Del Rio Chamber of Commerce

Industrial Information

Labor Analysis - Val Verde County, April, 2002

Labor Force - 18,737
Average Unemployment Rate - 7.3%
Annual Average Number of High School Graduates - 500

Typical hourly wages in the Del Rio area are general office clerk, $5.28; assembly line worker, $5.54; warehouse worker, $5.41 and forklift operator, $5.90.

Transportation

Del Rio is connected to the world via commercial air passenger service from Continental Airlines. Click here for airline information.

Del Rio is a freight switching point on the Union Pacific main line. Piggy-back service is available. Passenger service is available through AMTRAK. For more information: 800.872.7245

Air freight service is provided by Airborne, DHL, Emery, Federal Express, Pony Express, Purolator, Unitec Parcel Service, Burlington, and American Freightways, Inc.

Bus lines serving Del Rio are Greyhound/Trailways and Kerrville Bus Coach USA, providing freight and passenger service to destinations including San Antonio, Laredo, and San Angelo, with connections nationally. For more information: 1 N. Main, Del Rio, TX 78840, 830.775.7515

Local bus service and service to Ciudad Acuñ are provided by Transportation.

Taxi service in Del Rio is available through City Taxi and Del Rio Taxi Service. For more information: City-830.775.6344, DRTS-830.775.4448

The runway at the Del Rio International Airport is 5,100 feet long and 75 feet wide and is capable of serving executive jet aircraft. Full aircraft services are available with rental car agencies located at the airport. The airport has VASI on the runway and a NDB with published letdown procedures, and is also a designated Port of Entry for Customs and Immigration inspection. For more information: Del Rio International Airport, 1108 W. 10th St., Del Rio, TX 78840, 830.775.7587.

Financing

Three local banks with $652,719,458.75 in assets and two credit unions with $36,918,657.91 in assets, provide industrial financing. State programs are available to qualified industry.

Sites

The Del Rio Chamber of Commerce maintains a list of available sites as well as existing buildings in Del Rio and Ciudad Acuña.

The Maquila Possibility

Del Rio/Ciudad Acuña is now home to over 50 Maquiladora plants, including such wellknown companies as Oster, Alcoa Fujikura Ltd., General Electric, San Antonio Shoe Co., Alliedsignal Automotive, and Bridgestone/Firestone Del Rio Test Center, all of whom came here to avail themselves of low-priced labor, while enjoying the technology and lifestyle of the United States.

Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico, is in the lowest wage region of Mexico. Mexican minimum wages, for direct labor, with all fringe benefits included, have remained in the range of $1.15 to $1.35 per hour (U. S.), as the peso has been revalued in comparison with the dollar. Major advantages to the Del Rio/Ciudad Acuña locations are short border crossing times, a minimum of union activity, and the ability to use U.S. trucks and drivers to deliver to Mexican facilities.

A "shelter" operation provides a facility, staffing, training, equipment setup and accounting. Many companies begin operations in this manner. Typically, these firms take over or establish their own operations in one to three years.

The true "maquila" offers the largest savings, but it requires such expertise in setup, construction, staffing and operations that most companies without experience retain a consultant. Del Rio offers experienced, capable consultants, who have set up their own facilities and who have taken clients through each of these steps. They are:

Amistad Offshore Industries
Jesus Ramon

North American Fabrication Trades Activities
Fred Morr

Larson Properties, Inc.
Frank H. Larson

Border Opportunity Saver Systems
Don Newton

Alsup & Alsup, Inc.
Jack E. Alsup