Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
PHARR, Texas — Bert Ogden Auto Group officially celebrated the grand opening of BMW of Pharr on Thursday, Aug. 20, bringing together company leaders, BMW of North America representatives, City of Pharr officials, customers and employees for an evening that concluded with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The dealership, located near U.S. 281 and Owassa Road, opened its doors in July 2025, but Thursday’s event marked its formal grand opening. The facility represents the latest chapter in Bert Ogden Auto Group’s relationship with BMW, which began when the company acquired the brand in 1990.
BMW initially operated at Jackson and Hackberry in McAllen, sharing property with what is now Bert Ogden Nissan McAllen. By the late 1990s, the dealership had moved to North 10th Street as the brand expanded in the Rio Grande Valley. Planning for a replacement facility began taking shape in 2023, with Pharr selected as its new home.
Natasha del Barrio, CEO of Bert Ogden Auto Group, said the move has exceeded expectations.
“This store has been everything that we dreamed it would be,” del Barrio said. “These guys have surpassed every expectation. They’ve met every goal. And this has just proven to be an excellent, excellent home for us.”
Del Barrio thanked Pharr officials, the Greater Pharr Chamber of Commerce and Mayor Dr. Ambrosio Hernandez for helping the company through the development process.
“The city, the chamber, the mayor have been exceptional,” she said. “They have made this a fantastic and smooth journey.”
Robert Vackar, chairman of the board and dealer principal of Bert Ogden Auto Group, also credited Pharr for its support and praised the BMW team for the dealership’s performance.
“The city of Pharr is so easy to work with, and your people are just phenomenal,” Vackar said. “We appreciate everything that Pharr has done.”
Vackar said the dealership’s success reflects the work of General Manager Patrick Fralick and the employees behind the operation. He also expressed confidence in the region’s continued economic growth.
“Hopefully, we’ll continue to grow and prosper with the Valley, and hopefully the Rio Grande Valley will continue to prosper,” Vackar said.
Fralick said the goal behind the new facility went beyond gaining additional space.
“The idea was not just to move to a bigger, larger facility with more parking,” Fralick said. “It was to build something where our customers would have an amazing experience, where they felt comfortable, where our employees were proud to come to work.”
He thanked employees across the sales, service, parts and accounting departments, along with their families and the dealership’s customers.
“We want more. We want to do better. We want to learn,” Fralick said. “We want to continue to offer a great customer experience. As great as things are right now, I am even more excited for the future.”
Randy Watson, Southern Region Vice President for BMW of North America, congratulated the Bert Ogden organization and said the Rio Grande Valley has grown in importance to BMW.
“The Rio Grande Valley has become a very important market for BMW,” Watson said. “I can’t imagine a better team and a better family to represent the BMW brand than what we have right here.”
Watson also recognized the company’s investment in the dealership, its employees, customers, and the Pharr community.
CJ Sanchez, President and CEO of the Greater Pharr Chamber of Commerce, said the opening represents a bigger investment in the city.
“Today is about more than opening the doors to a beautiful dealership,” Sanchez said. “It’s about continued investment, growth, and confidence in the future of Pharr.”
Sanchez credited Bert Ogden Auto Group with creating jobs, supporting the regional economy, and contributing to the community.
The Bert Ogden Auto Group traces its history to the 1970s in Edinburg and has expanded to 25 dealerships across the Rio Grande Valley. The company said it now represents more than 30% of the regional automotive market.
The Vackar family has also supported regional organizations, including The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Robert and Janet Vackar provided an endowment connected to the university’s athletic program, and UTRGV’s football stadium bears their names as Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium.
For BMW of Pharr, the grand opening formally marked a transition that began more than a year earlier and established a new home for a brand that Bert Ogden Auto Group has represented in the Rio Grande Valley for more than three decades.
