Business Climate

Your Business Belongs in Harlingen

The City of Harlingen, nestled near the U.S.-Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley, has been enjoying steady growth over the years, as more and more businesses realize the benefits of doing businesses near Mexico, the Maquiladoras, and the many tax benefits in South Texas. Harlingen is poised for an economic boom.

Maquiladoras, is defined as a factory that imports materials and equipment on a duty-free and tariff-free basis for assembly or manufacturing, and then re-exports the assembled product; usually back to the originating country. There are a total of 247 maquiladoras located in Matamoros and Reynosa with 174,000 employees. Reynosa and Matamoros have well-known firms with maquiladora operations, including TRW Automotive, LG, Jabil Circuit, Bissell, Maytag, Nokia, Panasonic, Delphi, Brunswick, Emerson and Black & Decker, just to name a few.

Awards and Recognition

Harlingen and the State of Texas also have gained much recognition for treating its businesses right.

Harlingen Ranked #1 Least Expensive Urban Area in the United States in 2018

Harlingen was named the #1 Least Expensive Urban Area in the United States by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER).  The Cost of Living Index measures relative price levels for consumer goods and services in participating areas. The average for all participating places, both metropolitan and nonmetropolitan, equals 100, and each participant’s index is read as a percentage of the average for all places.  In all categories, Harlingen was over 20% less expensive than the average cost of living expense for the rest of the participating communities.

Chief Executive Magazine Ranks Texas Best State For Business in 2018

For the 14th straight year, CEOs across America names Texas the best state for business.   “It is no accident that the nation’s top CEOs continue to rank Texas as the best state for business,” said Governor Abbott. “Innovation and ingenuity are thriving in the Lone Star State, and as a result, businesses are relocating and expanding their footprint in Texas, further strengthening our economy. I am proud that Texas has once again received this recognition and solidified its standing as the best state in the country in which to do business.”

Texas Wins Area Development Magazine’s 2018 Gold Shovel Award

Governor Greg Abbott announced that Texas has been awarded the Gold Shovel Award by Area Development Magazine for new job growth and business investments. This annual award recognizes states that drive job creation and investment through business-friendly policies and improvements in infrastructure that attract new employers, as well as additional investments in expanding current operations. This is the sixth year Texas has won a Gold Shovel Award.

Texas Wins Site Selection Magazine’s Governors Cup Award in 2017

The Atlanta-based magazine awards the Governor’s Cup to the U.S. state with the most amount of new and expanded corporate facilities as tracked by the Conway Projects Database. The 2017 Governor’s Cup is a record-breaking sixth in a row for Texas and the 14th overall win, more than any other state.