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UTB-CBIRD Report: “At The Crossroads” Economic Development 87
Cameron County workers in Textiles & Apparels is 91% the average annual wage
for all private employment in the country, Table 5.1.
Figure 5. 2. Top Cluster Location Quotient Change, 1995 – 2000
Textiles & Apparels
Health Services
Transportation Equipment
Government
Logistics & Distribution
General & Personal Svcs
Retail Trade
Recreation & Leisure
Food Products
Electronics
1.75
1.54
1.54
1.44
1.45
1.46
1.37
1.21
1.21
1.05
1.21
1.22
1.12
1.05
1.08
1.45
1.08
0.89
4.24
5.25
National Average
= value of “1”
All indications are that
Cameron County’s
Textile & Apparels
industry will continue to
decline.
Source: Minnesota IMPLAN Group, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Texas Labor Market Information
Health Services recorded Cameron County’s second highest LQ in 2000 with
nearly 16,000 local workers in area medical offices and facilities, an increase of
over 4,000 employees from 1995, which was more growth than in any other
cluster. However, the region’s 10.5% growth rate was slower than the overall
national growth rate of 12.3%, Figure 5.3. Several Cameron County medical
centers are counted among the region’s largest employers, including Valley
Baptist Medical Center, Valley Regional Medical Center, and Brownsville Medical
Center. The average annual wage in Health Services in 2000 slightly exceeded
the average wage rate for the county’s private sector, Table 5.1.
The Health Services sector is expected to continue to grow nationally and
regionally in the coming years, the challenge will be for Cameron County to
leverage its strong binational healthcare industry to include more value-added
services, centers of excellence, and perhaps target certain life science sectors.
While Cameron County currently serves as the healthcare center for the
binational metropolitan area, increased strength for this cluster will depend
upon: developing competitive medical research and education centers targeted
to specific niche areas and increased numbers of paying customers. (Please
refer to the following Health Services & Life Sciences Industry Overview, page
115.)
2000
1999
One Region – One Future
Ten years ago, Burlington
was the biggest and most
prestigious textile
company on earth with
more than 140 U.S.
plants, a fleet of
corporate jets, and a
Manhattan skyscraper.
Burlington was the first
textile company to reach
one Billion in sales.
Currently the company is
in bankruptcy court and
has not made a profit
since 1998. For the
future, Burlington has
signed with 14 Asian mills
in Japan, China, Taiwan,
and South Korea. As
stated by John Englar,
Senior VP at Burlington
Industries, Inc., “Closing
US plants and focusing on
overseas production has
cost American jobs but it
is the only hope US
companies have to
survive.”
Tony Mecia
“America’s Manufacturers
Desperatly Need New Material,
and Nanotechnology’s About to
Provide It.,” Knight Ridder
Newspapers, Austin American
Statesman,
January 27, 2003, p. D1-6