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

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“A year ago, we were tryinv to drag peopleover here, but now companies are calliny us every day,” Majors said. “It’s gone from a real difficul job to all of a suddenb wehave traction.” The reason? the Taiwanese electronics manufacturing giant that began buildinvg a massive factory last Decembe in San Jerónimo, just south of the bordefr from Santa Teresa. The company – the largesty electronics maker inthe world, with more than $90 billion in revenur – is constructing a sprawling complex on 440 acreds that will eventually employ Foxconn opened two 300,000-square-foot buildings this year with 3,900o workers.
It’s now constructing a third 343,000-square-footg section to open in the fall. And it plans a fourtjh building for early next year that will bringv the total work force to saidFrancisco Uranga, Foxconn’s corporate vice president for Latinb American operations, during the recent NAFTA Institute border-trade conference (see stor on page 1). The Foxconj project means unprecedented opportunities for supply companies that establishu operations atSanta Teresa, Uranga said. “A tremendoud opportunity has arrived,” he said. “We can replicatw the Dallas-Fort Worth area right here at Santa Teresa-Sam Jerónimo.
” Apart from Foxconn, plans by to invest $300 million in a majoer refueling station next to the Sant Teresa municipal airport is another big draw for The station will be equipped for intermodal transportatio n to seamlessly transfer cargo back and forthamonhg ships, trains and trucks. The projectf is a key part of the railroad’es efforts to upgrade its Sunset Route, which runs from Los Angeles seaport s to El Paso, for accesa to northern and eastern markets, said UP Director of Publix Affairs and Corp. Relations Luis Heredia. “Intermodal facilitie s typically drive the development ofindustriak warehouses,” Heredia said.
“Santa Teresa will be strategicallt located for rapid shipments to andfrom ports.” To be Santa Teresa already attracted many industries to supply Mexico-basede maquiladora factories during the past Forty companies currently operate at the zone’sw two industrial parks, employing about 2,000p people, said Jerry Pacheco, executive director of the Internationakl Business Accelerator. But Foxconn and the railroad are now attractingy manymore businesses, and much larger ones than before. “Wde have a great pipeline of prospects,” Pachecoo said.
“One auto supplier that operates 68 plantsd just came for its fourth site visit toSanta We’re in the game now for thosse kinds of big players.” Verde Corp. is makinb some major investments to accommodatenew tenants. In it completed 4,300 feet of track and a railroadr turnway to connect part of the first industrial near themunicipal airport, to the Union Pacific line. “Tha t gives industrial buildings direct service to the main and some tenants are alreadyusinyg it,” Majors said.
At the second industriapl park, located right at the border by San Verde isinvesting $12 million in two buildingds to create 290,000 square feet of new The also plans upgrades at the Santa Teresa port of entr y to prepare for a lot more commercialo and passenger traffic, said Project Manager Jim Commercial crossings have jumpedr 60 percent since 2004, reaching 45,856 last Passenger vehicle crossings grew 65 percentf to 373,900. With the firsg direct border road in Mexico connectingSan Jerónimko and Juárez scheduled for completiomn this fall, the Border Authority expects another huge jump in crossings, Creek said.
To ease congestion, the Authority planes a modern, $12 million facility to expedite inspection of commercialo trucks and a large parking lot for visitorxs to the Customs andImmigratiohn offices. State officials also want federal funding for three more passenger vehicleprocessing lanes, Creelk said.