Press Release
U.S. Economic Development Administration Announces Grant to Support Expansion of Industrial Park in McAllen, Texas
Contact: Public Affairs Department, (202) 482-4085
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) today announced a $600,000 grant to the city of McAllen, Texas, to make critical infrastructure improvements needed to expand the South Bentsen Road Industrial Complex. The investment will support the growth of an important center of U.S.-Mexico trade and, according to grantee estimates, will create 300 new jobs.
“This EDA investment is a great example of the Obama administration’s commitment to helping communities create jobs and expand economic opportunity,” said U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Matt Erskine. “The EDA grant announced today will help create new jobs in McAllen and throughout Hidalgo County by ensuring that adequate infrastructure exists to accommodate business growth at this important point of cross-border trade between Mexico and the United States.”
The EDA grant will extend access roadways, expand water and wastewater infrastructure, and provide sidewalk and drainage improvements. These upgrades will allow the South Bentsen Road Industrial Complex to accommodate an anchor tenant, SFT Foodtech, that is expanding its U.S. operations, as well as make room for additional business tenants.
The South Bentsen Road Industrial Complex sits adjacent to McAllen’s Foreign Trade Zone, which was established in 1973 as the first inland non-seaport Foreign Trade Zone in the United States. The McAllen metropolitan area exported $4.7 billion in manufactured goods in 2011, according to U.S. Department of Commerce figures.
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.