Mission lands $50M metal recycling plant as Mexican company expands to the U.S.

A $50 million metal recycling plant is headed to south Mission, a location Mexican investors say offers a strategic advantage near the Anzalduas International Bridge.

Maurico Osorio, founder and president of Century Recycling, announced a new 98,000 square-foot facility at 300 Trinity Street in south Mission. The project is expected to generate about 70 jobs with a payroll of over $8 million annually.

Osorio’s wife and co-owner of Century Recycling, Gabriela Garcia, was instrumental in getting the project to the citrus city.

“Originally, we thought about building this in Reynosa,” Garcia said. “But we bought a home here in Mission about three years ago, and I love it here. We just fell in love with the whole area.”

Osorio said the plant will also tap into the region’s workforce.

“Our facility is pretty much automated,” Osorio told the RGV Business Journal. “We will have some specialized jobs, and we will be working with the college and the university to get our own source of talent from this very region.”

Metal scrap from all over the U.S. and northern Mexico will arrive in Mission for recycling before being resold to various industries in north Texas and Arizona, Osorio said. He estimates the plant will be operational by the end of next year.

An estimated 50,000 metric tons of scrap metal will be melted annually, Osorio added.

Mission Economic Development Corporation CEO Teclo Garcia noted that projects of this scale are uncommon for any community.

“This is not a daily occurrence,” Garcia said. “I guarantee you that any city in Texas would be applauding and be ecstatic about having an investment like this in their city. This is the cherry on top for us.”

Mission Mayor Norie Gonzalez Garza said the recycling plant’s access to the Anzalduas International Bridge and the expressway was key to sealing the deal.

“This is probably our biggest investor so far, and MEDC is talking to at least three other big companies that we’re hoping to commit that will bring really good-paying jobs, which is important for us,” Garza said. “I’m excited about the conversations we’ve been having with STC, UTRGV, and our school districts, because we do have the workforce here, and that is a major advantage that we have over other areas.”

Garza also believes the Anzalduas bridge, which will begin accommodating commercial cargo in 2026, has caused a snowball effect.

“Mexican industry is excited about our bridge, mainly because it’s going to be one of the fastest bridges to cross in the area, and time is money,” Garza said.