The Rio South Texas Region Marks Another Economic Development Win as COSTEP and the Port of Brownsville Welcome Westa Foods

April 18, 2024

The Port of Brownsville and COSTEP, Council for South Texas Economic Progress marked one more project in the win column as they welcomed Westa Foods on April 18, 2024. COSTEP began working with the company in the last quarter of 2023 and soon found a suitable location in the Port of Brownsville. The groundbreaking event heralds an initial private capital investment of $25 million and 120 potential jobs for the Rio South Texas Region.

For COSTEP this marks its first deal landed since shifting its focus to economic development recruitment. In 2019, COSTEP decided to support economic development via business recruitment and foreign direct investment for the region of Rio South Texas. These efforts are now beginning to bear fruit with the landing of the Westa project.

Rick Carrera, COSTEP Director of Economic Development coordinated the efforts to find the company a suitable site. “The addition of Westa Foods as the first tenant for the Port of Brownsville Industrial Park is excellent for the entire region.  Not only does it demonstrate the Port’s and the region’s capacity to easily support a variety of industries, it exemplifies the region’s locational and logistical advantages as those factors were a big selling point for the project.  COSTEP is excited to welcome Westa Foods to the region as it’s a win-win, as they say, for everyone involved.  The facility will be a good job creator for the area, and creates the potential for further similar investments in the future.”  

Adam Gonzalez, COSTEP Chief Executive Officer stated that the Westa Foods project showcases that the COSTEP  approach to regional economic development works. This approach is regional in scope, data-driven, and focused on business recruitment and industry-focused workforce pipeline development. “COSTEP’s economic development initiatives have been crafted to complement and support, not compete, with local economic development organizations. The purpose of COSTEP is to bring together business and stakeholders and advance business prosperity and the economic success of the region and its citizens.”

The project could not come to the finish line without the support and collaboration of regional stakeholders. COSTEP thanks the Port of Brownsville, all their Commissioners, their Interim CEO Mr. William Deitrich, and all staff that was part of the momentous event in Rio South Texas yesterday.  The landing of WESTA is only the beginning of COSTEP’s efforts in business recruitment.  Special thanks to Tony Rodriguez and Rick Carrera for their hard work and commitment to each project they work.  COSTEP also thanks our sponsors, AEP Texas, Texas Regional Bank, CIL (Commodities Integrated Logistics, Titan Fuel, SAMES Engineering, Mexico Industry, Port of Brownsville, Frost Bank, and IBC.

COSTEP, the Council for South Texas Economic Progress is a nongovernmental organization advocating regional economic development for the seven-county region of Rio South Texas. Servicing the counties of Willacy, Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, Jim Hogg, Zapata, and Webb, COSTEP focuses on business recruitment services and provides regional market data to host site selector tours, regional familiarization tours, and area economic development enrichment sessions. To learn more about how you can support our work visit COSTEP.org or contact Adam Gonzalez at agonzalez@costep.org.