Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
McALLEN, Texas — Adam Gonzalez, chief executive officer of COSTEP, Council for South Texas Economic Progress, and members of his team hosted the meeting and welcomed the visiting delegation from San Luis Potosí, Mexico. COSTEP invited regional economic development corporations and strategic partners to participate.
A San Luis Potosí business representative presented “friend-shoring” as a relationship-based extension of nearshoring during a June 11, 2026, meeting between Mexican automotive companies and Rio South Texas region economic development officials.
Ricardo Pérez Castillo of Indutérmica introduced the term while discussing business relocation, investment decisions and the importance of developing personal relationships between regions.
“There is a new perspective on entrepreneurship and on relocation,” Pérez Castillo said. “We have discussed a concept that goes beyond ‘near-shoring’ to what we now call ‘friend-shoring.’”
Nearshoring generally places operations closer to a company’s principal market. Pérez Castillo’s comments focused on the personal connections that can also influence where a company establishes operations.
“It really comes down to friendship,” he said.
Pérez Castillo said corporate headquarters may select a country or general location, while personal and family considerations can influence the selection of a specific city. He also spoke about the delegation’s experience during its visit to Rio South Texas. “We are truly and pleasantly surprised,” Pérez Castillo said. “It is wonderful to see the kindness and willingness to help shown by the people in this area.”
Pérez Castillo represented Indutérmica, a company specializing in energy efficiency for high-temperature industrial equipment. He said its work focuses on heat-treatment and curing processes.
The Council for South Texas Economic Progress, known as COSTEP, and Rio South Texas stakeholders hosted the meeting at the Cambria Hotel in McAllen. Adam Gonzalez, chief executive officer of COSTEP, welcomed the visitors.
COSTEP presented information about the region’s business infrastructure and quality of life. The presentation described the Rio South Texas region as a binational economic corridor with access to international bridges, railroads, seaports and airports.
A second regional presentation focused on housing, recreation, culture and the area’s relationship with both Texas and Tamaulipas. Other visiting representatives discussed industrial parks, automotive parts, logistics, electrical engineering and industrial robotics.Fernanda Centeno, commercial coordinator for Logistik Industrial Park, thanked the hosts for their assistance during the visit. “We are very grateful to COSTEP and the Rio South Texas region,” Centeno said. “Everyone has been so kind.”
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