In 1996, a collaboration of hope and enterprise took root in the form of the Asociación de Empresarios Mexicanos (AEM), initiated by a cadre of Mexican entrepreneurs aiming to fortify the business bonds between their home country and the U.S. Decades later, this alliance, known stateside as the US – MX Business Association, has expanded its reach, grounding itself in the rich soils of San Antonio and sprouting branches across the nation. At the helm of the original chapter's resurgence is a fresh face, Victor Reyna, whose presidency promises not just continuity but an invigoration of the group's mission. Reyna, also the vice president of business banking at Amegy Bank, embodies the cross-cultural merge that the organization nurtures as it stands on the verge of moving its Central Texas headquarters to downtown San Antonio, reports San Antonio Report.
It's in the data where the impact of these economic endeavors really becomes evident, with last year's Census Bureau release stating that Mexico has surpassed China as the heavyweight U.S. trading partner, to the tune of $798 billion. Reyna and his compatriots at AEM are pulling the strings to see this number climb even higher. Amidst the urban sprawl and the rich cultural tapestry of San Antonio, the organization's latest chapter is set to occupy some 40,000 square feet at 300 Convent St.—a testament, Reyna claims, to Amegy Bank's steadfast commitment to the community. "Our move to downtown shows the commitment we have as a bank with our local community," Reyna told, according to his chat with Robert Rivard on the bigcitysmalltown podcast.
The confluence of cultures and commerce between San Antonio and Northern Mexico isn't a rare sight. Reyna, born in Monterrey, Nuevo León, exemplifies this deep-seated connection. After moving back and forth during his youth, he eventually anchored himself back in San Antonio, attending the University of the Incarnate Word—his foundation stone in a career that straddles borders and industries. Reyna's journey, which at one point stretched across the Atlantic to England, circles back to the Texan city that now serves as a nexus for talent, particularly in fields like banking and technology.
AEM isn't simply adorning its own chapters with laurels; it's actively enriching the local and interlinked economies—connecting dots between disparate yet symbiotic entities. "There is a lot going on, and the resources are phenomenal," Reyna extolled, reminiscing on a recent AEM trip to Monterrey and anticipating an upcoming business delegation to Guadalajara. Perhaps, emblematic of the binational blend is San Antonio's automotive domain, where Japanese and American manufacturers like Toyota and Tesla are intertwined with Monterrey's industrious landscape—bringing Rivard to query Reyna on the emergent 'corridor of advanced manufacturing' spanning this region. Reyna pontificated on this economic synergy, forecasting a future rich with cultural, and technological entwinement between San Antonio and Mexico in interviews cited by San Antonio Report.
With every railway steel and each corporate move, the complex, staunch tapestry of San Antonio's growth continues to weave itself into Mexico's economic strata. Reyna stands as a sentinel at this crossroads of shared futures, his narrative one of countless that seamlessly stitch the fabric of a community stretched across borders, yet united in ambition and prosperity.
