RioPlex’s Texas Port to the Stars FDI Summit is underway in Houston

5 days ago 31

HOUSTON, Texas – RioPlex’s “Texas Port to the Stars FDI Summit” is now underway at the Westin Galleria in Houston.

FDI stands for Foreign Direct Investment.

The aim of the summit is to attract corporations from across the world to the Rio Grande Valley and northern Tamaulipas. Representatives from more than a dozen foreign consulate’s offices are expected to attend the event, the first of its kind outside of the Valley.

“It’s not every day that you get to have 17 different countries come to one event to learn about Texas, to learn about the Rio Grande Valley. Now we have a seat at the table,” said Rene Capistran, president and founder of Noble Texas Builders, and a board member of RioPlex.

CIL Group President Joaquin Spamer, a board member of RioPlex, kicked off the summit with a reception on Wednesday evening.

“This is the biggest event for industrial economic development ever for the Rio Grande Valley,” Spamer told the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service. “I think this proves that when you try to promote the Valley, when you try to promote the RioPlex region, promoting it outside of the region is better than doing it inside the Valley.”

Mario Reyna, the former dean of business for South Texas College, is executive director of RioPlex. “The firepower that is in this room is incredible,” Reyna told the Guardian.

Glenn Hamer, president and CEO of the Texas Association of Business, said he was thrilled to be participating in the RioPlexas summit. He was also thrilled that President Trump paused the imposition of tariffs on most of the United States’ trading partners.

“Texas is poised to run the tables now that the Trump administration has paused reciprocal tariffs and made it clear that it’s going to be Team USA versus Team China, and Team USA means team North America,” Hamer told the Guardian. “No region of Texas stands to benefit more than South Texas and the RGV and the emerging RioPlex.”

Earlier in the day, Hamer issued this statement about the pause on tariffs:

“We applaud the Trump administration for taking the important and necessary step to pause reciprocal tariffs in order to establish favorable trade relationships with our global trade partners for American companies.

“As the top exporting state for more than two decades, Texas stands to gain the most from robust free and fair international trade, and our state is proud to serve as the engine and the gateway to the North American economy, with our top trade partners, Mexico and Canada.

“Maintaining tariff-free trade under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) – the best trade deal ever negotiated – will be key to solidifying our region as the world’s preeminent economic block, strengthening our position against China, and ensuring American and Texas, companies can continue to compete – and win – on the global stage.”

In his remarks from the podium, RioPlex’s Spamer said attendees of the summit are going to learn about the considerable assets the region has.

“Tonight we have a message. A message that RioPlex is ready to lead. We are excited to have representatives from foreign countries, from Europe to North and South America, Asia, the Middle East and Australia. Your presence here proves that RioPlex is not just a local story, but a global one. Thank you very much for coming,” Spamer said.

“You’re going to love what you’re going to hear today and tomorrow. RioPlex is promoting what we call the RGV Industrial Revolution. We have the best region for industrial investment, and we’re going to prove it today, and we’re going to prove it tomorrow.”

Spamer continued: “Here we are not just waiting for the future, we’re building one. All of us together. We are creating the foundation for the industries of tomorrow. And we are ready to lead and transform. Tomorrow, you’re going to see our strengths. You’re going to see the leaders we have here.”

By way of example, Spamer referenced South Texas College President Ricardo Solis, who was in the audience. Spamer said STC is doing an amazing job training workers for the jobs of tomorrow. He pointed out that the region’s median age is 27 or 28. “The labor force that we have in South Texas, I believe, is the best in the state of Texas. But that’s me saying it.”

Spamer then asked the board of directors of RioPlex to stand next to the stage. In addition to Reyna and Capistran, the board consists of Matamoros customs broker Carlos Garcia, industrial developer Martin Anzaldua of Reynosa, George Cardenas of Vantage Bank, and Esteban Guerra of the Port of Brownsville. Guerra was the only one not to make it to the reception in time for Spamer’s remarks. However, Guerra will have a speaking role at the summit today.

Spamer then played a new promotional video produced by RioPlex.

Two other speeches were made at the reception. One was by Valerie G. Segovia, vice president of investor relations for the Texas Economic Development Corporation, and the other was by Carlos Ealy, assistant secretary of state for Mexican and Border Affairs in the Office of the Texas Secretary of State.

Here is an audio recording of their remarks: