Gonzalez: What we learned from the RGV StartUp Week panel discussion on nearshoring

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A panel discussion about nearshoring held at the eBridge Center as part of RGV StartUp Week was so good, the Rio Grande Guardian thought, that we wanted to go back and discuss it further with the moderator.

Ramiro Gonzalez was not only the moderator, he came up with the idea of the panel and chose the panelists. And he got his company, Origo Work to sponsor it. 

The panelists Gonzalez chose were Maricarmen Cadena, a real estate broker for CRE in Matamoros, Ricardo Rubiano of Rubio Group Capital, Alex Garza, partner and managing broker for ICO Real Estate, and Ramiro Aleman, director of economic development for Cameron County.

“When the panel was over, I was thinking, this was a really good conversation. We need to have more of these,” Gonzalez said.

The Guardian agreed, with this reporter pointing out to Gonzalez that the discussion had spawned three Guardian stories: Rubiano’s analysis of the real estate market in the Rio Grande Valley; Aleman revealing that bridge crossings at Los Indios are up 150 percent, and Cadena making the case that neaarshoring had passed Tamaulipas by. 

“I think it ended up the way I had envisioned it,” Gonzalez told the Guardian. “We set out with the subject being nearshoring. Are we seeing the effects of nearshoring in the (Rio Grande) Valley? If we’re not, why not, and if we are, why? And so that was really the inspiration for the panel.”

Gonzalez said Cadena’s analysis on the situation in Tamaulipas was particularly fascinating. 

“Thanks to Maricarmen, we basically learned that the State of Tamaulipas has kind of missed the nearshoring boat, right? And she said that, I’m not saying that. But, she was very optimistic about Tamaulipas being set up, from a labor force perspective, to attract, hopefully, a carmaker. That would then obviously have the ripple effect that they’ve been wanting. But so far, Tamaulipas has not had that opportunity.”

Gonzalez said it was also pleasing to learn from Aleman about the increased truck movements at Los Indios.  

“That was very surprising, just because you always hear that the traffic movement at Los Indios is slow,” Gonzalez said. “I’m glad that you (the Guardian) highlighted that, because, hey, that’s a that’s a good stat. Up 15o percent from last year, that’s great.”

Gonzalez added: “Alex also provided some good insights, and then you had Ricardo with his vision for the Valley’s industrial real estate market and where things are headed. So I think it was a lively discussion.”

Editor’s Note: Here is a video recording of the interview with Ramiro Gonzalez:

Editor’s Note: Click here to watch the original panel discussion on nearshoring.

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