Hundreds of Rio Grande Valley companies lost state certification as Hispanic-owned. Here’s why

For 26 years, Texas operated a system that encouraged state agencies and universities to purchase goods and services from minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses, until sweeping changes took effect earlier this month. 

As a result, the state stopped certifying new applications in October, and then deactivated hundreds of companies statewide — including 234 businesses across the Rio Grande Valley. 

That included engineering firms, construction companies, car dealerships, security businesses, and landscapers, among others, who secured more than $105 million in state contracts between 2016 and 2025, records analyzed by the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal show. 

For example, Mission-based B2Z Engineering, LLC was awarded a $4 million contract by the Texas Department of Transportation in 2023 for geotechnical engineering services in the Austin and Dallas districts. Aisha Gonzalez serves as president of B2Z Engineering, which was founded in 2009. The company did not respond to a request for comment for this news story.