As we embark upon a new year, we want to thank you for supporting the Laredo Development Foundation and our mission to promote industry in the Laredo and Webb County region. We count on your continued support for the service the LDF provides to the Laredo community, and ask you to please review and submit your membership for FY 2015.
The LDF serves as a primary private-sector point of contact providing assistance to new and expanding business prospects. LDF promotes and markets Laredo, Webb County and our sister city of Nuevo Laredo as a dynamic region for global trade and market opportunities for targeted industries.
Laredo’s position as a leading port for international trade remains at the forefront of our marketing efforts to both the private and public sectors. We are proud of the successful working partnerships we have with our local workforce and educational institutions, local and state governments, and organizations who want to engage in international trade and economic development. LDF also participates with trade partners such as Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT), Border Trade Advisory Committee (BTAC), North American Strategy for Competitiveness (NASCO), Ports to Plains, and Port of Corpus Christi Authority (POCCA), promoting Laredo’s interests among regional, national and international groups, and staying abreast of industry trends and their potential impact on our border region.
LDF staff coordinated 39 prospect visits, preparing agendas that brought in our community partners on both sides of the border. Staff participated in 180 meetings, conferences, and trade shows. Together with Logistics and Manufacturing Association-Port Laredo (LMA), Laredo Licensed U.S. Customs Brokers Association (LLUSCBA), Association of Laredo Forwarding Agents (ALFA), Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) and Laredo Community College (LCC), we organized a highly successful annual symposium. Most significantly, the Laredo Development Foundation commissioned an Economic Development Strategy for 2015-2020 based on a comprehensive regional study conducted by Texas A&M Engineering & Extensive Service (TEEX).
Due to budget constraints, we curtailed about 70% of our business procurement travel and eliminated direct advertising in FY 2013-2014. Instead we invested in an upgrade of our website to make site selection priorities accessible and comprehensive. In spite of our own internal fiscal challenges, we experienced a significant increase in business activity and interest in Laredo. Much of the new business growth has been in the commercial retail and services industry, while industrial growth centered more on expansions in the transportation and logistics industry. We look forward to continued growth in these sectors, with a number of retailers, restaurants, new hotels and renovation projects, and entertainment venues already on the horizon. Steady growth in industrial activity is also indicated in 2015-2016, with both new and continued expansion of logistics and transportation companies. We foresee a potential resurgence in a regional manufacturing corridor, and supply chain opportunities in the automotive and energy sectors. In conjunction with the City of Laredo, Webb County, and our Sister City in Nuevo Laredo, the LDF is committed to advocating the many strengths, resources, and opportunities in Los Dos Laredos.
We ask for your continued support as a member of this organization. We highly encourage you to sign up for one of the three committees which will work alongside our Board of Directors: Legislative, International Trade & Transportation, or Special Projects/Membership. These committees will provide members at large an opportunity to get directly involved in areas of particular interest. Please indicate a preference on the membership application.
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to contact Olivia at (956) 722-0563 or ovarela@ldfonline.org.
Sincerely,
Bill Green Olivia Varela