Workforce Solutions Secures $169,087 for Local Talent

McAllen, Texas — South Texas employers are investing in the people behind the region’s industrial growth through a workforce partnership that will provide specialized training for 87 employees at DENSO TEN, Alps Logistics, Emerson Tool Company, and Index Fresh.

A check-presentation ceremony at Rio Bank brought together the Texas Workforce Commission, Workforce Solutions Lower Rio Grande Valley, UTRGV, Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center (TMAC) and other conomic development organizations, and participating businesses to recognize the initiative. Supported by the Skills Development Fund, the partnership connects employers with training designed to strengthen operations, develop employees, and create opportunities for career advancement within the Rio Grande Valley.

TMAC at UTRGV will turn a $169,087 Skills Development Fund grant into practical training for 87 employees at DENSO TEN, Alps Logistics, Index Fresh, and Emerson. Awarded by the Texas Workforce Commission to Workforce Solutions Lower Rio Grande Valley, the funding supports specialized instruction in areas including quality, supply chain operations, inventory control, and supervisory skills. TMAC will deliver training tailored to the participating companies’ needs, helping employees apply new skills directly to their daily work. The partnership strengthens South Texas industry by connecting public investment with university expertise and employer priorities, supporting more productive businesses and greater opportunities for local workers to advance.

Texas Workforce Commission Commissioner Representing Labor Alberto Treviño IIIemphasized that investing in employees benefits businesses, families, and the surrounding community.

“The Rio Grande Valley is a huge economic boost to the state of Texas,” Treviño said, underscoring the importance of maintaining a skilled workforce as the region attracts business activity.

The initiative brings together employers with different operational needs but a shared priority,helping their existing employees develop the skills needed to keep their companies competitive.

Workforce Solutions CEO Francisco Almaraz described that connection as central to the organization’s mission.

“At Workforce Solutions, we want residents to have meaningful careers, but we also want employers to be successful and to continue investing in the Rio Grande Valley,” Almaraz said.

The participating companies worked with workforce and university partners to identify their training needs. Speakers described a 12-month training plan covering areas such as quality, production and inventory control, supply chain operations, and supervisory skills.

Don Kurth, vice president of Alps Logistics, explained that the investment supports employees who are already working full time, giving them opportunities to advance while strengthening the businesses that employ them.

“For businesses, that means stronger operations,” Kurth said. He described the benefit for employees as “a pathway to higher wages,” with the broader goal of helping people build their careers in the Valley.

Kent Hanson, director of operations at Emerson Tool Company, highlighted the urgency of ongoing training as technology changes industrial operations.

“We need every opportunity and every lever available to keep our employees’ skill set up to the level that they need to keep our competitive advantage,” Hanson said.

For Araceli De La Garza, manager of human resources and general affairs at DENSO TEN, the partnership also demonstrates what employers can accomplish by working together.

“This is more than a check. This is going to improve many people’s lives,” she said, encouraging participating organizations to continue building on the collaboration.

Index Fresh’s representative similarly emphasized the importance of developing frontline employees, sharing knowledge throughout the organization, and supporting the people responsible for daily operations.

UTRGV’s Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center, or TMAC, will deliver the training. Jose David Ortiz, TMAC’s South Texas regional director, explained that his team had visited companies, listened to managers, and developed training around their operational needs. TMAC specializes in helping businesses improve their processes, workforce capabilities, and competitiveness through technical assistance and training.

Ortiz said the first training session had already taken place before the ceremony. He emphasized that success would be reflected in employees applying their new skills on the job and companies becoming more capable and competitive.

The event also featured Dr. Can Saygin, UTRGV’s interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs; Elizabeth Suarez, who leads the McAllen Chamber of Commerce and McAllen Economic Development Corporation; and Francisco Mendez, representing Pharr EDC. Their remarks connected workforce investment with business retention, industry participation in education, and opportunities for residents to remain in the region. 

For South Texas, the partnership represents a practical investment in industrial growth: helping established businesses strengthen their operations while giving local workers a path forward. By connecting employers, education, and workforce resources, the region is building the capabilities needed to compete for investment—and ensuring that more of the opportunities created by that growth remain here at home.