Borderplex Alliance Wins Economic Development Award

From the El Paso Inc.:

The Borderplex Alliance has been recognized with an international award for its work on economic development initiatives in the El Paso region.

On Monday, Borderplex was given the Economic Development Organization of the Year award from the International Economic Development Council, or IEDC.

. . .

Barela said big wins for The Borderplex Alliance and borderland region include the incoming TJ Maxx distribution facility and the Amazon fulfillment center.

. . .

“We’re at a record level of projects, and continue to set records month to month,” Barela said. “We have large, industrial projects in every sector – consumer electronics, tech, automotive and aerospace. I’m optimistic that we’ll be looking at some large projects to be located in the next 12 to 24 months, and we’re working hard to close some of these deals.”

When I first read this, I thought it must be some kind of a participation trophy. Then I decided it was crooked.

“[CEO John] Barela said big wins for The Borderplex Alliance and borderland region include the incoming TJ Maxx distribution facility and the Amazon fulfillment center.”

I reckon geography was the determining factor in deciding where to put a TJ Maxx distribution facility, and neither the City nor the Borderplex Alliance knew anything about that Amazon fulfillment center till the media asked them about it. Amazon announced a dozen other fulfillment centers all over the country at the same time. The Borderplex Alliance didn’t take any credit for those.

Geography usually works against El Paso’s pursuit of economic development. We’re a long way from markets, and any manufacturing concern that wanted to open here might just as easily move to Juarez instead, and save big on labor. Even the El Paso Times moved its print production to Juarez.

And taxes are high in El Paso.

At least we’ve got Triple A baseball.

Mr. Barela claims that the best is yet to come. We can only hope.