Salinas: GBIC’s top three projects would generate a capital investment of more than $300 million

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – If the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation is successful in landing its top three industrial targets there would be a capital investment in Brownsville worth more than $300 million.

This was revealed by GBIC CEO Gilberto Salinas in an exclusive interview with the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service. The interview came at the end of an “Insights Unplugged” event co-hosted by GBIC, the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, and the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation. It was held at the eBridge Center for Business & Commercialization.

Salinas shared top billing at the event, alongside NASA’S Walt Ugalde, who works in the agency’s business development and technology integrity office at the Johnson Space Center. Salinas and Ugalde fielded questions from Linda Ufland Romo, director of entrepreneurship, innovation and commercialization at UTGV’s Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Center, and Nathan Burkhart, vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation for BCIC. Later, they took questions from the audience.

With SpaceX due to launch a rocket from Boca Chica beach later in the day there was much discussion on Elon Musk’s company. Ufland-Romo asked Salinas how the Valley could benefit from SpaceX, in terms of industrial development. 

Salinas responded: “Well, I can’t name the company, but we do have another project that is coming in to support that overall ecosystem that you were talking about. Brownsville right now is on the map. We have real estate, but it’s not real estate that is shovel ready.”

Salinas continued: “Who would have thought that we would be in a position where we’re actually promoting the city for people to move into? Who would have thought, back then (when SpaceX arrived in South Texas) that today, we would have no industrial space.”

Salinas added: “We’re having to work with a lot of developers to get that space up and open as fast as possible, because there are companies asking for that space today. So, we’re assembling pieces, and we’re partnering with other communities to do the same.”

In its exclusive interview, Guardian asked Salinas for more information about “the project that is coming in to support that overall ecosystem.” He answered:

“I should be prepared for a question like that, but I will tell you that we do have our top three projects right now. Combined, we’re looking at $300 plus million in capital investment with our top three projects, quite a few jobs, and everything that comes with it,” Salinas said.

“And part of that is tied to everything that’s already happening here (with SpaceX). Like I mentioned, big fish draws other big fish. We’re there. And that’s just what’s happening right now. We already have… we’re seeing down the road how that’s going to lead to some bigger projects.”

Salinas said a lack of warehouse, distribution, and manufacturing space is an issue across the Valley.

“I don’t want to speak on behalf of other communities, but we’re seeing it. We’re seeing it because people are calling us. It’s the whole nearshoring and reshoring thing. And then these forward-thinking companies that are coming in and pulling in other companies. It’s a combination of those three things that has really positioned us very, very well.”

Salinas added: “Looking at ten years ago, back then we were like, we want to put Brownsville, the Rio Grande Valley, on the map. Our attitude now is, we’re on the map already. The question now is, how are we going to get that dot to be bigger on that map?”

Editor’s Note: Here is the Guardian’s interview with Gilberto Salinas:

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