Development League's Austin Toros.

HOLT CAT has an established presence in Hidalgo County, with its Holt Truck Center in Edinburg, which is a truck and RV center for South Texas, and with HOLT CAT in Weslaco, which sells, services and rents heavy equipment for construction, earth moving, mining, industrial and petroleum industries.

Tony Shedrock, Vice President, General Services for HOLT CAT, appeared on behalf of Peter Holt before the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation (EEDC) during the public portion of its regularly monthly meeting in August and updated the group’s board of directors about his company's plans and vision about expanding their presence in the city.

"We are getting ready to start the design process, and (that) takes about three months before we bid it out," Shedrock said after his presentation. "The construction would take about six to seven months to complete."

Once open, the new facility will provide employment for field service technicians, shop technicians, parts and sales managers and support staff.

Look to future

"We looked at what is coming in the future in the Valley, such as the development of Interstate 69, the planned Hidalgo County Loop, and we already have many customers, contractors, and rock quarries down here that use our equipment," Shedrock said.

The company also plans to service areas inside Mexico from the new facility. Interstate 69 is the planned transformation of several key South Texas highways, including U.S. Expressway 281, to link up with the national interstate system that will allow non-stop direct movement of personal and commercial vehicles between Edinburg, key Mexican cities, and major U.S. cities in northern states.

"What people need to know is that HOLT CAT is a value-based company, that we really believe in doing the right thing at the right time. We really believe in being a good corporate citizen. That means a whole lot to Peter Holt, our owner, that we are a good corporate citizen," Shedrock said. "We want to do the right thing for us and the right thing for everybody around."