Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
PHARR, Texas — A two-day commercial mission in Pharr brought Zacatecas business representatives together with customs, regulatory, economic development and university officials to prepare Mexican companies seeking to enter the U.S. market, according to Liborio Alberto Flores Mendoza, a representative of the Consejo Empresarial Mexicano de Comercio Exterior, or COMCE, in Zacatecas.
Flores Mendoza said the mission began at Pharr One with a presentation by the Association of Customs Agents of Reynosa on what Mexican producers and entrepreneurs need to export products to the United States.
The group then received information from U.S. Customs and Border Protection on regulatory requirements, followed by a Food and Drug Administration presentation on requirements affecting food exports to the United States.
Economic development officials presented business opportunities in the Texas Rio Grande Valley and socio-demographic information about Pharr. Flores Mendoza said that Pharr is gaining tremendous recognition in Zacatecas and that the team is considering efforts to increase awareness of the city in Mexico.
The mission also included a university panel featuring a lawyer, an accountant, and an immigration expert who discussed what Mexican business owners need to operate and establish companies in the United States.
The first day concluded with a business success story, followed by networking and a tasting featuring a Zacatecas mezcal brand.
On the second day, the delegation visited the international bridge and received information about its expansion. The group also visited a logistics company to learn about services, costs, and timelines.
Flores Mendoza said the mission would conclude with a soft-landing presentation and two announcements intended to strengthen support for Mexican companies entering the U.S. market.
One involves a pre-soft-landing program offered through the University of Texas to help entrepreneurs prepare their products before entering the United States. Flores Mendoza said the program is designed so businesses arrive with products ready for the market rather than spending additional time and money making fundamental adjustments after reaching the United States.
“You have to arrive here with a product ready to sell,” Flores Mendoza said.
The second announcement involves establishing a binational COMCE presence in Pharr, providing another point of contact for companies pursuing opportunities in the region.
Flores Mendoza said the bigger goal is to teach entrepreneurs how to develop their own markets rather than simply provide them with potential customers.
“We are not going to give you the fish,” he said. “We are going to teach you how to fish.”
That process, he said, includes teaching entrepreneurs to find customers and conduct market studies while developing a clearly defined product.
Flores Mendoza said companies seeking to establish operations in Pharr would also have support from economic development officials and the university.
“The idea is for our entrepreneurs to come, begin operations and do business here, accompanied by economic development and the University of Texas,” he said.
Flores Mendoza said the commercial mission has been conducted for 11 years and has evolved over time. He said the work in Pharr reflects developments over the past two years, including adding Pharr economic development and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV to the organizations involved.
He thanked Pharr officials for their participation and said the relationships developed through the mission have helped expand the program and create new resources for Zacatecas businesses seeking opportunities in the United States.
