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Post by Minion on Feb 13, 2017 16:33:47 GMT -6
Post news about your area's industrial growth - maquiladoras, SpaceX, manufacturing, etc.
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Post by Minion on Feb 13, 2017 16:52:44 GMT -6
www.themonitor.com/news/local/feds-want-to-know-potential-spacex-impact-on-lng-plants/article_007f3181-ab7f-561f-ab09-9df2ebd5c5ff.html Feds want to know potential SpaceX impact on LNG plants In the wake of the Sept. 1 explosion that destroyed a SpaceX rocket on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission wants to know what impact a failed launch from SpaceX’s Boca Chica launch site could have on LNG facilities at the Port of Brownsville. FERC, which is reviewing proposals for three proposed liquefied natural gas export terminals, on Oct. 27 sent a letter to each of the LNG companies asking that they hire outside experts in space-launch safety to determine whether having a rocket launch site next door is an issue for the LNG terminals and LNG shipping. Environmentalists and other opponents of the LNG projects have cited the proximity of the planned SpaceX launch site as a reason FERC shouldn’t allow the plants’ construction. The closest of the proposed LNG plants would be roughly five miles from the SpaceX site, which is under construction and estimated to be complete sometime in 2018. FERC said it needed more information than Annova LNG, Texas LNG and NextDecade LLC have provided so far “to provide an adequate analysis on impacts from potential failed rocket launches.” The agency gave the companies 90 days to submit a complete response to the request, and said the additional information is necessary for FERC to continue preparation of the environmental impact statement for each project. Specifically, the agency wants the companies to provide proposals from third-party consultants who can help FERC staff with engineering reviews of the proposed LNG terminals. The consultants must be able to conduct detailed, highly technical “space launch related projectile and debris analysis” and have prior experience as third-party experts evaluating space launch activities for the federal government. The analysis should take into account every type of launch vehicle SpaceX might use at Boca Chica, including but not limited to the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and Interplanetary Transport System launch vehicle, according to the FERC letter. FERC said the “consequence analysis” should consider any impact a failed launch could have within the LNG plant boundaries, including the impact on personnel and facilities if design limits of occupied and unoccupied buildings, tanks, piping and other equipment are exceeded due to projectiles, explosions, etc. All potential impacts on LNG ships docked and in transit (and associated personnel) should be considered as well, as should potential “cascading failures and consequences” resulting from an event involving a failed launch, FERC said. The agency also requested descriptions of “mitigation measures and design features that would reduce risk of irreversible and fatal injuries to personnel” and damage to buildings, tanks, piping and other equipment. Annova spokesman William Harris said the company is working on fulfilling the FERC request. “This is part of the overall FERC filing process and we have been discussing it on a regular basis,” he said. Langtry Meyer, Texas LNG’s chief operating officer, said his company has been meeting with FERC, the Federal Aviation Administration and SpaceX to exchange information on the topic. “The potential impact of a failed SpaceX launch on the LNG facilities will be assessed once the necessary information has been gathered,” he said. James Markham-Hill, spokesman for NextDecade, said there’s no reason to believe the company’s timeline for project completion would be affected by the FERC request. NextDecade expects to begin construction of its Rio Grande LNG project in 2017 and commence initial operations in the fourth quarter of 2020. Markham-Hill noted that the project’s closest boundary is roughly five miles from where SpaceX will be launching rockets, which he described as “a significant distance away.” “This request from the FERC is yet another example of the regulatory process working the way it is supposed to, being responsible, looking out for the interest of the public and taking all prudent steps necessary to ensure that the public and the environment is protected,” he said. sclark@brownsvilleherald.com
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Post by Minion on Feb 16, 2017 10:34:50 GMT -6
TRU FIT CLUB - MISSION
Project Number: EABPRJB7810464 Estimated Start Date: 03/01/2017 Current/Last Action: Project Filing Fee Received Estimated Completion: 11/01/2017 Status: Project Logged Estimated Cost: $2,000,000.00 Plan Review By: Job Class: New Construction Owner Class: Private
Project Name: Tru Fit Clubs- Mission Project Address: 3231 N. Conway Ave. City: Mission Zip: 78573 County: Hidalgo Scope of Work: New construction site work and general construction. Building/Facility Name: Tru Fit Clubs- Mission Texas Tenant: Owner: Store Capital Design Firm: Alcocer Garcia Assoc. Inc.
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Post by Minion on Feb 23, 2017 8:45:32 GMT -6
Island forum is focusing on business site selection
Attracting major new companies bringing new jobs is a goal of any community.
Given the stakes, and the competition for those companies and jobs among cities, it’s no surprise site selection has become an industry in itself.
The ins and outs of site selection and how to maximize a community’s assets will be the subject of an economic development conference at the Hilton Garden Inn on South Padre Island on Thursday and Friday.
“There are 275 site selectors nationally, and they do 60 percent of all the projects in the country,” SiteLink Forum organizer Paige Webster said yesterday. “And I’m bringing in seven of the 275.”
SiteLink brings together regional economic development officials from the Valley area with experts on site selection, logistics, transportation, real estate, labor markets and more, said Matt Ruszczak, executive director of the Rio South Texas Economic Council.
“This is the first time we will be having this kind of site selector event in the RGV as far as I know,” Ruszczak said.
The forum is being sponsored by Ruszczak’s organization, RSTEC, which serves as first point of contact for major companies seeking to relocate or expand in the Rio Grande Valley.
Keynote speaker for the forum is Mike Bowen, president and owner of Am-Mex Products. Bowen is an expert on the maquiladora industry and has overseen operations in Texas, Central America and the Rio Grande Valley border area. He lives in McAllen.
“What I like to tell people is we’re not site selectors, we’re site eliminators,” Webster added.
“If you’re competing with four or five other communities throughout the country, if you get too many checks against you, they’re going to go to the community with fewer checks,” he said.
Other conference speakers are James Blair, managing principal at Navigator Consulting, an international firm offering site-selection services; Jeff Pappas managing director at E Smith Partners, a firm which offers global real estate strategies and labor market analytics; and Tim Feemster, managing principal at Foremost Quality Logistics, which advises on economic development, real estate, logistics and marketing.
Also speaking at the forum are James Beatty, president of NCS International, a site selection and economic development firm; Allea Newbold, a certified public accountant who negotiates credits and incentives for new and expanding companies; Dusty Duistermars, strategic managing director of Newmark, Grubb, Knight and Frank, who specializes in site selection and location strategies; and Webster, president of Webster Global Site Selection.
Registration for the event at the Hilton Garden Inn has closed.
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Post by Granola on Feb 24, 2017 16:31:23 GMT -6
Class A Warehouses at GEOTRAC Industrial Hub, Port of Brownsville omnitrax.com/omnitrax-majestic-realty-form-partnership-develop-class-warehouses-geotrac-industrial-hub-port-brownsville/OmniTRAX and Majestic Realty Form Partnership to Develop Class A Warehouses at GEOTRAC Industrial Hub, Port of Brownsville Posted On : February 1, 2017 BROWNSVILLE, TX – OmniTRAX, Inc., one of the largest, privately-held transportation service companies in North America and an affiliate of The Broe Group, today announced an agreement with Majestic Realty Co., the nation’s largest, privately-held industrial developer and owner of master-planned business parks, to build Class-A warehouses on a 200-acre parcel within the GEOTRAC Industrial Hub at the Port of Brownsville, Texas. The new relationship and anticipated development of up to 2.8-million square feet over 15 years is expected to attract diverse companies, particularly wholesale distributors, to the region, driving job creation and helping to grow the economy in the Rio Grande Valley. GEOTRAC Industrial Hub is a strategic relationship between the Port of Brownsville and OmniTRAX that is developing thousands of acres for a world-class commercial center. The land, with infrastructure that connects the port to the rest of the United States via the Brownsville & Rio Grande International Railway, is well-suited for light and heavy manufacturing, logistics, energy services and export/import warehousing. QUOTES “The area around Brownsville is going through a commercial resurgence due to its proximity to Mexico, access to the Gulf and first class infrastructure. OmniTRAX and Majestic Realty, with the support of the Port of Brownsville, are set to provide companies with the capabilities needed to successfully service their clients in south Texas and around the world,” said Tony Manos, Senior Vice President of Industrial Development for OmniTRAX. “Majestic Realty is bullish on South Texas and we’re excited about the opportunity to develop Brownsville’s first Class-A warehouse park in collaboration with OmniTRAX and the Port of Brownsville,” said Majestic Realty Co. Senior Vice President and Director of Acquisitions & Development, Brett Tremaine. “In addition to overweight truck access to and from Mexico, these warehouses will also provide companies with the benefit of deep water access and direct connections to multiple Class- I rail carriers, creating a unique ability to ship products almost anywhere at affordable rates.” “This venture with Majestic Realty is a great example of the type of relationship we envisioned when we entered into the public private partnership with OmniTRAX. We look forward to collaborating with our partners to achieve growth and success for the Port and the community,” said John Wood, Chairman of Port of Brownsville.
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Post by Granola on Feb 24, 2017 16:33:54 GMT -6
Denimburg: it's all in the 'genes'
Feb 16, 2017 EDINBURG – Denimburg, an ultra-automated factory, is on its way to becoming the largest denim manufacturer in the United States. The property sits on 34 acres with its own $5 million wastewater treatment plant in north Edinburg. Denimburg began commercial production in 2016, after several years spent constructing and installing the massive European robotic equipment with touch control screens. When Denimburg reaches full production capacity in the late spring, it will be producing 1.2 million yards of denim per month and have 160 employees. Denimburg anticipates producing 11 million yards of denim in 2017. Using only American cotton (primarily Texas cotton), the fabric carries "Made in USA" labels at a time when American-made textiles have almost disappeared. Rising wages in China have reduced the appeal of Asian production. The cachet of the American label is a major asset, but changes in the fashion supply chain are also propelling Denimburg's growth. Speeding fashion trends to market requires a short supply chain, and quality American denim, sewn into apparel in the Americas, shortens the turnaround time considerably. Denimburg takes orders for delivery in 30 days. Mexican apparel plants have been the primary customers for the Made in USA denim. "Mexican clients really like our denim," Claudio Motta, plant manager said. Denimburg finished processing Rio Grande Valley cotton in early January and began receiving trucks filled with bales from Tulia, Texas. www.denimburg.com/
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Post by Minion on Feb 27, 2017 8:50:42 GMT -6
Denimburg: it's all in the 'genes'
Feb 16, 2017 EDINBURG – Denimburg, an ultra-automated factory, is on its way to becoming the largest denim manufacturer in the United States. The property sits on 34 acres with its own $5 million wastewater treatment plant in north Edinburg. Denimburg began commercial production in 2016, after several years spent constructing and installing the massive European robotic equipment with touch control screens. When Denimburg reaches full production capacity in the late spring, it will be producing 1.2 million yards of denim per month and have 160 employees. Denimburg anticipates producing 11 million yards of denim in 2017. Using only American cotton (primarily Texas cotton), the fabric carries "Made in USA" labels at a time when American-made textiles have almost disappeared. Rising wages in China have reduced the appeal of Asian production. The cachet of the American label is a major asset, but changes in the fashion supply chain are also propelling Denimburg's growth. Speeding fashion trends to market requires a short supply chain, and quality American denim, sewn into apparel in the Americas, shortens the turnaround time considerably. Denimburg takes orders for delivery in 30 days. Mexican apparel plants have been the primary customers for the Made in USA denim. "Mexican clients really like our denim," Claudio Motta, plant manager said. Denimburg finished processing Rio Grande Valley cotton in early January and began receiving trucks filled with bales from Tulia, Texas. www.denimburg.com/ Is this the infamous SANTANA TEXTILES that was highly touted by even Governor Perry from so long ago? I always wondered what happened there. Happy to see it's finally in production!
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Post by Minion on Mar 3, 2017 16:21:25 GMT -6
Willacy County reaches agreement to reopen prison
Posted: Friday, March 3, 2017 4:03 pm By Fernando del Valle, Staff writer RAYMONDVILLE — It appears Willacy County has reached an agreement with a national prison operator to reopen the former “tent-city.”
In a meeting Tuesday, commissioners are expected to approve the “execution of operations and management agreement for the Willacy County Detention Center.”
County Commissioners have not disclosed the name of the company with which they plan to enter into the agreement.
But commissioners have been in negotiations with Management and Training Corp., the longtime operator of the former Willacy County Correctional Center, and the GEO Group, commissioners Henry De La Paz and Oscar DeLuna confirmed.
MTC has confirmed negotiations with the county.
“We’re awaiting a decision by the county,” company spokesman Issa Arnita said in a statement Thursday.
But the GEO Group “is not currently in negotiations,” spokesman Pablo Paez said in statement yesterday.
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Post by Granola on Mar 6, 2017 8:56:57 GMT -6
Is this the infamous SANTANA TEXTILES that was highly touted by even Governor Perry from so long ago? I always wondered what happened there. Happy to see it's finally in production! Yes, I believe so. Took them long enough, huh?
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Post by Minion on Mar 10, 2017 14:49:50 GMT -6
Willacy County reaches agreement to reopen prison
Posted: Friday, March 3, 2017 4:03 pm By Fernando del Valle, Staff writer RAYMONDVILLE — It appears Willacy County has reached an agreement with a national prison operator to reopen the former “tent-city.” In a meeting Tuesday, commissioners are expected to approve the “execution of operations and management agreement for the Willacy County Detention Center.” County Commissioners have not disclosed the name of the company with which they plan to enter into the agreement. But commissioners have been in negotiations with Management and Training Corp., the longtime operator of the former Willacy County Correctional Center, and the GEO Group, commissioners Henry De La Paz and Oscar DeLuna confirmed. MTC has confirmed negotiations with the county. “We’re awaiting a decision by the county,” company spokesman Issa Arnita said in a statement Thursday. But the GEO Group “is not currently in negotiations,” spokesman Pablo Paez said in statement yesterday. A little birdie tells me this is a done deal as of about an hour ago! Awesome for Willacy County and it's economy!
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