigation systems for the automotive industry, hosted their annual World Supplier Expo at the McAllen Convention Center in McAllen, TX on Wednesday, December 11, 2012.

Over one hundred visitors representing suppliers from around the world flew in to attend this expo. For Alpine, this event is a perfect way for their existing suppliers to network with the hope that strategies or synergies may form, increasing productivity, and new processes or technologies.

Just a few weeks ago, Alcom Electronicos de Mexico, another company under the Alpine name, celebrated their 20th anniversary in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico. This plant, less than 20 miles from the McAllen, TX operation, was listed as one of the most advanced operations under the Alpine company, joining operations in China.

As speakers from different divisions in Alpine presented, the same positive outlook resonated. Alpine is looking to the near future with tremendous optimism. Invitations were made to their suppliers to invest further into lean manufacturing, as well as green manufacturing to increase overall productivity, speed to market capabilities, and end of life phases.

Product innovations were also unveiled for upcoming models across their customer base.

Current economic conditions in the U.S. & Japan were discussed as vital factors for their current and upcoming financial and production planning. The importance of strengthening their supplier base to withstand unpredictable occurrences was a main topic. Although bottom line savings are ideal Alpine made it very clear that their number one priority is to develop their supplier network.

Additional announcements also included the opening of Alpine’s plant in Thailand, as well as a new distribution and manufacturing partnership in Brazil with UNICOBA. This was launched in August and has allowed Alpine to tap into one of the largest markets in the world.

To conclude the presentation portion of the event, President and CEO of McAllen Economic Development Corporation, Keith Patridge, introduced BorderFlex, a unique international trade initiative made available to companies located in the McAllen, TX/Reynosa, MX region. Highlighting the flexibility this region offers between two sets of labor forces, trade structures, industrial markets, taxing systems, and manufacturing to distribution infrastructures, the presentation allowed the visiting companies to understand the versatility this region offers manufacturers looking to increase their market share to a global scale.

During the awards portion of the event two distinguished suppliers were recognized: Ryosan Technologies USA, Inc. for Best Overall Supplier, and Rohm Semiconductors USA, LLC for Outstanding Quality.

Over 100 visitors representing Alpine’s suppliers await the coming presentations & awards ceremony.

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The McAllen/Reynosa binational industrial market had plenty of activity to speak of for 2012.

Access each report individually to check the pulse of our vibrant manufacturing community, and discover how this binational region is able to offer world-class operations unique competitive advantages!

Complete McAllen/Reynosa Industrial Market Reviews

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