00:00:07:14 - 00:00:25:13 Speaker 1 The Joseph Sekula family and McCook have swung the door open on a business they hope will soon be taking off. They are farming the emu, a big bird from Australia that looks like an ostrich but is somewhat smaller. But Joseph explains why he went into this business. 00:00:25:26 - 00:00:47:21 Speaker 2 I got into the EMU business because I've been farming all my life and it's hard enough to make a lot of, you know, money as it is when it comes to farming, especially when you're a dryland farmer like we are. And this bird fits right into my profile because it's basically a desert animal, and they do very well in this environment. 00:00:48:02 - 00:01:17:01 Speaker 1 In the not too distant future, there may be thousands of emus like this in the Rio Grande Valley. Unlike the cattle business, where you can only put 2 to 5 cows on a small piece of property, an emu farmer can raise 2 to 3 birds on 5 to 10 acres. Although emus are currently being raised primarily for breeding purposes, Joseph expects that in several years, emus will be harvested for meat, leather and oil products. 00:01:17:20 - 00:01:24:10 Speaker 2 It shows good potential for the future, and it's a business that the whole family can get involved with. 00:01:24:14 - 00:01:57:17 Speaker 1 And if everything goes according to plan, it won't be long before the Sekula family will be hatching their very own nest egg roll in parallel with a UTPA Pan-American seed office. For Channel five, Eyewitness News, new foundations have been laid recently as a result of NAFTA, which now make it possible for manufacturing companies from Mexico to locate in the Rio Grandy Valley. 00:01:57:24 - 00:02:11:06 Speaker 1 Select Plastics, a mexican based firm, recently broke ground in McAllen, Southwest Industrial Park. Alfredo Naim, President of Select Plastics, explains why the company decided to locate in the valley. 00:02:11:21 - 00:02:15:09 Speaker 2 Yes, yes. I believe these are all of our live recommends you are not thinking of. 00:02:16:01 - 00:02:36:25 Speaker 1 It's only after NAFTA was passed, we were looking for a region that was well located so that our product could reach primarily the United States, Canada, Mexico and all of Latin America. And this was the best location. The president and CEO of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation believes more Mexican companies are on the way. 00:02:36:25 - 00:02:47:03 Speaker 3 Just as any other country has has manufacturing operations outside their own national borders. So Mexico is going to is going to do that. I think they'll be expanding into Canada also. 00:02:47:12 - 00:02:51:07 Speaker 1 The company is expected to create quite a few jobs in the area. 00:02:51:15 - 00:03:02:19 Speaker 3 As far as number of jobs. We're looking at probably starting at around 150 or 160 and then we'll probably increase up to close to 500 as as the plant gets up to full production. 00:03:02:28 - 00:03:32:00 Speaker 1 And if Mexican companies like select Plastics are successful, the sky may be the limit for future job growth in the valley. Roland Arriola with a UT Pan-American CEED office for Channel five Eyewitness News. But even cranking up the engine of his air tractor is part of John Houston's daily routine as he heads out to do battle with pesky insects that attack local crops. 00:03:32:05 - 00:03:39:10 Speaker 1 The owner of Texas Dusting Services since 1973, John, explains how he got into the crop dusting business. 00:03:39:26 - 00:04:04:23 Speaker 2 That was in college and money was tight. And I went down to the bank board money for an airplane. I started flying charter, and I flew a young lady to Weslaco. And on the way back I ran into headwinds and ran out of gas and landed in a football stadium in Cedar of Texas. And a man came out and offered me a job, dropped us. 00:04:07:05 - 00:04:27:27 Speaker 1 Even though John Houston makes his living crop dusting, his real passion is running the Texas Air Museum. Visiting the museum is like being transported into another time and place. It contains a variety of aircraft and artifacts from previous wars, as well as an exhibit featuring the first two aircraft to engage in aerial combat. 00:04:28:10 - 00:04:42:12 Speaker 2 The first dogfight was against Pancho Villa, and we have two replicas that dogfight. And then the first military action taken with a military action, with an aircraft that was against Mojave in 1916. 00:04:42:19 - 00:05:18:19 Speaker 1 To honor those who fought and died in Vietnam. The Air Museum is working on a memorial that will feature the top deck of the USS Iwo Jima. Roland Arriola with a UT Pan-American CEED office for Channel five. Eyewitness News. They began rolling out the dough at Julia's restaurant in those Fresno's. Ever since Julia Castillo became the new owner before buying the business, the former Levi-Strauss employee spent most of her time as a waitress cleaning up tables with the help of the UT Pan-American Small Business Development Center. 00:05:19:00 - 00:05:21:26 Speaker 1 Julia was able to make her dream come true. 00:05:22:06 - 00:05:30:09 Speaker 2 She was looking to purchase her building, and she was looking through to the Small Business Administration. And what we did for her is we actually just put a package together, a business plan. 00:05:30:22 - 00:05:39:26 Speaker 1 With an SBA guaranteed bank loan. Julia was able to purchase the restaurant. She describes the benefits of owning her own business. 00:05:40:01 - 00:05:55:25 Speaker 4 When I was a waitress, it paid, you know, I made very little less money. And now that I. I became the owner. Makes me feel like I'm important. I'm wanted. I'm very supportive from the community. 00:05:56:11 - 00:05:59:28 Speaker 1 But the key to her success is customer service. 00:06:00:08 - 00:06:02:13 Speaker 2 Okay. As we move community service. 00:06:02:28 - 00:06:08:13 Speaker 1 The service is very special. It is a place for the family with a very special atmosphere. 00:06:08:19 - 00:06:15:00 Speaker 2 We have friendly surroundings, very good food. And she just she's just a sweet lady. 00:06:16:00 - 00:06:18:12 Speaker 1 Is there any particular thing you like to eat here? 00:06:18:27 - 00:06:21:09 Speaker 2 Yes. I love the Mexican food. Naturally. 00:06:22:14 - 00:06:37:21 Speaker 1 And by making customers like Governor Ann Richards happy. Julia is making sure that her business will keep on cooking in the future. Roland Arriola with the Pan Pan-American Seat office for Channel five, Eyewitness News. 00:06:40:27 - 00:07:07:06 Speaker 1 The sparks of industrial growth have been flying in the valley recently with the opening of a number of tequila suppliers in the area. If the Rio Grande Valley is going to continue to expand, it will need more muscle making. Companies like Lorenz and Manufacturing Inc.. The company, which is the only full service boating facility in the Valley, is currently designing, building and maintaining models for several major maquiladora cars. 00:07:07:24 - 00:07:13:07 Speaker 1 But one problem the company and others have encountered is a lack of skilled workers in the area. 00:07:13:11 - 00:07:29:06 Speaker 2 So the future of this industry is probably in training. Getting a proper personnel here in the valley, proper apprenticeship programs within companies are fine, but the schooling like it to SPC or Pan-American. They need to implement some programs. 00:07:29:06 - 00:07:38:12 Speaker 1 Because of a lack of tool and die training programs in the area. Companies like Robinson have had to recruit skilled workers from other parts of the country. 00:07:38:13 - 00:07:49:28 Speaker 2 It would just help the valley economy if they could provide to provide those types of people down here. And it would help facilities decide to move down to the valley. If I know the technical background is here. 00:07:50:14 - 00:08:20:26 Speaker 1 Unless local educational institutions gear up to produce more highly trained workers, the Valley may find itself spinning its economic wheels in the future. Roland Arriola with a UT Pan-American CEED office for Channel five Eyewitness News. The faces of the underemployed and unemployed in the Rio Grande Valley are often hidden in obscure fields or in colonias. To reduce unemployment in the area. 00:08:21:03 - 00:08:23:10 Speaker 1 Efforts must be made to reach out to them. 00:08:23:15 - 00:08:55:25 Speaker 2 We do have adult education programs here in the Rio Grande Valley. We have programs under the Grandy Valley. A lot of times we sit back and wait for them to come to us. And as we know, people just don't do that. I think we need to have a stronger recruitment program for those programs and have stronger outreach programs to be able to bring those people into these programs, to be able to assist them in getting their learning English or getting their GED or getting into some kind of specific training. 00:08:55:27 - 00:09:05:25 Speaker 1 If the Valley is to make sure that the economic boom is not a bust, all of its educational and training institutions must work closely together to provide a quality workforce. 00:09:06:04 - 00:09:14:25 Speaker 2 We really need to make sure that all the educational institutions in the Rio Grande Valley work together to be able to create a quality workforce for the Rio Grande Valley. 00:09:15:07 - 00:09:28:25 Speaker 1 A coordinated effort to provide for the training needs of Valley residents will do much to shrink the unemployment lines in the future. Roland Arriola with the University of Texas Pan-American CEED Office for Channel five Eyewitness News. 00:09:30:19 - 00:09:33:06 Speaker 4 This in Mexico. This is this question of. 00:09:33:18 - 00:09:58:06 Speaker 1 If organic produce is your bag, you can find plenty of chemical free Swiss chard, kale, spinach, cilantro and other fruits and vegetables at the center that you say says if the farmworkers co-op in San Juan. The crops which are sprayed with soapy water instead of pesticides and protected from pests by the aroma emitted by miracle flowers are available at competitive prices. 00:09:58:12 - 00:10:02:00 Speaker 4 This is a real treat to find fresh vegetables and. 00:10:02:03 - 00:10:03:20 Speaker 2 Organic vegetables. 00:10:03:20 - 00:10:04:02 Speaker 4 Here. 00:10:04:04 - 00:10:12:12 Speaker 1 By means of organic farming. Valley farm workers are not only helping to improve the environment, they are also generate an income for their families. 00:10:12:17 - 00:10:24:21 Speaker 4 We don't use any pesticides, do not use any of the chemical pesticides. We use just soaps and natural controls. So we're not using any of the chemicals that can, you know, contaminate the soil or harm the workers. 00:10:25:01 - 00:10:33:20 Speaker 5 Let's say you're an automatic Levantine, ladies, who goes out to a dinner in an important you in and who goes out into. 00:10:34:02 - 00:10:56:16 Speaker 1 The co-op helps by allowing the farm workers to keep a percentage of money from the harvest. Not only is organic produce more nutritious and better tasting, but buying it will help create a bundle of jobs for low income farm workers in the valley. The role in Arizona with the University of Texas Pan-American Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Office for Channel five, Eyewitness News. 00:10:59:08 - 00:11:27:01 Speaker 1 His name is Jose Armando Garcia, but most people call him Lenny. He makes and sells swings in his own backyard without knowing anything about woodworking. He got into business two years ago when someone offered to buy a swing he had made for his wife with materials that cost him $30. By working hard, Lenny was able to convert a $30 investment into a business, with sales exceeding $50,000 a year. 00:11:27:16 - 00:11:38:25 Speaker 1 Lenny's handmade swings are in big demand. He is currently working on Christmas orders totaling more than $10,000. Lenny describes what he likes most about his business. 00:11:39:05 - 00:11:53:03 Speaker 6 I'm at home with my children and my wife and go get to watch him grow. Same time. Had to have fun at what I'm doing, you know, building things, creating things, working out things like working with, learning how to work with wood. 00:11:53:13 - 00:11:57:19 Speaker 1 Lenny had this advice for people thinking about starting their own business. 00:11:57:20 - 00:12:12:01 Speaker 6 Like it'd be excellent for people to just find something they like to do and be diligent and doing it and in it produce and I could have given up when I first started because, you know, it was slow or something like that for whatever reason. You find all kinds of reasons to give up. 00:12:12:12 - 00:12:28:10 Speaker 1 With sales continuing to climb, plants were expanding into other valley. Communities are now in full swing. Roland Arriola with the University of Texas Pan-American Seed Office for Channel five, Eyewitness News. 00:12:30:15 - 00:12:45:03 Speaker 1 With a full head of steam, the miniature world of a child comes alive at Treehouse Toys in McAllen. The business, which specializes in the sale of educational toys, has an unusual inventory of products. 00:12:45:04 - 00:13:04:28 Speaker 4 We have a combination of toys from all over the world. Some of our exclusive toys, our Playmobil, which comes from Germany, as well as Bria, which comes from Sweden, and we exclusively have them. There's no other part in the valley or toy store in the Valley that has these toys. And again, they help in the development of a child's imagination when they're playing. 00:13:05:05 - 00:13:24:13 Speaker 1 The company, which is owned by Gilda and her brother, Robert Gutierrez, has a wide selection of toys ranging from soft, cuddly animals to multi-dimensional creations, with sliding beads that fascinate young children. When asked about the future of the business, Gilda had this to say. 00:13:25:00 - 00:13:35:06 Speaker 4 I think Treehouse Toys will be around for a while, as long as there are children in the community and parents that are really interested in offering a different type of toy. I think we're going to be around for a while. 00:13:36:00 - 00:13:43:10 Speaker 1 Roland Arriola with a UT Pan-American CEED office for Channel five, Eyewitness News. 00:13:48:06 - 00:14:03:09 Speaker 1 Her name is Carmen Tapia, and she's the president of Continental Connections, an import export business in McAllen. One of the unique features of Continental Connections is that it offers the only selection of Egyptian products in the Rio Grande Valley. 00:14:03:12 - 00:14:15:02 Speaker 4 Where we have Egyptian jewelry boxes with gold and boss graving and it's got a little bit of history in every item. We also carry the papyrus paintings or original paintings from Egypt. 00:14:15:13 - 00:14:35:16 Speaker 1 Besides Egyptian imports, the store is stock full of products from around the world, including Europe, the Pacific Rim and Latin America. Papier maché replicas of wild creatures that roam the African jungles are also in abundance. But what motivates Carmen, the mother of six children, to do what she does? 00:14:36:03 - 00:14:49:14 Speaker 4 Many people cannot go to Europe, cannot go to see the outside world. But if I can bring a little bit of that world to them, I find that it would be very, very refreshing to them and very educational. 00:14:49:24 - 00:14:54:12 Speaker 1 Carmen had this advice for women thinking about starting their own business. 00:14:54:22 - 00:15:03:26 Speaker 4 And this is one way of making a living independent, you could say, and making a good profit and being being proud of yourself. 00:15:04:07 - 00:15:11:16 Speaker 1 Role in your life. With UT Pan-American seed office for Channel five, Eyewitness News. 00:15:14:02 - 00:15:37:28 Speaker 1 Sounding like a loud chorus. These honeybees not only hum in unison, they also work their legs off to make honey and pollinate local crops. These hard working bees are employed by Kent Honey Bees, Inc., a local pollination and honey service business and mission. Without these beehives of activity, Valley farmers would not be able to grow many of their crops. 00:15:38:05 - 00:15:54:02 Speaker 6 We have about $100 million done in the farming operations just in cucumbers, pickles, cantaloupes, honey, dos and watermelons. And it's big time. And if they don't get the proper pollination, then they're going to be in trouble and not get the proper produce to be able to go to market with. 00:15:54:13 - 00:16:11:12 Speaker 1 With more than 3000 hives, Kent's Honey Bees is one of the largest bee farms in the country with a steady decline of natural bees. Family owned bee farms like this one, operated by Bob, his wife Maggie and their son Justin are becoming increasingly important. 00:16:11:22 - 00:16:20:24 Speaker 6 Our natural bees are being killed off because of a mite infestation. So we're we're ending up losing all their natural bees. And so the farmers don't have any pollination out there at all. 00:16:20:27 - 00:16:23:25 Speaker 1 But what does Bob most enjoy about his business? 00:16:24:07 - 00:16:41:13 Speaker 6 It's a family operation. And I tell you, that's been the greatest thing for us, is being able to have that operation that we can do things together. And it's really been air and rising and the honey is good to try that role. And you really like that. That's natural brush, honey. That's good. Good stuff. 00:16:42:00 - 00:16:47:12 Speaker 1 Roland Arriola with the Youth Pan-American Seed Office for Channel five, Eyewitness News. 00:16:49:01 - 00:16:52:18 Speaker 6 For five, ten and 20. Thank you. 00:16:53:10 - 00:17:08:22 Speaker 1 Like their parents and grandparents before them, these children are carrying on a long time tradition. They are treating themselves to an afternoon matinee at the Border Theater in Mission E. 00:17:09:14 - 00:17:11:22 Speaker 7 So seeing them. 00:17:12:09 - 00:17:39:21 Speaker 1 With popcorn and soft drink firmly in hand. These kids are enjoying a fantasy world that was built more than 50 years ago. All right. Thank you very much. The Border Theater, built in 1941, is the oldest movie house of its kind in the valley that is still in operation. The theater is owned by Bill and Jen Long, who bought the movie house several years ago with the goal of turning it into a place for the whole family. 00:17:40:01 - 00:17:56:22 Speaker 3 We would like that. We would be looked at as a family movie theater where mother and father and their children could come and see it and not be embarrassed by the language that will be. And sometimes, quite frankly, it's even difficult to find movies that will fit that kind of a role. 00:17:57:13 - 00:18:03:27 Speaker 1 For Jen Long. The theater is more than just a movie house. It's a way to celebrate the history of mission. 00:18:04:06 - 00:18:14:10 Speaker 4 Well, to me, it is the love of motion, the love of the history of motion, and the love of the people. To me, mission has the best people in the world. 00:18:14:29 - 00:18:29:29 Speaker 1 And while it may not be as important as its history, the fact that the boarded theater makes the best popcorn in the valley should keep it going for some time to come. Roland Arriola with a Pan-American seat office for Channel five, Eyewitness News. 00:18:35:25 - 00:18:58:24 Speaker 1 Things are really jumping this time of year as large volumes of valley grown grapefruit are prepared for the marketplace at mission shippers. They pack more than 1.2 million boxes of grapefruit each year. Mission Shippers Inc. is owned and operated by J. Patrick Walsh and his two brothers. He explains how he got started in the business. 00:18:59:09 - 00:19:22:19 Speaker 2 Well, I've returned here in 1970 for my dad's request. I was working at the University of Missouri at that time, and he started this business in 1953. And in 61 there was a freeze right when I was out of college, and I had to leave the valley and go find work elsewhere. But in 74, I was able to come back and I've been working with the company since then, with my two brothers, Richard and Buddy. 00:19:22:26 - 00:19:34:15 Speaker 1 During this time of year, mission shippers stays busy packing and shipping gift food all over the world. The latest development in the industry is a very popular mail it yourself gift pack. 00:19:35:00 - 00:19:50:00 Speaker 2 It's a special £20 box of fruit that is being put on the floors where customers can come in to H-E-B or Walmart, take a box, write their name on it. That's from them to someone. Take it down to UPS and send it to them as a gift. 00:19:50:05 - 00:20:25:12 Speaker 1 So if you're having trouble finding that very special gift, you might want to consider a box of the reddest and sweetest and most delicious grapefruit in the world. Roland Arriola with a UT Pan-American seed office for Channel five, Eyewitness News, released in 1935. Vamonos. Con Pancho Villa Road into a movie houses on a cloud of dust as one of Mexico's biggest budget films. 00:20:26:01 - 00:20:55:05 Speaker 1 The original version of that movie, along with hundreds of others, has been preserved by Rogelio Agrasánchez Jr, the son of a mexican movie producer who is a curator of a very special collection in Harlingen at the Agrasanchez Film Archives. They have the largest private collection of Mexican cinema in the world. The collection consists of about 750 Mexican films, spanning the years from 1931 to 1991. 00:20:55:19 - 00:21:00:27 Speaker 1 Rogelio explains why he has invested so much of his time and energy in the archives. 00:21:01:11 - 00:21:13:07 Speaker 3 So what I'm doing here in the Valley is trying to promote a sense of identity with this period of time, the golden age of Mexican cinema, because I think that it has so many values. 00:21:15:26 - 00:21:27:27 Speaker 1 The archives also contain more than 2000 original movie posters. This has inspired Rogelio to write a book about these unique art forms in which he describes how the posters were painted. 00:21:28:09 - 00:21:43:05 Speaker 3 The poster artist would get stills, movie stills, black and white movie stills from the movie. There were scenes of the movie and they would translate those photographs into an art of the poster. 00:21:43:07 - 00:22:04:09 Speaker 1 Because the Sanchez archives have such a large selection of posters on hand. They will sometimes sell some of them to individual collectors. They don't have any plans, however, of parting with their vast collection of original films. Roland Arriola with the Pan-American Seat Office for Channel five Eyewitness News.