Texas Border Business
On January 14, 2021, the Bert Ogden Auto Group celebrated the Bert Ogden Electric Cadillac Dealership topping out Edinburg event. The principals of the largest auto group in the Rio Grande Valley, Bob and Janet Vackar, were not present, however, but were watching the event’s live video stream.
The new Cadillac Electric facility and the only one in south Texas, is under construction on a ten-acre tract of land on South 281 I-69 in Edinburg. The location is just across the Bert Ogden Arena and next to the Bert Ogden Infiniti dealership.
High-ranking officials of the auto dealership were present for such an essential celebration of the final beam’s signing and completing the structural foundation of their new 30,500 square foot Electric Cadillac dealership in Edinburg. Bob and Janet Vackar, the company’s principals, said that the celebration was a significant milestone.
Edinburg City officials Mayor Richard Molina, councilmembers David White and Juan Tomas Garcia, and City Manager Ron Garza joined the event. The contribution of service and dedication to promoting economic development by City officials was recognized publicly.
Josue Reyes, the CEO of D. Wilson Construction Company in charge of building the project, said, “The construction of this new flagship facility will be one of just a handful with this design concept in North America.”
The Bert Ogden Auto Group is a company woven into the community’s fiber. They hire locals, they partner, engage, and support local vendors, schools, nonprofit organizations, and charity through their philanthropic journey. They invest and create job opportunities across South Texas, and Bert Ogden Auto Group is proud to call the Rio Grande Valley their home.
Once built, this dealership will be one of five state-of-the-art dealerships using this new design standard created in the nation. The Cadillac Lyriq facility is on schedule to be completed by late 2021.
Natasha Del Barrio, the CEO of Bert Ogden Auto Group, was the keynote speaker for the Electric Cadillac topping out event. “Thank you all so much for being here with us.” She continued, “We’re so grateful to those of you that are here. The project has been in planning for a long time, for that reason, we’re excited to be at this point.”
Natasha took the opportunity to thank the Bert Ogden staff. “Our amazing staff, without them, none of this is possible.”
She said that Cadillac’s Lyriq SUV is a concept car with sharp styling and a modern cabin, featuring both single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel-drive models that will have a driving range of more than 300 miles.
The advantages of this new electric vehicle are numerous; among them is the scalable battery architecture. General Motors announced that the Lyriq should be on sale sometime in late 2022 as a 2023 model.
“It’s no wonder that Cadillac is the first manufacturer to present a fully technologically advanced facility that can support the future of electrification and the full electric fleet.” She said, “This is why we are proud and humbled to have been selected by Cadillac to partner with them with the first dealership of this kind in the state of Texas.”
Bert Ogden Auto Group is a visionary company that brings the auto industry’s best to the Rio Grande Valley. Bob and Janet Vackar said, “There’s nothing sacrificed in performance or comfort with these vehicles, and we’ve sacrificed nothing at this facility.”
