Gonzalez: COSTEP is going back to India in July

MISSION, Texas – Adam Gonzalez, CEO of the Council for South Texas Economic Progress (COSTEP), is going back to India to promote the Rio South Texas region.

Gonzalez visited India in January as part of a delegation organized by the Governor’s Economic Development & Tourism Office and the Texas Economic Development Corporation. Gov. Greg Abbott was on the trip.

The Rio Grande Guardian International News Service secured an exclusive interview with Gonzalez at the conclusion of a recent economic development and marketing meeting held at La Fogata in Mission.

Asked if he would be going back to Europe any time soon, Gonzalez said:

“We are more focused on the Indian market right now. I recently made a visit with the Office of the Governor to India. I’m already being invited in July to a symposium and a summit in India. We are going to visit about ten different cities in India in about five days and meet with about 300 to 400 companies that are ready to expand into the U.S. market.”

So India is definitely a market the Rio South Texas region should be interested in, Gonzalez was asked.

“It is definitely a market we should focus on. A top priority. Turkey also. What I’m hearing and I’m learning more about Turkey, now with this company coming in,  is that there’s a great market of investors in Turkey.”

The Turkish company Gonzalez was referring to was Westa, which looks set to build a state-of-the-art flour mill in the new industrial park at the Port of Brownsville. COSTEP helped lure Westa to the Rio Grande Valley.

As for India, the Valley already has a growing Indian presence thanks to business software giants Zoho. The company plans to build a 90-acre campus in south McAllen. 

“As the eighth-largest economy in the world and home to a highly skilled and growing workforce, Texas offers endless opportunities for business expansion and investment from our global partners,” said Gov. Abbott, in anticipation of his trip to India in January.

“Texas is America’s—and the world’s—premier economic destination because of our dedication to cultivating a business-friendly environment where companies have the freedom and resources they need to thrive. 

“There is great potential for us to expand critical industry and trade partnerships with India. I look forward to leading this economic development mission as we share the story and spirit of Texas’ longtime economic success and ingenuity with the people of India.”

Gonzalez said his first trip to India was a success.

“Discussions were held on promoting cross-border trade through innovation, investments, and technology partnerships. The delegation also visited with a large tech company that focuses on engineering, cloud, software, and digital technologies.”

COSTEP, which was founded in 1972, covers seven counties in South Texas – Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Starr, Webb, Willacy, and Zapata – and ten municipios in northern Tamaulipas. Rick Carrera is the group’s economic development director. He told the Guardian:

“India has been on our radar for some time. Previous to my time here, COSTEP had done a lot of work trips to foreign countries. They hadn’t gotten around to going to India. So, because the country was on our radar, this was a prime opportunity for us to visit. Obviously, the Governor’s Office is helping establish the contacts that Adam is going to be visiting with while they’re there. So it’s all come together at a really opportune time.”

Asked if the fact that Indian tech giant Zoho Corporation has opened a facility in McAllen is an advantage, Carrera said: “Absolutely, because it sets a precedent. If somebody’s is here and they have set up shop already, it sets a set a precedent. They (Zoho) can actually speak to the quality of the whole process of establishing here in the Rio South Texas region.”

COSTEP’s Gonzalez concluded his interview with the Guardian by saying the key to landing big manufacturing companies was getting the CEOs and decision-makers to visit the region.

“Once we get them down here and we invite them and we host them here, the region sells itself. Once they see what we have, they see the warmth of the people and the weather, that we have all the amenities, that we have all the assets, once they see all this, the Valley and Laredo sell themselves,” Gonzalez said.

“So, all we need to do is market it, bring them down to see what we have to offer, and they will invest.”

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