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

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“A year ago, we were trying to drag peoplseover here, but now companies are calling us everuy day,” Majors said. “It’s gone from a real difficultf job to all of a sudden we have The reason? – the Taiwanesw electronics manufacturing giant that began buildingh a massive factory last December in San just south of the border from Santa The company – the largest electronicsd maker in the world, with more than $90 billiom in revenue – is constructing a sprawling complexx on 440 acres that will eventuallh employ 20,000. Foxconn opened two 300,000-square-foot buildingsw this year with 3,900 workers.
It’s now constructing a third 343,000-square-foot section to open in the fall. And it plans a fourth building for early next year that will bringt the total work forceto 10,000, said Franciscol Uranga, Foxconn’s corporate vice president for Latin Americanm operations, during the recent NAFTA Institute border-trade conferencre (see story on page 1). The Foxconnm project means unprecedented opportunities for supply companies that establisgh operations atSanta Teresa, Uranga said. “z tremendous opportunity has arrived,” he said. “We can replicatr the Dallas-Fort Worth area rightt here atSanta Teresa-San Jerónimo.
” Apartg from Foxconn, plans by to investt $300 million in a major refueliny station next to the Santa Teresa municipalp airport is another big draw for businesses. The station will be equipped for intermodakl transportation to seamlessly transfer cargo back and fortnamong ships, trains and trucks. The projectr is a key part of the railroad’s efforts to upgradr its Sunset Route, which runs from Los Angeles seaports to El for access to northern andeastern markets, said UP Directotr of Public Affairs and Relations Luis Heredia. “Intermodal facilities typically drive the developmengt ofindustrial warehouses,” Heredia said.
“Santqa Teresa will be strategically located for rapid shipmentw to andfrom ports.” To be sure, Santa Teres already attracted many industries to supply Mexico-basesd maquiladora factories during the past decade. Forty companieds currently operate atthe zone’sd two industrial parks, employing about 2,000 people, said Jerryu Pacheco, executive director of the International Busineszs Accelerator. But Foxconn and the railroad are now attracting many more and much larger onesthan before. “Wee have a great pipeline of prospects,” Pachecol said. “One auto supplie that operates 68 plants just came for its fourtn site visit toSanta Teresa.
We’ree in the game now for those kinds of big Verde Corp. is making some major investments to accommodaternew tenants. In January, it completed 4,300 feet of track and a railroad turnwauy to connect part of the firsyindustrial park, near the municipal airport, to the Unionh Pacific line. “That gives industrial buildings directr service to themain railroad, and some tenants are already using it,” Majors said. At the seconed industrial park, located right at the border by San Verde isinvesting $12 million in two buildings to creatw 290,000 square feet of new space.
The also plansa upgrades at the Santa Teresa port of entrt to prepare for a lot more commerciak andpassenger traffic, said Project Manager Jim Creek. Commercial crossings have jumped 60 percenttsince 2004, reaching 45,856 last Passenger vehicle crossings grew 65 percent to 373,900. With the firs direct border road in Mexicl connectingSan Jerónimo and Juárezs scheduled for completion this fall, the Border Authoritu expects another huge jump in Creek said. To ease congestion, the Authority plans a $12 million facility to expedite inspection of commercialo trucks and a large parking lot for visitors to the Customd andImmigration offices.
State officials also want federal funding for three more passenger vehiclewprocessing lanes, Creek said.