Rioplex marketing initiative wins support at RGV Hispanic Chamber of Commerce event

MCALLEN, Texas – Support for “Rioplex” as the brand name to market the Rio Grande Valley and North Tamaulipas was on display at an RGV Hispanic Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

After a panel discussion on “The Future of the Latino Economic Impact in the U.S. & Texas,” famed Valley businessman Robert Lozano, who was sitting in the audience, used the Q&A session to promote the new name.

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“I feel we’d be remiss if at least once the word Rioplex wasn’t said. I know it’s new, it’s fresh, but who are we? What are we going to call ourselves?” Lozano asked.

Moderator Julian Alvarez, senior vice president and director of business development for Lone Star National Bank, asked, “Is it trademarked? I think you should.”

Lozano responded: “That’s why I want to bring it up. It’s just fresh. It’s new. It came out in the paper, but local business leaders have come together with northern Tamaulipas and all of the Rio Grande Valley. We’re one economic unit here. It blends, it goes back and forth over the river. It’s one community.”

Lozano added: “I would like all of you, the influence that you have, the places you go, and the people that you touch. We’re hopeful that it’s remembered as one complete unit and it’s being called, I was just told, I read it in the paper, Rioplex. Plex. So, let’s remember that.”

Many in the audience applauded Lozano’s remarks.

Massey Villarreal, chair of the Texas Association of Business, Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Texas Association of Business, Ramiro Cavazos, president and CEO of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Julian Alvarez, senior vice president and director of business development for Lone Star National Bank. (Photo: RGG/Steve Taylor)  

The three panelists on stage were Ramiro Cavazos, president and CEO of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Massey Villarreal, chair of the Texas Association of Business; and Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Texas Association of Business.

Villarreal was the first panelist to respond to Lozano’s remarks.

“So, the first one was Borderplex and it was in El Paso. And it was started by a board member of TAB and former Secretary of State, Rolando Pablos. And, by the way, Rolando is running for mayor of San Antonio. He started the Borderplex Alliance in El Paso, New Mexico, and Chihuahua. It is kind of the model,” Villarreal said.

“We talked to the (McAllen) mayor, (Javier) Villalobos, last night about Rioplex. It is real. If you guys make that an economic power, you will scare the rest of the state. It’s real. So do it. Get behind it.”

Cavazos said: “I think it is good. I like it. It’s the first time I hear it. I love the idea. And whoever came up with it, I think it’s brilliant. And I like it better than Latinx.”

Interviewed afterwards, Alvarez said: “We heard in the panel discussion today that what is missing in the RGV is… we’ve got a skilled workforce, we’ve got a community that is vibrant, we’ve got a young population. And you could hear from Glenn (Hamer) mentioning today, all we lack now is the marketing, a good marketing plan. So, we are excited. We are all on the same page with Judge Cortez.”

Alvarez referenced Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez because he set up the Prosperity Task Force to tacked poverty. One of the task force subcommittees is the CEO Group. This group, led by businessman Joaquin Spamer, came up with the brand name Rioplex.

Industrial real estate broker Paul Douglass. (Photo: RGG/Steve Taylor)

Later the same day there was a retirement part for McAllen Economic Development Corporation’s longtime president and CEO, Keith Patridge. It was held at the MEDC offices. At this event, Paul Douglass, a partner in Select Regional Solutions, expressed his support for the Rioplex initiative. Select Regional Solutions is an Industrial real estate brokerage based in Monterrey. However, it does a lot of work in Reynosa.

Douglass said: “Back in the day, if we were working in Edinburg, well, then, McAllen or Pharr would say, hey, why are you working with them, why don’t you work with us. Working together, as the Rioplex, is going to be really something to behold.”

Douglass added: “I think Rioplex is the best thing that could happen to the region. As a region, including northern Tamaulipas, we compete with Houston, Dallas, New York, Los Angeles. As an individual city, we just don’t.”

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