Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
PHARR, Texas — Business, transportation and government leaders gathered in Pharr on Wednesday, Oct. 7, for the inaugural Gateway Forum, a new event focused on the infrastructure, international relationships and investment needed to support growing cross-border trade.
The City of Pharr organized the forum in partnership with the Pharr International Bridge, Pharr Economic Development Corporation, and Greater Pharr Chamber of Commerce. The event was held at the Pharr Development & Research Center as part of the city’s annual Fresh on the Border Week.
The forum arrived as Pharr prepares for a major expansion of its international crossing. According to Luis Bazan, director of the Pharr International Bridge, the second bridge structure will add 100% more capacity. The Pharr International Bridge handles more than $47 billion in trade and serves companies moving goods between Mexico, the United States, and other international markets.
The first panel, “The Future of Cross-Border Trade & Infrastructure,” brought together Pharr International Bridge Director Luis Bazan, Crispin Flores of the Mid Valley Customs Brokers Association, Mike Willis of the South Texas Manufacturers Association, UTRGV economist Salvador Contreras, and Dante Galeazzi, president and CEO of the Texas International Produce Association. Guillermo Almazo of Inbound Logistics moderated the discussion.
Bazan said expanding physical infrastructure is only part of Pharr’s strategy for accommodating additional trade. He pointed to technology and process improvements, including Unified Cargo Processing, as tools that can increase efficiency once physical infrastructure reaches its limits.
“We’re building the necessary infrastructure to eventually get us there,” Bazan said, describing the bridge expansion as a twin structure that will add 100% capacity.
The program expanded beyond the international bridge with a panel examining connections among rail systems, seaports and air cargo. Participants included Sergio “Tito” Lopez, chairman of the Brownsville Navigation District; Walker Smith, director of the Port of Harlingen; Michael Scholz of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport; and Juan Lerma of Rio Valley Switching Co.
A transportation panel then examined the highways required to move international cargo beyond the border. Participants included U.S. Customs and Border Protection Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Texas Trucking Association President and CEO John D. Esparza, TxDOT Pharr District Engineer Pete Alvarez, Hidalgo County Regional Mobility Authority Executive Director Daniel Garcia, and TxDOT Border Program Manager Sergio Vasquez.
Duncan Wood, CEO of Hurst International Consulting LLC, delivered the keynote address, “From Chokepoints to Gateways: Why South Texas is the model for the new American economy.”
The afternoon program turned to international partnerships and investment, followed by a discussion of Pharr’s business environment featuring representatives from the Greater Pharr Chamber of Commerce, Pharr EDC, U.S. Small Business Administration and private industry.
The forum concluded with opportunities for attendees to tour Pharr industrial parks and development areas, followed by an evening mixer at the Pharr Economic Development Corporation.
