Vice President JD Vance arrived in South Texas Wednesday for the groundbreaking of Saronic Technologies’ $3.2 billion Port Alpha shipyard at the Port of Brownsville, where Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is also expected to attend.
Follow along for live updates from Vance’s visit and the Port Alpha groundbreaking throughout the day.
11 a.m. — Vance arrives in South Texas
Vice President JD Vance arrived in South Texas at about 11 a.m. Wednesday ahead of the Port Alpha groundbreaking at the Port of Brownsville.
Vance is expected to join Abbott and Saronic leadership for the ceremony. Remarks were scheduled for 11:45 a.m., followed by the ceremonial groundbreaking at 12:10 p.m., according to the governor’s schedule.
11:30 a.m. — Vance arrives at Port of Brownsville
Vice President JD Vance arrived at the Port of Brownsville at about 11:30 a.m.
Vance is expected to join Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Saronic leadership for the ceremony marking the next step in development of the massive shipyard, which is expected to create up to 10,000 direct jobs.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has arrived at the Port of Brownsville, joining port officials and about 200 invited guests for Saronic Technologies’ private Port Alpha groundbreaking ceremony.
12 p.m. — Vance praises Saronic’s investment in U.S. manufacturing
Vice President JD Vance praised Austin-based Saronic Technologies for investing in American manufacturing, saying the company’s commitment to U.S. workers was one reason it was awarded a U.S. Navy contract to build autonomous vessels.
Vance said awarding contracts to companies investing in American workers is one way the federal government can encourage more manufacturing in the United States.
12:40 p.m. — Saronic CEO highlights rapid company growth
Saronic co-founder and CEO Dino Mavrookas said the Austin-based defense technology company has grown from about 30 employees to nearly 400 as it has scaled its business.
Mavrookas also touted the company’s historic military milestone.
Mavrookas also described Port Alpha as the first new major shipyard built in the United States since World War II, highlighting the scale of Saronic’s planned $3.2 billion investment at the Port of Brownsville.
Kristen Mosbrucker-Garza
Reporter
Kristen Mosbrucker-Garza is a versatile multimedia news reporter who lives and works along the Texas-Mexico border in Hidalgo County. Mosbrucker-Garza is a news reporter for the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal. During her career she's worked for the McAllen Monitor, San Antonio Business Journal, The Advocate Newspaper in Louisiana, Phoenix New Times, and public media outlets in Baltimore and Philadelphia.
Most Read
- Edinburg ISD rejects nearly $6M offer for prime land near La Sienna despite $15M budget deficit
- Port of Brownsville approves $2M SpaceX pipeline deal, with millions more on the table
- What Toyota’s $3.6B San Antonio expansion could mean for the Rio Grande Valley
- McAllen’s nonstop Mexico City flight is back
- 5×5 Brewing plots $2.5M comeback with new Edinburg brewpub near UTRGV
Get the latest business news delivered to your inbox every morning for free.
Try 30 Days Free!
Get full access to award-winning journalism covering business, real estate, health care, economic trends, and the people shaping the Rio Grande Valley.
30 Days Free!
$9.95/month
Limited time offer
Subscription renews after your 30 day free trial at $9.95/mo.
Included Benefits
- Unlimited access to all articles
- Daily business news and analysis
- Subscriber-only content and features
Stories That Matter
- SpaceX makes history with first Starship catch at Starbase
- Port of Brownsville details SpaceX agreements worth more than $125M in potential revenue
- Mission’s first Small Business Expo puts $25K on the line for local entrepreneurs
- McCoy’s gives $10K, tools to launch Mid-Valley construction academy
- UT Health RGV performs new digestive procedure for first time in the Valley
- TSTC bets on advanced manufacturing to meet RGV’s industrial boom
- Pharr’s cross-border business push earns international recognition
- Brownsville eases drought restrictions after nearly three years as Rio Grande reservoir levels improve
- Texas A&M’s $53.5M McAllen research center will tackle water, food security and Valley health
- STC puts AI to work across 55 courses — from construction sites to car repair
