Mission EDC: Our trade mission to San Luis Potosí was highly successful

MISSION, Texas – Mission Economic Development Corporation says it has just concluded a successful trade mission to San Luis Potosí.

The group said it discussed new trade opportunities linked to the expansion of the Anzalduas International Bridge and brainstormed ways to bolster economic development ties between the two cities.

One of the highlights was attending MexicoNow’s Nearshoring Auto Industry Summit, which attracted over 750 automotive, industrial and logistics company representatives. The summit was held at the San Luis Potosi’s Convention Center.

“More than 2,000 people registered for the conference, Mission EDC said, on a posting on LinkedIn. “Our team continues to network and connect with a diverse range of stakeholders to explore and capitalize on the nearshoring trend, all while forging partnerships to drive the growth and development of the automotive sector in Mission.”

In addition, Mission Mayor Norie Gonzalez Garza signed what the City of Mission believes is an “historic bilateral trade accord.” Also signing the document was San Luis Potosí Interim Mayor Alexandra Daniela Gonzalez.

Mission EDC says the accord commits the two cities to “work collaboratively on trade, investment, transportation and education issues to enhance economic development in both cities.”

The mayors were joined by SLP’s cultural director Jaime Chalita Zarur.

“Mayor Gonzalez Garza was bestowed the honor of writing in the city’s “Libro de Oro,” a 90-year-old book reserved for the city’s most distinguished visitors,” Mission EDC stated, on LinkedIn.

“This partnership marks a significant step forward in fostering collaboration and growth between our two vibrant regions. Mission has invited SLP – and it has accepted – to visit in the near future. More to come.”

Mission and San Luis Potosí leaders. (Photo credit: Mission EDC)

Mission EDC has been cultivating relationships with the industrial sector of San Luis Potosí for past few years. Last year it held talks with industrial, transportation and auto clusters in SLP along with education leaders and those from the SLP chapter of Index, the maquiladora trade association. The group was also in the audience when the state’s Governor addressed the 2023 Nearshoring Auto Industry Summit.

“Our ‘Mission’ is to continue developing relationships and business ties that will lead to investment and increased for Mission, the RGV and Texas and raise the bridge’s profile,” Mission EDC stated on LinkedIn.

“San Luis is a historic city that is moving fast into the future with BMW, auto and battery plants and large multinational operations by GM, Goodyear, Bosch, Honda, Cummins, Honeywell and many, many more.”

Teclo Garcia, CEO of Mission EDC, said that with the expansion of Anzalduas International Bridge – which should be able to handle fully loaded trucks headed both northbound and southbound next year – and a sprawling 320 acres of new industrial and warehousing space, Mission is rapidly becoming a hotspot for attention, new investments, and trade opportunities.

Garcia pointed out that BMW, GM, and Goodyear “lead a group of powerful San Luis Potosí industrial firms that employ tens of thousands of people and spurred the creation of a huge supplier network and thousands more jobs in this fast-growing business-centric city.”

In a posting on LinkedIn, Garcia said: “Signed a trade pact with San Luis Potosí, held a private meeting with the state economic development secretary, conducted an investment roundtable, met with cluster and Index leaders and delivered a message (to) an international auto manufacturing conference. Not a bad week for the Mission EDC.”

Garcia said the primary goals of the MEDC’s trade mission were to “promote the Anzalduas International Bridge to an industrial and transportation powerhouse, raise Mission’s and the RGV’s profile in central Mexico’s manufacturing region and seek opportunities for investment, job creation and other bilateral opportunities.”

Last but not least, Garcia said, was building all-important relationships.

“Mission and the RGV are at nexus of a dynamic US-Mexico region that has had trade, manufacturing and jobs grow exponentially in the few last years. Places like Austin, SA (San Antonio), Monterrey and SLP are blowing up and we, as a region, must be cognizant of our importance and leverage that into jobs and investment,” Garcia added.

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