The future is wow in the Harlingen business community, with success stories happening all the time. Some current successes:

Downtown/Jackson Street

Jackson Street is considered the heart of Harlingen, dotted with antique malls, galleries, specialty stores and cafes. There are service industries, offices, a bit of residential and some historic buildings. A green space, Centennial Park, opened in 2009 at the railroad tracks. Even with the national economic downturn, 200 businesses and organizations are still operating in the Jackson Street District.

Gulf Aviation

This Harlingen company has been providing the Rio Grande Valley with air charter service throughout South Texas since 1981. Customers can charter a variety of planes from the Gulf Aviation lineup; individuals can also store their own aircraft in hangars on the Gulf Aviation grounds.

Valley International Airport

This is the region's busiest airport, welcoming nearly a million passengers annually. Valley International Airport has been serving Harlingen and South Padre Island since 1991, and today accommodates Continental, Southwest and Sun Country airlines.

Port of Harlingen

The Port of Harlingen oversees ship traffic to and from points as close as Corpus Christi and as far away as the Great Lakes. Much port business involves loading incoming products from ships to rail cars and trucks, which then transport them to locations throughout the United States and Mexico.

Free Trade International Bridge

Harlingen is minutes away from the four-lane international bridge that first opened in 1992. It crosses the Rio Grande River and connects the U.S.-Mexico border cities of Los Indios, Texas, and Matamoros, Tamaulipas. The Free Trade International Bridge will also be a key link for the future Interstate 69 corridor from Canada to Latin America.

Telecommunications

Harlingen is a hotbed for communications technology companies, among them Advanced Call Center Technologies, EchoStar Communications/Dish Network, Pocket Communications, West Corporation, Time Warner Cable and West Corporation.

Harlingen Shrimp Farms

The first crop of shrimp at Harlingen Shrimp Farms was produced in 1982, and today HSF is the oldest continuously operating shrimp farm in the nation. Harvested shrimp go directly to the processing facility to ensure that customers get the freshest and best-tasting shrimp possible.