Texas Border Business
HARLINGEN, TEXAS – AUG. 19, 2015 – In a historic show of unity, the cities of Brownsville, Harlingen, McAllen, Edinburg, Matamoros and Reynosa (Tamaulipas) and the counties of Cameron and Hidalgo join forces to maximize economic development opportunities. The vehicle for this cooperation is BiNED (Bi-National Economic Development), an innovative, competitive and integrated bi-national organization founded in March 2014 by the mayors of Brownsville, Harlingen and Matamoros.
A ceremony expanding the Bi-NED Zone will be held at the Regional Academic Health Center Auditorium in Harlingen at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 21, 2015. The event will mark the commitment of the mayors and county judges to form a mega-region designed to enhance the competitive advantages of the South Texas – Tamaulipas international border.
BiNED incorporates both sides of the Texas – Tamaulipas border into a seamless entity that will endorse, promote and secure the vitality of the region.
“Uniting through BiNED will allow all of us to capitalize on both our individual and joint strengths and to overcome any disadvantages which result from competing among and against ourselves rather than joining forces to compete with others across the hemisphere and the globe,” mayors Martinez, Boswell and Salazar said in the invitation extended to Cameron and Hidalgo counties and the cities of McAllen, Edinburg and Reynosa.
“The resulting bi-national focus will enhance our competitive advantages, maximize economic development opportunities, and secure the general prosperity of our region and its residents and businesses,” they said.
The founding directors of BiNED have established an organizational framework intended to ensure that the mega-region can flourish through cooperation, even as it preserves, protects and maximizes the advantages of each of the communities within the bi-national region.
U.S. Rep. Filemón Vela of Brownsville, architect of the summit that led to the creation of BiNED, will be the keynote speaker at the event.
