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See Tribute to Kevin Knoch on Pg 4 Volume I, Issue 11 www.valleybusinessreport.com July 2010 IN THIS ISSUE: Executive Summary Community should back NAAMREI / page 3 Transportation Valley International Airport / pgs .14 - 15 Feature Everyone’s Vacation Spot he first few days of July will once again feature bumper See COVER STORY, to bumper traffic, no vacancy signs, and crowds on the pages 6 - 8 Tbeaches of South Padre Island. Not unusual for the days running up to and following the Fourth of July. The holiday is ERO Architects designing views / pgs. 10 - 11 still what one would consider a Rio Grande Valley gathering at the Island . Evolution NRS Consulting Engineering / pg. 17 June 2010 • Valley Business Report 3 Executive Summary Our Region Needs To Back This Initiative Our cover story about the North American Ad - The planned research park in south McAllen will vanced Manufacturing Research and Education Ini - be a platform for innovation and work towards its tiative took sometime to put together. During the start-up is moving quickly. last few years, I had heard of the group but never I know some will say the Rio Grande Valley quite received a clear explanation of what they will never pull it off. Tell the Nay Sayers to step were doing or trying to do. But as I listened to back and look at how far this region has come in people associated with the alliance I underwent an the last two decades. Look at the changes, our in - epiphany and this swift understanding came during frastructure, and growth in population. The change a conversation with one of the group’s founders in attitude and education is important. Now, we McAllen Economic Development Corporation Pres - hear about high school graduations, where numerous ident Keith Patridge. in the USA” in our father’s time is commonly students are receiving their associate degrees through Listening to the MEDC President explain rapid made in other parts of the globe. As Patridge ex - dual enrollment programs. response manufacturing I could hear the subtle ex - plained the advantages of advanced rapid response The growth of a center for rapid response man - citement in his voice. He didn’t know it, but in my manufacturing, it is possible for us to regain the ufacturing will benefit all aspects of the area. It mind I was cheering his conviction and belief that edge and take the lead again. One person familiar will open up opportunities for students, graduates, the United States could regain the initiative in in - with rapid response manufacturing put it more create jobs, increase commerce, and growth. The novation when it comes to manufacturing. Once bluntly, “This will put back together what off Valley should be united in its encouragement and again we would be the thinkers, inventors, and shoring tore apart.” aid in the success of the NAAMREI project. leaders in implementation in manufacturing. The question remains can this be accomplished? In the last few decades we have watched our Can our region become a center for rapid response Kevin Knoch manufacturing base leave our country. The reasons manufacturing? The hand in hand cooperation of Managing Editor can be debated endlessly, but it always seems to the private sector and institutions of higher education Valley Business Report get back to costs. Now much of what was “Made in research and problem solving is the right direction. 4 Valley Business Report • July 2010 Contents Valley Business Report Staff Executive Summary . 3 Managing Editor Rapid Response for the Region Kevin Knoch Business News . 5 [email protected] South Texas Manufacturing Luncheon Cover Story . 6 - 8 General Manager South Padre Island is Attracting a Variety of Tourists Todd Breland Business News . 9 [email protected] Texas Workforce Commission Chariman Speaks Feature Story . 10 - 11 Marketing Consultant ERO Architects Lili Asfour Island’s a favorite Business Feature . 12 - 13 [email protected] pages 6 - 8 Santana Textiles Series Feature: part 2 . 14 - 15 Marketing Consultant Valley International Airport Cori Thomas Business Profile . 16 [email protected] NY Deli flavor in the Valley Business Evolution . 17 Production Art Director NRS Consulting Engineering Sharon Campbell HIstory & Heritage . 18 - 20 [email protected] Fun in the Summertime 1952 Brownsville Little League Website Design : Valley IT Solutions pages 18 - 20 Opinion . 21 Plumbing Industry Gains College Credit Philosophy Business Features . 22 - 23 We are a pro-business publication committed Cover: View of South Padre Island from Isla Blanca Park northwar, including the Queen Isabella Memo - to reporting business news concerning the Rio rial Causeway. (Richard Stockton Photography) Grande Valley’s business community. We will strive to create a forum in which business leaders can exchange ideas and information; My friend, business partner and our to providing in-depth perspectives on business managing editor entered into the glory of trends affecting the community’s economy. his eternal life on Thursday, June 24. Our goal is to serve the interests of economic development in the Rio Grande Valley. Kevin Knoch, a natural born reporter Our editorial philosophy is to cover local and news hound blessed so many people business news and to bring you relevant state, with his professional journalism, love for national, and international news that affects baseball and never-ending knowledge of our region. Look for links on our Web Site at history. Although Kevin was a native of www.valleybusinessreport.com to business Chicago, his home was the Valley for 46 news and stories pertaining to the RGV from years. Now in his new home, I will look across the country, plus local everyday events up to him for editorial guidance as Valley and business news. Our print publication will Business Report continues the mission that present stories of interest about local business he and I started almost one year ago - people, businesses, and issues of interest promote the positives of the RGV economy pertaining to our area. in his unique style of "old school journalism." Letters to the Editor Valley Business Report welcomes letters to T he business community and our staff the editor. Letters should be e-mailed to will miss a pioneer, but Kevin Knoch's [email protected] with the legacy is on every page. It's here and we're subject line: Letter to the Editor. lucky to carry on his work. Thank you, Letters endorsing or opposing political Kevin Knoch Kevin. candidates will not be accepted. Please keep Managing Editor letters to 300 words or less and should Valley Business Report Todd Breland include your full name and city of residence. General Manager © 2010 Valley Business Report is published by Valley Business Report VBR Media, L.L.C. • Office: 956-310-8953 July 2010 • Valley Business Report 5 Business News Employers Looking For Skilled Workers By Kevin Knoch while the McAllen/Edinburg/Mission percentage was slightly lower at 28 percent. The top private sector Martha Artiles with Manpower's Martha Artiles stressed a couple of employer in the valley is retail at 14 percent in the Manpower from San points at a joint luncheon of the South Texas Manu - Brownsville MSA, and 13 percent in the McAllen Jose, California was facturing Association (STMA) and the Rio Grande area, followed by construction in the two MSA’s. the featured speaker Valley Chapter of Human Resource Professionals in Two important numbers need to be considered at the South Texas McAllen on Tuesday May 25, 2010. Two major when analyzing the RGV labor market. “Here you Manufacturing themes emerged: employers in the not too distant have more teenagers, 20 percent more than other Association lunch - future will find it harder to find people with specific places, but 30 percent fewer adults between 49 to 69 eon at the McAllen skill sets while older workers can look forward to years old. A shortage of age and experience.” Country Club in late being encouraged to stay in the workforce longer. Another important statistic in the labor make-up May. Artiles serves as Manpower’s Global Chief Di - of the RGV is education attainment, or low level of it. (courtesy ) versity Officer from her headquarters in San Jose, According U.S. Census numbers in the Brownsville California. She related that Manpower finds 4,000,000 MSA, 37 percent of the labor force had not received a on the this problem.” STMA Executive Director Mike million employees worldwide for 400,000 clients. high school diploma. In McAllen MSA the number Willis added that educational attainment numbers, Observing that the world is changing, one of the that had not graduated from secondary school stood “have improved in the RGV in the last decade. We biggest challenges employers face isn’t finding people at 42 percent. have come a long way since 2000.” who will be available for work, but in finding the Artiles concludes a skilled labor shortage is loom - After her presentation Artiles reinforced her point specific skills employers are in the market for. ing. There will not be enough people with the education that the future looks bright for mature workers. Em - The Manpower executive elaborated on her state - to meet the area’s needs in as short as five years from ployers will have to work to retain them. “They have ments pointing out that the workforce is multigenera - now. The Diversity Officer believes the solution is in a bright future, and many will start their own businesses, tional. The demographics of the workforce should cooperation. “Education and employers need to work consult or work part time.” concern employers. Older high skilled employees are at one end of the spectrum. “One in 10 employees in the United States will soon be 65 years old, that ratio will be one in five in a few years.