25 Mexican businesses eye McAllen expansion after city pitches U.S. market entry program
McAllen officials and representatives meet with business and community leaders during the city's outreach visit to Tampico, Mexico. Courtesy of | City of McAllen

About 25 businesses from Tampico, Mexico, are exploring expansion into the United States through McAllen after city officials pitched a program designed to help international companies enter the U.S. market.

The prospective businesses expressed interest in McAllen’s Soft-Landing Program during a Sept. 9 business and franchise event in Tampico, according to the city. Food and beverage businesses made up the largest share of those interested.

Among them is a Tampico restaurant interested in entering the U.S. market and a prosthetics startup that is still in its incubation phase, city leaders said in a news release, though neither business was identified in the announcement.

The interest is part of a broader push by McAllen to attract Mexican businesses looking for a foothold in the U.S. The city says it has worked with 79 entrepreneurs from the Tampico area this year, with some projects moving toward establishing U.S. operations. The city did not identify those projects or say how many have reached that stage.

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