How Interlink Drives South Texas Logistics and Cross-Border Trade

MCALLEN, Texas — Manufacturing across South Texas and northern Mexico depends on more than factories and production lines. It also depends on the people and businesses that keep materials, components and finished products moving across the border.

For more than two decades, Interlink Trade Services has supported that movement from its base in McAllen, helping companies navigate customs requirements, logistics and trade compliance. Led by founder and president Jorge Torres, the company is part of the network of service providers that helps connect the Rio Grande Valley’s industrial economy with manufacturing operations in Mexico and markets throughout North America.

A Career Built Around Cross-Border Trade

Torres’ understanding of the border economy began early. Growing up in the Laredo and Nuevo Laredo region, he saw the close connections between communities on both sides of the Rio Grande.

After earning an accounting degree from Texas A&M University and a masters degree in accounting from Texas A&M International University, he built his experience in customs and international trade through positions in the maquiladora industry and customs brokerage. He received his customs broker license in 1995 and later helped establish several manufacturing operations in Reynosa and Matamoros, Mexico.

That experience gave Torres a perspective on the movement of goods between the United States and Mexico, where manufacturers often depend on suppliers, production facilities and customers located in different countries.

Those experiences brought Torres and his family to the Rio Grande Valley, where Interlink opened its doors in McAllen in 2005. The company has since developed services designed to help businesses manage the responsibilities that come with moving goods internationally.

Supporting Manufacturing and Trade

Interlink’s services are relevant to manufacturers and suppliers that rely on international trade. The company identifies three areas of work:

• U.S. customs brokerage: Helping clients navigate customs processes for imported goods.

• Consulting: Helping businesses understand trade-related requirements and plan their operations.

• Logistics: Supporting the movement and coordination of goods through the supply chain. 

For South Texas manufacturers, those services connect to a larger opportunity. A component may cross the border to be incorporated into a finished product, while equipment and materials move in the other direction to support production. Each shipment is part of a network that connects businesses, workers and communities.

Interlink provides customs brokerage, logistics, warehousing and trade compliance consulting to support those operations. That work matters to South Texas manufacturing because the region’s industrial strength is closely tied to its connections with Mexico. The Valley’s location gives companies access to border crossings, transportation networks and established manufacturing communities across the Rio Grande. Businesses that can move goods efficiently are better positioned to participate in those supply chains.

Technology and the People Behind Trade

As international supply chains become more complex, technology is playing a growing role in how businesses manage information and coordinate their operations. Digital tools can help companies organize documentation, improve communication and respond to customers’ needs.

Interlink has identified automation, workflow improvements and system integration as a priority for the company. For a trade services company, those capabilities complement the knowledge of customs professionals who help customers navigate an evolving business environment.

The combination is relevant to South Texas, where industrial growth creates demand for workers with skills in logistics, technology, compliance and customer service, as well as manufacturing itself.

A Voice in Cross-Border Business

Through his work in international trade, Torres has become a respected voice in the region’s cross-border business community. His experience spans manufacturing, customs brokerage and logistics—fields that intersect every day along the Texas–Mexico border.

He has also participated in conversations designed to help businesses understand changes in international trade. Among them, Torres was a speaker at a McAllen EDC cross-border trade webinar and other trade and customs compliance forums in the U.S., Mexico, Japan, South Korea and China, contributing his experience to a discussion of issues facing companies that operate across the border.

That perspective gives Interlink a role in a broader regional conversation: how South Texas and Mexico can continue working together to strengthen supply chains and create opportunities for businesses and workers.

Connecting Industry and Education

Torres’ involvement in the community also extends to education. He serves on the South Texas College Foundation board, supporting an institution connected to the development of the region’s future workforce.

Education and industry share a direct interest in South Texas’ growth. Manufacturers and logistics companies need skilled employees, while students benefit from understanding the careers available in their communities. Strong relationships between businesses and educational institutions can help connect those needs and prepare more residents for opportunities in an expanding industrial economy.

That connection matters as South Texas prepares for continued industrial growth. Manufacturers, logistics companies and other employers depend on a workforce equipped with technical skills, business knowledge and an understanding of international commerce.

Building Opportunity Across the Border

Interlink’s work reflects the close relationship between South Texas and Mexico: businesses on both sides rely on one another to produce goods, move products and serve customers. As manufacturers continue to invest in the region, customs, logistics and trade expertise will remain essential parts of that growth.

For South Texas, the opportunity extends beyond attracting individual projects. It includes building a strong network of manufacturers, suppliers, service providers and educational institutions that can grow together. With companies like Interlink supporting cross-border commerce, the Rio Grande Valley continues to demonstrate its importance to the future of North American manufacturing.

South Texas is positioned at the center of a manufacturing relationship that brings the strengths of Texas and Mexico together. Through trade expertise, business partnerships and investment in people, the region can continue to grow as a place where industry connects, competes and creates opportunity.