Mission: 

Incorporated on November 17, 1966, the mission of the Laredo Economic Development Corporation is to promote and foster the economic and industrial development of the Laredo region.

Vision:

The Laredo Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) is an organization defined by its visionary leadership, recognized for its integrity and contributions towards the economic development and vitality of Los Dos Laredos and the Webb County region.

On May 2nd, Workforce Solutions for South Texas hosted a press conference to announce the partnership with the Laredo Economic Development Corporation and MileOne to host a Job Fair and Shop Local Initiative as one of

the events to celebrate Economic Development Week.

Among the attendees were City of Laredo Mayor Dr. Victor Treviño, and Webb County Commissioner Pct. 2 Rosaura "Wawi" Tijerina.

Workforce Solutions for South Texas Executive Director Rogelio Treviño said the partnership between the agencies doing the job fair was of great significance in fostering economic growth.

The Laredo Economic Development Corporation hosted various events from May 6 through May 10 to celebrate Economic Development Week, a global initiative led by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).

To kick off the celebration during separate ceremonies, on Monday, May 6th Dr. Victor D. Treviño, Mayor of the City of Laredo, and Tano Tijerina, Webb County Judge, presented a Proclamation recognizing May 6-10, 2024 as “National Economic Development Week in Laredo Texas” in partnership with the Laredo Economic Development Corporation, MileOne-International Business Assistance Center, the City of Laredo Economic Development Department, Laredo Chamber of Commerce, and Webb County Economic Development Office.

On Tuesday, May 7th, LEDC hosted the "State of Transportation and Infrastructure" workshop at Laredo College's main campus.

During the event, Epigmenio "Epi" Gonzalez, P.E., Texas Laredo District Engineer, and Roberto Rodriguez, III, Supervising Engineer from the Texas Department of Transportation delivered dynamic presentations about TxDOT Infrastructure Projects while Jed A. Brown, Chairman Webb County – City of Laredo Regional Mobility Authority provided an Update on Projects throughout the community.

On Wednesday, May 8th, LEDC’s MileOne IBAC program hosted the Small Business Forum “Unlocking Your Potential: 4 Resources Every Business Owner Must Know” paneled by Cindy Solano, at US Small Business Administration, Hector A. Ramirez, Minority Business Development Agency, Tina Rodriguez, TAMIU Small Business Development Center and Oscar Magaña from U.S. Commercial Service, followed by a special award presented to Javier A. Gonzalez Jr., recognized as the "Healthcare Champion" for his outstanding work in providing health insurance to the underserved and elderly in the Laredo community.

The same day, and in a more relaxing atmosphere ​with delicious food, ​drinks, and great ​company, the LEDC hosted ​the "Spring Membership ​Mixer" at the Laredo Country ​Club “Plantation Room”, with ​City Manager Joseph Neeb as ​a Guest Speaker.

Finally, on Friday, May 10th the LEDC hosted a “Job ​Fair and Shop Local Initiative”. This ​year, we partnered with Workforce ​Solutions for South Texas (WSST) to ​promote and recognize downtown by ​offering free exhibit spaces to entities ​to promote their product, services, or ​job opportunities.

WSST had an on-site resource station ​assisting applicants with resumes. The LEDC closed out EDW with the job fair having 40 exhibitors and more than 300 attendees!

Big thank you to the Barber Education ​Academy and the Food Bank, who ​provided free haircuts and food​, respectively!

Special thanks to all of the exhibitors:

■ The Hermit Specialty Coffee ■ MBDA Rural Center South Texas 

■ ACME Employment Inc. ■ Barber Education Academy ■ HR Plus

■ Food Bank ■ Triumph Public Schools ■ RMPersonnel ■ Spherion Staffing

■ U.S. Customs and Border Protection ■ Auto Alarm of Laredo ■ Concentrix

■ Workforce Solutions for South Texas ■ Elite Employment Services

■ Re/Max ■ PBS Staffing ■ OPR Jobs ■ Area Health Education Center

■ Terracon ■ Laredo Chamber ■ City of Laredo HR ■ Talise Development

■ UISD Transportation Dpt. ■ You First Financial Group ■ LJA Engineering

■ Marketplace Ins Exchange ■ Amigo Staffing Consultants ■ Arguindegui Oil ■ Laredo Job Corps ■ Deli Desserts by Erika ■ Scentsy by Cynthia Peña ■ UISD Transportation HR

A groundbreaking ceremony was held by the Walker family to kick off the $7 billion multi-use development project Talise on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.

The 13,000-acre project is situated north of Laredo at the intersection of I-35, US-83, and Texas 255. It features a mixed-use development including industrial, commercial, residential land use, and a cargo airport.

Attending was LEDC President and CEO who congratulated the Walker family and the project team for their historic commitment to the region and for their legacy that will be enduring. 

Hundreds of community stakeholders attended the event, including several LEDC board members, Tony Arce, Elmo Lopez, Bill Green, Memo Trevino, Jimmy Notzon, Diana Ortiz, Hector Alaniz, Kurt AJ Kraus, and James Flores.  

Let's welcome our newest members!

On Wednesday, May 22nd, LEDC hosted a Healthcare Committee meeting that included members of the LEDC Board and stakeholders in the healthcare services industry including hospital CEOs, representatives from physicians groups, business owners, developers, insurance brokers, and a practicing physician. 

The committee is led by Elmo Lopez, CEO at Gateway Community Health Center, and Dr. Rolando Ortiz, Chief Operating Officer, Real Estate at Killam Development. 

A follow-up on previous meetings was made regarding open communication on healthcare issues, recognizing and addressing healthcare limitations and challenges in our community, and discussing and implementing long-term solutions.

LEDC board members and staff attended the Vision Conference 2024 Reception hosted by the Laredo Chamber of Commerce Chamber of Dr.

Dr. Daniel Covarrubias, Director of the Texas Center for Border Economic and Entreprise Development at TAMIU provided the keynote address titled “Economic Outlook Report” a global research on the top ports in the world. 

The final result was presented during the keynote address and complemented with a comprehensive printed document showing Laredo as the world’s largest land port, the largest in the Western Hemisphere, and the 9^th largest port in the world. 

LEDC President & CEO attended a review of the Texas-Mexico Border Connectivity Plan as a result of a TxDOT funded study to advance the Border Transportation Master Plan. The session was attended by over 100 private and public sector binational stakeholders interested in learning and participating in the development of the infrastructure plans to address First/Last Mile Connectivity, Port to Port Connectivity, and Region to Region Connectivity. Maps were reviewed showing the result of studies showing peak traffic areas, crash hotspots, transit connectivity, and freight rail routes.  The consultants encouraged and received informative feedback that will be used to further develop the plans. 

LEDC was invited to a sneak peek of the PEG Energy Stadium, a new facility for Laredo’s professional soccer team, Laredo Heat. 

The stadium and field are magnificent and ready for the 2024 NPSL Season starting on Saturday, June 1st.

LEDC congratulates Shashi Vaswani, Pria Vaswani, and their dedicated team for their commitment to the community, the sport, and our youth. LEDC will continue to support the Vaswani family for their continued investments in the community.