Built for Growing Business: Port of Brownsville Hosts Groundbreaking Ceremony for 118-Acre Business Park

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – June 22, 2023 — The nation’s only deepwater seaport located on the U.S.-Mexico border, the Port of Brownsville, held today a groundbreaking ceremony for its latest economic development project, a 118-acre shovel-ready business park.

This new industrial project leverages the port’s logistical advantages to support manufacturing companies and industry clusters with a base of operations that combines access to efficient multimodal transportation and robust storage capabilities. This development will provide a dynamic ecosystem for companies to collaborate, innovate, and flourish.

“The business park at the Port of Brownsville is a critical component in our mission to attract new industries and businesses to the area, creating jobs, and driving economic growth,” said Brownsville Navigation District Chairman Esteban Guerra. “On behalf of

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Port of Brownsville Honors High School Graduates with $1,000 Scholarships

BROWNSVILLE, Texas, May 22, 2023 – The Brownsville Navigation District (BND) proudly announces the recipients of the 2023 Port of Brownsville Scholarship. This program is in support and encouragement to the pursuit of higher education for students within the district.

Thirty-two local high school graduating seniors will receive $1,000 scholarships upon enrollment in a college, university, or technical school. The scholarship winners – selected for their academic performance, community involvement, extracurricular activities, and work experience, as well as for essays penned as part of their applications – attend 16 public and private high schools in the Brownsville and Los Fresnos area.

“On behalf of the Brownsville Navigation District, we congratulate these students on their commitment to continue their education and learning the skills they need to thrive in the workforce

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United in Celebration for National Maritime Day

By Esteban Guerra
Brownsville Navigation District Chairman

On May 16, 1936, communities across the Rio Grande Valley united to celebrate the opening of the Port of Brownsville, the first maritime port for the region. As we observe the port’s 87th anniversary, the Brownsville Navigation District (BND) invites the community to recognize and celebrate the numerous benefits that the maritime industry provides to our region.

A beacon of possibilities during the Great Depression of the 1930s, the port cemented its role as a vital transshipment center for agricultural goods in its earliest days, evolving to serve various industries including the steel, energy, shipbuilding, and space sectors of today.

Making a Deeper Impact in the Region

As the port for the region, in 2022 the Port of Brownsville moved 15.2 million tons o

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Rising to the Top: Port of Brownsville Among Leading Maritime Ports for Waterborne Cargo

 

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – May 16, 2023 – Consistently setting new records, the Port of Brownsville continues to gain national prominence among the leading maritime ports in the United States.

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ most recent annual report ranking 150 maritime ports nationwide, the Port of Brownsville rose to 55th position in the country for the movement of waterborne cargo in 2021, a significant leap from 66th place in 2020.

Throughout 2021, 8.9 million tons of cargo were transported via the port’s waterways, representing a 30% increase from 2020’s 6.7 million tons. During that same period, traffic at the port recorded robust vessel activity with 1,854 vessel calls in 2021, signaling a 10.9% increase from the previous year’s total of 1,671.

“The Port of Brownsville has arrived, and we’ve been here for a while. We’re starting to see the

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Forza Steels Strengthens Operations

Company Invests $60 million in Manufacturing Facility at Port of Brownsville

 

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – May 02, 2023- The Port of Brownsville continues to gain strength in the steel industry as Forza Steel invests $60 million to build its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at the port.

The Mexican company, which specializes in the manufacturing of carbon steel pipe, plans to install equipment in July to begin rolling mill operations.

For over 20 years, Forza Steel has serviced the Mexican and U.S.  steel markets from their manufacturing facility located in Salinas Victoria, Nuevo León. The company selected the Port of Brownsville to enhance operations in the U.S. by getting closer to their customer base to close gaps in the supply chain.

“The Port of Brownsville is the perfect location for Forza Steel’s entry into the American market. The location fr

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Powering Wind Energy Projects

The Port of Brownsville remains a leader in the movement of wind energy components, thanks to its logistical capabilities and strategic location along the U.S.-Mexico border.

During the first quarter of 2023, five vessels exported wind project cargo to South America, moving more than 80 windmill blades. The blades, manufactured locally by TPI Composites at its facility in Matamoros, Mexico, were transported to the port by truck via the Free Trade International Bridge at Los Indios and securely loaded on to vessels destined for Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Peru.

 

As the largest land-owning port in the U.S., the Port of Brownsville tops the nation for its capability of receiving, storing and moving massive components for the wind energy industry, including the largest windmill blades imported to the U.S. at 267-feet long. The port’s specialized equipment and skilled wo

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Port of Brownsville Observes Western Hemisphere Ports Day

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – April 3, 2023 – The Port of Brownsville, in partnership with the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), and its entire hemispheric membership will commemorate Western Hemisphere Ports Day on April 5. The annual event recognizes the port industry’s role in efficient goods movement, job creation and propelling the economy in nations they serve across the Americas.

This year’s Ports Day theme, Resiliency & Building a Sustainable Future, explores the willpower, adaptability, and drive of the port industry, and how these qualities have continuously navigated this industry through challenging times.

Since 1936, the Port of Brownsville has demonstrated its power as the leading business developer in the region and a thriving economic engine for the Rio Grande Valley.  Currently, the port is undertaking the Brazos Island Harbor (BIH) Channel Impro

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BND Board of Commissioners Approves Resolution Supporting Conservation of Regional Ecosystem

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – March 29, 2023 – The Port of Brownsville continues its mission to advance business development in the Rio Grande Valley while conserving the regional ecosystem.

At a regular board meeting held Mar. 15, the Brownsville Navigation District (BND) Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to pass a resolution recognizing the value of unique environmentally sensitive areas located within the 40,000 acres of the Port of Brownsville.

The resolution highlights the BND’s commitment to environmental stewardship through projects including the Bahia Grande Restoration Project, the Endangered Cat Corridor Project, the Peregrine Fund Project for the Protection of the Aplomado Falcon, the Las Lomas Preserve Project, as well as other perpetual conservation easements granted in connection with port and third-party projects.

“The Brownsville Navigation

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Turning Point: BIH Project Starts with Placement Area Improvements

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – March 6, 2023– The first step in Phase 2 of the Brazos Island Harbor (BIH) Channel Improvement Project is underway as the Port of Brownsville’s dredged material placement area improvement project began in early February.  The historic BIH Channel Improvement project will deepen the 17-mile-long Brownsville ship channel from 42 to 52 feet.

The Brownsville Navigation District (BND) Board of Commissioners at a regular board meeting held Feb. 1, unanimously voted to award a $13.6 million contract for the channel improvements to RLB Contracting, Inc.,  for Placement Areas 5B, 7 and 8. A placement area is a federally authorized disposal site for dredged material.

As part of the dredging process, materials collected are placed in approved disposal sites or for beneficial use purposes. Dredging for Phase 2 is estimated to remove 12 to 16 milli

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Strong Link in Supply Chain: Port of Brownsville sees record cargo volumes in FY2022

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – February 6, 2023 – Since its establishment in 1936, the Port of Brownsville has maintained its commitment to serve as the leading maritime port for the Rio Grande Valley and Northern Mexico.

Throughout 2022, more than 15.2 million tons of diverse cargo moved through the port supporting various industries with efficient and reliable logistical services according to unaudited cargo volume reports. This forecast represents a 10.2 percent increase from the 13.8 million tons of cargo recorded in 2021, a new record for the Port of Brownsville.

The skilled workforce at the port has streamlined operations to move essential commodities such as break bulk like steel, and aluminum; liquid bulk petroleum products; project cargo such as wind energy and space industry components; and dry bulk like grains, aggregates, pet coke and cement.

Break bulk co

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2022 Year in Review

Throughout 2022, the Port of Brownsville remained resilient and focused on its mission as the leading economic developer in the region through infrastructure expansions and business development to meet growing local and global demands.

Among notable accomplishments, the bellwether announcement was the historic Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement (BIH) project signing ceremony to establish the joint agreement between the Brownsville Navigation District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Phase 2 of the BIH project.

The agreement advances the project’s timeline to begin work on deepening the 17-mile-long ship channel from 42 feet to 52 feet, resulting in significant navigational safety improvements for commercial shipping in South Texas.

Exciting projects in progress and on the horizon at the Port of Brownsville  provide a favorable outlook for a productive and trans

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Strengthening Our Human Capital

Editor’s Note: This article is featured in the latest edition of the Port of Brownsville Directory. Click HERE to view directory or to request a copy.

The Port of Brownsville is the driving economic engine for the region, responsible for more than 51,000 jobs and $3 billion in annual state economic activity, according to the latest analysis, with more than 9,000 regional workers directly employed by activities at the port and infusing $2 billion annually into the Rio Grande Valley.

 

As a job creator, the Port of Brownsville understands the need to build the human capital necessary to sustain existing industries and attract new ones. For this reason, the port and its 273 tenant companies work with local school districts, colleges, universities, technical schools,

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Port of Brownsville Recognizes DIX Industries with 2022 Chairman’s Award

BROWNSVILLE, Texas — December 8, 2022 — DIX Industries has been named the Port of Brownsville 2022 Chairman’s Award honoree in recognition of the company’s accomplishments throughout its 75-year history at the port.

Brownsville Navigation District Chairman Esteban Guerra presented the award to Lee Ostos, president of DIX Industries, on Dec. 8, during the annual Customer Appreciation Luncheon held at the Ambassador Event Center in Brownsville, TX.

DIX Industries was established in 1947 by Richard Ostos at the Port of Brownsville. The family business has spanned three generations and celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. The company provides full-service stevedoring, warehousing, and logistical services to markets in the U.S. and Mexico. Today, there are over 100 employees throughout DIX Industries including crane operators, heavy machinery equipment o

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A Legacy of Success: DIX Industries Celebrates 75th Anniversary at the Port

When the Port of Brownsville first opened in May 1936, many people celebrated the promise of economic opportunities that would bring them closer to the American dream.

Richard “Dick” Ostos was one of those individuals, coming to Brownsville from New York in 1936 to work for Philen-Miller, a steamship agent and stevedore company that brought the first vessel to the newly minted port of the Rio Grande Valley.

Over a decade later in 1947, Dick embarked on that opportunity and founded DIX Shipping Company-Shipping Agents and Stevedores at the Port of Brownsville. Thanks to his entrepreneurial spirit, resilience and dedication, that company celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.

Dick’s legacy of contributions to the port was commemorated by the Brownsville Navigation District in 1996, when the road on the south side of the Brownsville ship channel was renamed R.L

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Expanding Capabilities at the Port of Brownsville

Editor’s Note: This article is featured in the latest edition of the Port of Brownsville Directory. Click HERE to view directory or to request a copy.

After years of effort, planning and success, the Port of Brownsville is ready to begin one of its most important infrastructure projects to date, the Brazos Island Harbor (BIH) Channel Improvement Project. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Congress have authorized the deepening of the port’s channel from 42 feet to 52 feet. The project may cost upwards of $300 million and construction, divided into two phases, is expected to commence at the end of 2022. Deepening the port’s channel means bigger ships, more cargo, and more jobs for the Rio Grande Valley.

The port expects to pay for the project with a combinat

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