UTRGV Links Small Manufacturers to Bigger Opportunities

Linda Ufland sees opportunities for entrepreneurs and smaller manufacturers to grow alongside the region’s expanding industries. 

PHARR, TEXAS — South Texas’ next manufacturing opportunity could begin with a local business becoming a supplier to a growing industry. For Linda Ufland, UTRGV’s director of entrepreneurship, connecting entrepreneurs and smaller manufacturers with training, technical knowledge, and industry relationships is essential to helping the region benefit more broadly from new investment.

Ufland served as the moderator of the Pharr EDC Roundtable Live, guiding the discussion on workforce development and support for South Texas manufacturing. Speaking with Pro Texas Industry, Ufland described UTRGV’s presence at the Pharr Global Business Hub as part of that effort.

“You have UTRGV that has a very strong presence here at the hub in supporting entrepreneurs and supporting small businesses and small manufacturers to really be the next generation of supply chain to our industry,” she said.

Her perspective places local companies at the center of the region’s industrial future. Major investments create demand, but smaller businesses need preparation and connections to pursue opportunities within those supply chains.

Ufland pointed to manufacturing operations already established in the Rio Grande Valley and neighboring Mexico as a foundation for continued growth.

“We have a big manufacturing presence already across the border and here in the Rio Grande Valley through the companies that have been here for a very long time,” she said.

She identified SpaceX and liquefied natural gas developments as examples of activity increasing the need for workforce preparation, infrastructure, and business support. Nearshoring, she added, could also create opportunities for companies already operating in the region to expand.

“This whole topic of manufacturing is coming back to life in a very strong way to support these new industries that are coming in,” Ufland said.

Part of the appeal for South Texas is its location. Ufland highlighted the border, port access, air transportation, and rail connections as advantages for companies considering a regional base from which to serve broader markets.

Turning those advantages into sustained growth, though they require coordination. She described complementary roles for community colleges, UTRGV, workforce organizations, industry associations, economic development corporations, and state leadership.

Employers are particularly important to that process because they help identify the skills and resources their operations actually need. Ufland said industry leaders bring “that knowledge and that understanding of what those needs really are.”

For education and workforce partners, the responsibility is to keep training relevant as manufacturing changes. She emphasized continued training and certification, along with an understanding of emerging technologies and specialized skills used throughout a company’s operations.

That includes the ability to “support the technology that’s being used now in assembly lines, process lines,” she said, extending the discussion to procurement and other business functions.

Her message is that industrial development requires continued investment in the businesses and people supporting production. As companies introduce new equipment and processes, the region’s training and support services must evolve alongside them.

For South Texas, the opportunity extends from attracting major employers to helping local enterprises grow with them. UTRGV’s work with entrepreneurs and small manufacturers can help connect those two goals, preparing more regional businesses to compete for supplier opportunities and participate in the industries shaping the Valley’s future.