By Roberto H. Gonzalez
As originally published by Texas Border Business newsprint edition August 2019
Daniel Silva has been Mission EDC’s Chief Executive Officer as of December of 2018. He has worked under two very talented EDC directors, Pat Townsend Jr. and Alex Meade, which he considers ‘his mentors’. He has been able to learn from them. Daniel will soon celebrate 15 years working at attracting industry and retail to Mission.
Mission has been and is a formidable city that keeps attracting new families looking to settle. Families are also drawn to some of the master planned communities in existence in this city.
Mission EDC is recruiting manufacturing companies and retail, but there is also a special effort to work with companies looking to hire staff. They are working on providing a skilled workforce to attract the companies of the future to meet the needs of the City of Mission.
On another note, Dip it is a product created by Pilar Gonzalez, which she created into a homegrown business. From a tiny company, now selling dips in 275 HEB stores, and soon to expand internationally. Pilar will be in Plano Texas in the headquarters of Frito Lay for training.
There is a lot work to be done, but Pilar is ready. Congratulations to her, but also to Mission city fathers and Mission Economic Development for creating and implementing programs that create opportunities for business development. ¡Muchos aplausos!
Always at the forefront, NOBLE Texas Builders is a company that brings pride to every community in the Rio Grande Valley. Aside from building the Valley, they have NOBLE Charity. This nonprofit entity raises funds to benefit a multitude of local needs.
Just recently, NOBLE Texas Builders paired with Workforce Solutions Cameron (WSC) and the Cameron County Education Initiative (CCEI), to celebrate the first Draft Day. The company hired four professionals trained thru CCEI and in a program funded by WSC. Noble joined with state and local entities to celebrate the hiring. Big applause!
Great news: Macy’s Opens the First Backstage Outlet at Macy’s La Plaza Mall McAllen on August 10, 2019. Macy’s Backstage offers a store-within-store shopping experience. More info in this issue.
IDEA Schools expanding to Midland-Odessa by 2024. What a great idea the school has been. A model of education that has succeeded time and time again. This time a $45 million partnership will open 14 IDEA Schools in Midland-Odessa.
A large and diverse group of businesses, foundations, and individuals from both Midland and Ector Counties announced they have collectively committed nearly $55 million in private funding to bring in IDEA Public Schools in 2020.
Congratulations to Tom Torkelson, Founder and CEO and JoAnn Gama, President and Superintendent for creating this educational institution and bringing a model that benefits students.
La Plaza Mall finally has flavor. Don Pancho Ochoa has opened a Palenque Grill. This is authentic Mexican cuisine. “Un rinconcito de nuestra tierra” (A little piece of our homeland), is how Don Pancho best describes Palenque Grill. What began as a possibility became a reality on July 31, 2005, the day when the first Palenque Grill opened its doors in Laredo, Texas.
Enjoy this issue.
