Anzaldua: Border Trade Alliance-Mexico is in growth mode

MCALLEN, Texas – The Border Trade Alliance-Mexico has been operating for about ten years. Now it is time to make the group much larger, say members of the current leadership team.

Those leaders include Joaquin Spamer, the group’s current president, and Martin Anzaldua, a past president. 

“With Joaquin things are always big. He’s nonstop,” Anzaldua told the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service, in an exclusive video interview. 

“We believe Mexico has a lot to offer to the world and we’re getting closer to that, day by day. Everyone is taking notice that the only way to get bigger is to get together and that is what we are trying to do with BTA Mexico.”

Anzaldua is CEO of Grupo Rio San Juan, a construction and real estate company that owns two industrial parks in Reynosa, Del Norte and Villa Florida. He said his company is thinking of expanding Villa Florida.

“The border is very attractive for investment. We need to get ready for when they want to come in,” he said.

With the near-shoring phenomenon currently underway in Mexico, a lot of investment is occurring in states like Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Queretaro, and Guanajuato, Anzaldua said.

“But what we have on the border is the brotherhood of Reynosa and the Rio Grande Valley. We have to take advantage of that,” he said.

Anzaldua acknowledged the Border Trade Alliance in the U.S. is well-established. He said the same thing can happen with its sister organization in Mexico.

“BTA Mexico was born because of the need of having someone taking care of business on the Mexican side. BTA USA is a very good organization, with lots of work and companies working for them and we want to do the same in Mexico,” Anzaldua said. 

Asked what the catchment area for BTA-Mexico is, Anzaldua said: “Everyone along the border. And not only the border. We’re talking with people in Nuevo León, Coahuila, Ciudad Mexico. We need a team of people that wants to work together for just one objective: logistics. And to raise the level of the work that we do in Mexico, all over the place.”

BTA Mexico has had four presidents over the past ten years. Former McAllen superintendent of bridges Rigo Villarreal was the first. Then came Anzaldua. Then, Eduardo Garza from Laredo. And now Spamer.

Asked if there are any other groups with a similar mission statement as BTA Mexico, Anzaldua said: “Let me put it this way. There are a lot of organizations looking at this objective. But everyone is working as a single group. If we add everyone… we will be heard everywhere. And I am pretty sure that’s the way to go.”

Asked what the feedback has been thus far, Anzaldua said: “Once they know what we are doing and who is participating, they say, okay, I am in.”

Here is a video recording of the interview with Anzaldua:

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