RAYMONDVILLE, Texas - Ron Mills, Willacy County Navigation District’s port director, won a round of applause when he said Port Mansfield is about to bring 500 to 700 high-paying jobs to the county.
The reason the jobs are coming, Mills said, is because Port Mansfield has signed contracts with 11 companies that want to develop the port. He said Port Mansfield is being transformed from a sleepy fishing village to a commercial maritime hub for vessels coming from Mexico.
The reason for the transformation? The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently dredged the port’s ship channel so it can now take ocean-going vessels. The Texas Department of Transportation is also making a significant investment, Mills said, to ensure that heavy trucks are kept outside of the residential areas.
Mills spoke about the transformation of Port Mansfield during the Rio Grande Valley Partnership’s 2023 Valley Legislative Tour. In his speech, Mills pointed out that Gov. Greg Abbott has made investment at sea ports a priority for the 88th Legislature.
Here is an audio recording of Mills’ remarks to the visiting state legislators and policymakers.
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