Sunday, January 30, 2011

Harlingen Among the Top Five Locations for Warehouse-Distribution





Harlingen, Texas, December 21, 2010 -- The Harlingen, Texas Economic Development Corporation is the recipient of Expansion Solutions magazine’s 2010 Award of Excellence in the “Warehouse/Distribution” category.  The awards recognize organizations that have demonstrated exceptional programs and potential in the development of their area by successfully recruiting, retaining and growing businesses.

According to Expansion Solutions, Harlingen offers all the advantages of a Texas location (ranked “America’s Top State for Business” by CNBC) with close proximity to the “near shore” advantages available in Mexico.  The magazine pointed out that United Launch Alliance (a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin), Dish Network, Penske Logistics, Panasonic, Cardone Industries (the world’s largest re-manufacturer of auto parts) and many others have established profitable and productive operations in Harlingen.

Harlingen sits at the intersection of two major highways (the future I-69) along the main line of the Union Pacific Railroad.  The Los Indios Free Trade Bridge, located just nine miles south of Harlingen, provides the fastest commercial border crossing in the Rio South Texas region.

Valley International Airport is the busiest passenger and freight airport in Rio South Texas. Continental Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Sun Country Airlines offer passenger and freight movement and UPS, FedEx, DB Schenker and DHL offer freight services through the designated NAFTA CargoPortTM at VIA.  The airport and surrounding industrial property are located in Foreign Trade Zone 62, the largest FTZ in Texas.

Harlingen also has access to water transportation.  The Port of Harlingen is part of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and the Port of Brownsville, 25 miles south of Harlingen, is the closest U.S. deepwater port to the Panama Canal.

“Harlingen is in the perfect location and has the necessary infrastructure to make it easy for companies to serve markets anywhere in North America,” according to Bill Martin, chief executive officer of the Harlingen Economic Development Corporation.

Other cities ranking in the Top 5 in Warehouse/Distribution were High Point, NC, Midlothian, TX, the River Region of Louisiana and Victorville, CA.  Another city in the Rio South Texas region, McAllen, ranked in the Top 5 in the Logistics category.

William A. Martin
Harlingen Economic Development Corporation
www.harlingenedc.com