Page "McAllen, Texas" Paragraph 8

In the mid-1980s, fueled by trade and the growth of the maquiladora ( in which components are shipped to Mexico, assembled and shipped back ), things began to pick up in Hidalgo County.

McAllen sits across the border from Reynosa, a large manufacturing centre.

After the peso devalued it became easier to woo companies to put their plants in Mexico with support operations in Texas.

Workers came for jobs, winter Texans returned to enjoy the sun and Mexicans came to spend money.

Thanks to tourist dollars, McAllen has the highest retail spending per capita in the state, says its Chamber of Commerce.

The result was unprecedented growth, and Hidalgo County ’ s population soared from about 280, 000 people in 1980 to over 700, 000 in 2007.