The best investment comes before growth; buy low, sell high. The Rio Grande Valley, in my personal opinion, is going to boom in the next ten years.

How do I come to this conclusion? Look at the big picture, from the Port of Brownsville to the $35-million-dollar diabetes research center in McAllen, the growth is undeniable.

Take a look at the economic indicators below:

• The University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley, and the newly formed Medical school are building the health care infrastructure to properly serve the fast-growing population. Educational infrastructure is crucial to building a strong work force.

• $35 million-dollar diabetes research center to the RGV as well. Research centers bring high paying jobs and economic development opportunities for the private sector.

• Texas A&M College Station breaks ground in McAllen and is set to open Fall 2017. The new university will be an extension of Texas A&M College station. Students who attend and graduate from the facility will receive a diploma from Texas A&M College Station. The unique facility will offer programs in engineering, technology, biomedical sciences, agriculture and lab sciences.

• McAllen Performing Arts Center, the $44.9 million dollar premiere venue for Broadway shows and more, opened in 2016. With 93,471 square feet and 1,800 seats, the venue has plenty of room for a range of entertainment.

• Space X purchased land and built a launching pad in Brownsville, Texas on Boca Chica Beach. The infrastructure is bringing engineering jobs and opportunities to students attending UT-RGV, Texas A&M and South Texas College. Space X has stated, their mission to Mars could launch from Brownsville, Texas.

• $114 million-dollar manufacturing plant comes to Brownsville, Texas. Italian-based SATA Group is making the investment to establish a machining operation that will create over 300 jobs over a ten-year period. SATA is a 100-year-old, four-generation family-owned mechanical machining company that supplies machined parts for industrial giants such as Caterpillar, John Deere, and Fiat-Chrysler Automotive. Headquartered in Valperga, Italy, the company has machining operations in India, China, Argentina and Brazil.

• The Port of Brownsville has been approved to increase the depth of port channel, from 42 feet to 52 feet deep, making it one of the deepest ports in the Gulf of Mexico. This new expansion will make the Port of Brownsville competitive with the biggest ports in the United States.

• Simon Properties, a global leader in retail real estate is highly invested in Rio Grande Valley. La Plaza Mall, (currently 1.2 Million square feet) is expanding by adding fifty stores, four junior anchor stores and six restaurants will make up the new 245,000-square-foot shopping experience.

• The Bert Ogden Arena, set to open by the end of 2017, will be an 8,500 seat (largest arena in RGV) premiere venue for sports entertainment and more. Located in Edinburg, Texas, the arena will be home to the Rio Grande Valley – Vipers (NBA D-League). In addition, the university (UT-RGV) will play different sports in the venue.

• HEB Park, a 9,700 seat, state-of-the-art soccer stadium and outdoor venue located in Edinburg, is set to open to the public in 2017. The RGV Toros will be the primary occupant of the facility. In addition, outdoor concerts and various local soccer leagues will have access to HEB Park.

In order to build a prosperous and sustainable community (picture the RGV as one giant community), you must have certain infrastructure in place. Education, healthcare and sustainable job creation are the core foundation to any prosperous community. Teach and educate a population, keep them healthy and watch them build the community, together.

Our community is not perfect, we have our downfalls but we are resilient. If you look at the growth happening across the Rio Grande Valley, you will see the work of many, many people. From the politician passing the legislation to the community activist bringing attention to the issue, we have many people to thank for the progress of the region. By focusing on solutions, we all win.

What happens when so much growth comes to a region? More growth. Homes, grocery stores, doctor offices, pharmacies, schools, dry cleaners, barbershops, coffee shops, and so many more businesses will be demanded by the growing population. This economy is about to run on all six cylinders!

Please join us as we transform this region, together.