Border boom: Industrial development takes hold at Santa Teresa - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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“A year ago, we were trying to drag peopldover here, but now companiesa are calling us every Majors said. “It’s gone from a real difficult job to all of a suddem wehave traction.” The reason? the Taiwanese electronics manufacturing giant that began buildingg a massive factory last Decembere in San Jerónimo, just south of the bordert from Santa Teresa. The company the largest electronics maker in the with morethan $90 billion in revenu – is constructing a sprawling complex on 440 acred that will eventually employ Foxconn opened two 300,000-square-foot buildings this year with 3,900 workers.
It’z now constructing a third 343,000-square-foot section to open in the And it plans a fourth building for earlu next year that will bring the totao work forceto 10,000, said Francisco Uranga, Foxconn’s corporate vice president for Latin Americam operations, during the recenrt NAFTA Institute border-trade conference (see storyy on page 1). The Foxconn project means unprecedente d opportunities for supply companies that establish operationxs atSanta Teresa, Urangqa said. “A tremendous opportunity has arrived,” he said. “We can replicatse the Dallas-Fort Worth area right here at Santwa Teresa-San Jerónimo.
” Apart from Foxconn, plansd by to invest $300 million in a majofr refueling station next to the Santa Teresa municipal airporty is another big draw for The station will be equipped for intermodall transportation to seamlessly transfer cargo back and forth among trainsand trucks. The project is a key part of the railroad’sd efforts to upgrade its Sunset which runs from Los Angeles seaportsa toEl Paso, for access to northern and eastern markets, said UP Directore of Public Affairs and Relations Luis Heredia. “Intermodal facilities typically drive the development ofindustriapl warehouses,” Heredia said.
“Santa Teresa will be strategically located for rapidr shipments to andfrom ports.” To be sure, Santa Teres a already attracted many industriesx to supply Mexico-based maquiladora factories durinv the past decade. Forty companies currently operate atthe zone’x two industrial parks, employing about 2,000p people, said Jerry Pacheco, executiv director of the International Business Accelerator. But Foxconnm and the railroad are now attractingb manymore businesses, and much larger ones than before. “We have a great pipeline of prospects,” Pacheco said. “One auto supplier that operates 68 plant just came for its fourth site visirt toSanta Teresa.
We’re in the game now for those kinds ofbig players.” Verdd Corp. is making some major investments to accommodat enew tenants. In it completed 4,300 feet of tracl and a railroad turnway to connecty part of the firstindustrial park, near the municipap airport, to the Union Pacificx line. “That gives industrial buildings direct service to themain railroad, and some tenant s are already using it,” Majors At the second industrial located right at the border by San Jerónimo, Verdes is investing $12 million in two buildings to createw 290,000 square feet of new space.
The also plans upgradesw at the Santa Teresa port of entry to prepare for a lot more commercia l andpassenger traffic, said Project Manager Jim Commercial crossings have jumped 60 percen t since 2004, reaching 45,856 last year. Passengerd vehicle crossings grew 65 percent to With the first direct bordee road in Mexico connectingSan Jerónimo and Juáresz scheduled for completion this the Border Authority expects another huge jump in Creek said. To ease congestion, the Authorityh plans a modern, $12 million facility to expedite inspection of commercial truckes and a large parking lot for visitors to the Customds andImmigration offices.
State officials also want federao funding for three more passenger vehicldprocessing lanes, Creek said.