The day I moved into Weslaco, I discovered a treasure in downtown Weslaco, a hometown hardware store. I thought it was odd that there wasn’t a front door, but I still shopped there.
A staple in downtown since 1919, the hardware store has reopened their front doors on Missouri. Folks, let me tell you, if you haven’t been to Borderland Hardware lately, then you really haven’t been.
I didn’t mind entering from the alley side, I didn’t know any different since the front doors were closed sometime before I came to this community.

But WOW! It really makes a difference. It is bright and cheery making it a great shopping experience. You will see some of the same friendly faces, but new people are on the scene now too. Well, not really new faces, David Whitley, whose family was the original owner since 1919, is back on the scene consulting Ted Ellis the new owner through the transition period. Opening the front doors was first on their agenda as so many customers assumed the store closed for good and took their business elsewhere. David and Ted both have the same philosophy on how to run the store; both agreed that the store needed to go back to the Borderland name and be the hometown service oriented hardware store it was from the beginning.

It was so exciting to use the front doors for the first time. When I walked in the front doors the first thing I was greeted with was an incredible housewares section complete with all the up to date kitchen countertop appliances, including my favorite, the Keurig Coffee Maker with a great selection of coffee. Hooray – I have a convenient place to buy my coffee! This is definitely going to be my go to place for gift buying. Ted is expanding housewares to include everything from dishes and utensils to cooking and barbecue gadgets.

I think you will agree when you go visit, the NEW Borderland Hardware Store is back. Maybe I am not qualified to say that since I wasn’t around before, but I really love what I see. I can see why people who knew and loved the store back in the day are now thrilled. The store is already seeing an increase in traffic with the doors open.

With the guidance of one of the best retailers Ace Hardware has seen in many years, Ted is confident that Borderland Hardware will be your hardware store. The Whitley family owned the store since its inception on the corner of Texas Blvd and 3rd Street in what is now Texas Rural Legal Aid. They are very excited to see the front doors open and the store get back to its roots. George Sandoval who has been with Ace since 1980 is back as store manager. He has been part of the transition process and is ecstatic to see the change.

I do little do-it-yourself projects and the staff has always helped me every step of the way. If they don’t have a certain product they will send you to the right store to find it. I appreciate that kind of service. So if you haven’t been to Borderland Hardware on Missouri, then you need to stop in and say hi to David, Ted and George and grab a bag of popcorn while you’re at it! I’ll see you there.

Downtown Weslaco is the heart of the community – what better place to locate our farmers’ market. I love to support and enjoy local foods. Now I can do that right here. Our new Farmers’ Market is going to provide open-air space where we will be able to meet and visit with friends and neighbors, bringing us together through fresh healthy food. It will provide an opportunity for the community to support Rio Grande Valley growers and producers. The Market will offer a unique variety of farmers, growers, bakeries, prepared food and beverages, packaged foods and local artisans.

I have vivid memories of biting into tomatoes freshly picked from the garden. They always burst with flavors. It is something I cannot replicate with the tomatoes I buy at the grocery store. You can imagine what the flavors of the produce will be like from the local growers! The beauty of it is that the fresh produce you buy in a Farmers Market reaches you within a day of being picked because Farmers’ Market food doesn’t have far to travel to get from the farm to the market and to your table. After all, nutritional value of produce declines as time passes between farm and fork. Buying from local producers allows you to know where your food comes from and how it was raised. So, take the opportunity to learn how your food was grown, talk to the producers, and ask them what chemicals, pesticides, hormones, or genetically modified seed were used in the production of your food.

It isn’t always possible but when we spend our money locally it keeps dollars circulating in our community. I know that when I shop at the Farmers’ Market I am putting dollars directly in the farmers’ hands, rather than paying for shipping and packaging. I want my dollars to support the family farm.

By supporting this effort we are adding another dimension to our community and to our downtown area. Communities that flourish are multi-dimensional. We want the business investors who are looking at expanding or building a new business here in Weslaco to know that their community offers a breadth of things to do locally; culturally, musically, artistically and now something edible.

So, stay tuned, because you need to go to the first of a weekly Farmers’ Market. We plan to be located under the covered awnings in the back of the old Elsa State Bank building in downtown, offering the farmers great shade so they can share their colorful produce with you! So gather your tote bags and be ready to choose the freshest food in town! This is definitely the Weslaco Advantage.

The Economic Development Corporation of Weslaco promotes and encourages the development, attraction, retention and expansion of businesses, industries, commerce, and employment within the community.

Vicki Leal is a fifth generation merchant. She spent summers and after school helping out at her family’s stores. . Her grandfather ran a successful grocery store in La Villa and later opened the first convenience store in Weslaco, The Giddy Up on Airport Road He also owned a convenience store in Harlingen which was the last stop for travelers to pick up necessary items on the way to the Island. As Vicki grew up, she spent every weekend in one of these stores.

Vicki is married and has children of her own; she is a senior at UTPA studying education. However Vicki never forgot her roots and she felt a yearning to return to retail. Her children were in a daycare center that was located in the old house where she located her shop. When the daycare informed the parents they would be closing its doors, Vicki saw it as a sign. With the beautiful building becoming available, it was time to make her move back into retail. She put college on hiatus and set the wheels in motion to open The Bungalow and Company. Her dream was to model the shop after some of her favorite shops in Austin and the Hill Country. “I have family in San Marcos and visit the area four to five times a year. We spent weekends perusing my favorite shops in historic downtowns of nearby communities,” she said. “It was a dream to create the same experience in Weslaco.”

When you walk into Bungalow and Company, you are greeted by large glass jars of potpourri, unique jewelry, and a wide array of sock monkeys. The colorful walls make you feel welcome and invite you to browse the next room. Vicki has an amazing eye for display, using items from her past including her old tricycle, an awesome pink commode and rustic tables. The Bungalow and Company features many Texas made products and Vicki is planning to make that her niche, hoping to expand to a large variety of Texas wines. The shop also carries home accessories, distinctive women’s clothing, purses and belts.

Drive south down Texas Blvd and as you near 8th Street you can’t miss the shop on your right. Vicki’s eye for display extends to the front yard where she proudly displays her now vintage bike, bird houses, plants and flags. Vicki refurbished an old marquee with her artistic flare by painting it in turquoise with black zebra stripes. It looks incredible and fits with the motif of The Bungalow and Company.

Weslaco has unbelievable shops where you can buy the perfect gift. The Bungalow and Company is a great addition to these shops, the heart and soul of our community. In downtown you will find unique shopping experiences; that is the Weslaco Advantage.

Cinemark 10 gave us all the choices we needed for a matinee, a chick flick for me and my daughter and sci-fi western for my husband. When the movie was over we met back in the lobby to discuss our lunch choices. There are so many! “Okay, do we want sushi, Mexican seafood or cafeteria food?” I ask my troop. Luckily my family loves all of the varieties available. Kato Sushi is a family favorite as is Luby’s, but this time we chose the newest restaurant, Casa del Mar. It’s always fun to try something new and they certainly did not disappoint. They start you off with their delicious fish soup, onion rings, refried beans with white cheese on top and a basket of chips along with three types of salsa. That’s right, not just your run-of-the mill chips and salsa to get your lunch started. My husband had the tampiqueña plate, my daughter had the chicken corona and I had the butter grilled fish and we all shared our food with each other. We were stuffed.

We decided to walk off our lunch so we headed across the parking lot to Boots and Jeans. They have a great selection of accessories and I needed a belt, not to mention I love browsing through the clearance racks. There are always great bargains and the staff is always eager to help. Boots and Jeans carry one of my favorite brands of jewelry, purses, and sunglasses – Brighton. By now my sweet tooth was setting in and my daughter and husband were getting restless, so it was time to make our way back across the parking lot to Tropical Yogurt. I don’t mind saying, the walk and the shopping was great time spent after the fabulous lunch we had.

My favorite part of the day was still to come and what a delight it was. If you haven’t been to Tropical Yogurt you are in for a real treat. The minute you walk in the door you are greeted by big smiles and brightly colored walls, it just makes you happy. It was our first time there so we needed a little education on what happens first, and that was part of the fun. On the back wall are several frozen yogurt machines with different flavors – do we want chocolate, mango, strawberry, vanilla or one of the other great flavors? Take a brightly colored lime green cup off the dispenser and pour, but don’t let your eyes be your stomach as I did – it was fun, though. Once you have your yogurt, head to the toppings where there are just too many choices to list from fruit and nuts to candies, chocolates and sauces. All the fruit is fresh and cut into small bite-size pieces. I topped my vanilla with fresh cubed mango and sliced strawberries, adding a sprinkling of crushed peanuts with a drizzle of honey to top off my treat. It was unbelievably delicious! Tropical Yogurt was a perfect way to top off our day in Weslaco.

Our businesses give you many options to entertain you for an afternoon, evening, a weekend or any day of the week. That is the Weslaco Advantage.

TDIndustries is the leading mechanical construction, facilities operations and services provider in the South, with annual revenues of approximately $300 million.
This employee-owned company, wanting a central location for their first Rio Grande Valley project, an H-E-B store in XXX, has chosen Weslaco as their Valley home.

The company embraces the philosophy of Servant Leadership, enhancing its culture, business practices, customer satisfaction and results. They give back to the communities which they serve. One of the company’s defining qualities is its diverse workforce, including women and minorities who have opportunities to excel and grow as leaders at this 65-year old specialty contracting firm.

The Dallas-based company has offices in Austin, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Phoenix, and now its sixth location is Weslaco. TDIndustries will serve the Rio Grande Valley from their Weslaco location. TDIndustries has entered into an agreement with the EDC and has leased space in the Mid-Valley Industrial Park for a minimum of five years.

Hernan Gonzalez, Weslaco EDC Executive Director, successfully navigated the agreement with Tom Briner, Vice President of South Texas for TDIndustries. “Obviously it is great for Weslaco to have been chosen by a company of this caliber as it expands into the Rio Grande Valley,” Gonzalez stated. “We are delighted to welcome them.” They are exactly the type of company the EDC is targeting; those that are expanding, relocating or building new, Weslaco makes sense.

TDIndustries meets the profile of a business that chooses the Weslaco logistic advantages to serve the Rio Grande Valley market and will spring board to businesses from northern Mexico. Weslaco is centered for business and the EDC is focusing on regional business and industry that are looking to do business in the Valley. Site location managers see that it makes financial and logistical sense to be in the center of the Rio Grande Valley Market they wish to target.