The southern border of the United States has seen a tremendous boom in economic development activity over the last decade. Investors are discovering what is amounting to a modern day gold rush happening specifically on the Texas/Mexico border. Mission, one of the border cities in South Texas is benefiting from the current boom in investment and population, and is seeing local business flourish and new business developments open each week.

Mission and her neighboring communities of McAllen, Weslaco, Harlingen and Brownsville make up what locals call "The Rio Grande Valley" of South Texas, an area bustling with dynamic business, trade opportunities and where population has doubled to more than one million residents in the last decade. The population influx has kept retail and housing markets strong in Mission/McAllen and population is projected to double by 2025 - and that's only on the American side of the border.

Eight international bridges connect South Texas with the industrial border communities of Reynosa, Matamoros and Monterrey, Mexico. Together their population totals more than 5 million residents, with large numbers spending weekends shopping in the Rio Grande Valley's expanding retail base in Mission/McAllen.

Additionally, one of the nation's newest International Bridge (Anzalduas International Bridge) is on track to open in 2009 and will be another logistical artery linking Mexico to the U.S. through Mission, Texas.

The growth of manufacturing and maquiladora plants on both sides of the border are also playing a major role in the vibrant Rio Grande Valley economy, dropping unemployment to one of its lowest points in local history.

Although the proposed "border wall" is of some concern to local leaders, the growing economy in Mission/McAllen keeps high expectations for continued border trade.

"We have so much commerce between our two countries locally," states Pat Townsend, CEO of the Mission Economic Development Authority. "Our new bridge and the other community bridges crossing the river into Mexico will keep the commercial traffic moving with or without a wall."

Area leaders have been keen to other infrastructure planning needs as well, as evident with a newly expanded 6 lane expressway now connecting all of the Rio Grande Valley communities together. Everyone has been impacted, and there has been more local youth moving on to higher education at area colleges and universities than ever before. Several Rio Grande Valley schools were recently touted as among the top ranked in the nation.

"We're booming," said Townsend. "Every Valley community is benefiting from this activity and it won't be long until the world realizes we're a pretty big metro - not just a string of sleepy towns along the border."