Mercedes Enterprise transfers ownership

MERCEDES – The Mercedes Enterprise made a major move to continue providing news coverage in Mercedes and throughout the Rio Grande Valley with a transfer of ownership from Mid-Valley Publishers to Valleywood Publications, a company owned by Mercedes Enterprise Editor Raul Garcia Jr.

“It was a great honor running my hometown paper,” C.A. Hinojosa, former Mercedes Enterprise owner said. “But it’s time for me to step back and let Raul take over. The changes I made to pivot the format made a significant difference. This difference kept The Enterprise moving forward as the oldest newspaper in Hidalgo County. I’m excited to see what’s next.”

The transfer was effective Jan. 1. As part of the transition, Garcia, 47, plans to relocate the Mercedes Enterprise office to Valleywood Publications’ News and Advertising office, located at 143 North Texas Avenue in downtown Mercedes.

“I am proud to continue the more than 100-year-old newspaper tradition of providing the news through the Mercedes Enterprise,” Garcia said. “This is a great opportunity, and I am grateful to be able to continue as editor of the Mercedes Enterprise and lead the newspaper into its next era of community news and journalism at a time when many newspapers have closed.”

Garcia said he plans to introduce new strategies to help the newspaper remain competitive in today’s fast-paced media environment. “I have bold new ideas to compete with the 24-hour news cycle at the community level, and ways I want to incorporate local advertising to help boost local business brands while promoting community news across both print and digital platforms,” he said.

Garcia has worked with the Mercedes Enterprise and various newspapers throughout the Valley since 2007. Those newspapers include The Monitor, The Valley Morning Star, and The La Feria News. Throughout his career, Garcia has helped newsrooms continue their award-winning traditions, earning multiple honors for journalism excellence and team newsroom efforts while advancing digital news presentation.

This article was originally published in the Dec. 31 edition of the Mercedes Enterprise.