Gonzalez: Brownsville needs to start having conversations with Index Matamoros

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A top manufacturer in Matamoros says Brownsville economic development leaders are not doing a good enough job in collaborating with Index, the leading maquiladora trade association in Mexico.

Rolando Gonzalez, of Gobar Systems and the Border Manufacturers Association, was a panelist at RGV StartUp Week. The title of the panel discussion was: Additive Manufacturing and Industrial Reshoring in the RGV.

“Talking about partnerships, I think the most important one, and I’m surprised it hasn’t come up yet, is you need a partnership with Index Matamoros,” Gonzalez said. “Something that I really admire about the McAllen area is… my father has been good friends with Keith Patridge for many years. If you don’t know who he is, he’s one of the people that really developed the (industrial) area in McAllen.”

Patridge was the longtime president and CEO of McAllen Economic Development Corporation. He retired last year. Gonzalez’s father, also called Rolando, is president of Gobar and a past president of Index at the national level. When Patridge ran MEDC he would always invite Index Reynosa to the group’s monthly meetings to give an update on their activities. Index Reynosa’s Enrique Castro, who was also an Index leader at the national level, most often attended.

“They (McAllen EDC) looked at, what do we have? We have the manufacturing in Reynosa. We have the gas Pemex plant Reynosa. How do we help them be better? You know, the reason why the Maquila industry grew so much is because you brought cheap labor, and then you used world class infrastructure from the US to move your products,” Gonzalez continued.

“And my father’s been the president of Index at the national level. He’s been at the local level, and the biggest issue is Brownsville doesn’t have any conversations with us. We generate $8 billion worth of goods, and I’m the only local one. Everyone else is a big corporation (from) outside and there’s no projects where we work together. We’ve signed a ton of MOUs, but take a picture, and that’s it.”

Another suggestion to help Brownsville, Gonzalez said, would be to participate more in the advanced manufacturing UT-Rio Grande Valley is offering in Edinburg. “I am absolutely amazed every time I go. What they’re doing with the high schools, what they’re doing with the students, you can become certified in advanced manufacturing at UTRGV, they have programs for that.”

Gonzalez added: “Those two things would really, really make Brownsville grow and the RGV grow, because anything that happens in Brownsville or in Matamoros affects McAllen and Reynosa and vice versa. So it’s not a matter of looking at each other as competitors. It’s about doing things.”

Jerry Briones, chief operations officer for Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation.

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Also on the panel was Jerry Briones, chief operating office for the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation, the City of Brownsville’s Type A economic development organization. Briones said Gonzalez was right. 

“You are right, (Rolando). We have done a poor job of not keeping up with Index. I accept your challenge, and we will be stronger. I can tell you we work with CODEM but Index does bring a lot of good to the table. More than anything, I think your Dad brings some serious knowledge as well,” Briones said. 

CODEM is the economic development committee for Matamoros.

Editor’s Note: The Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Index Matamoros in May, 2023. Click here to read about it.

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