Marketing coordinates the Business & Community Development communication and outreach efforts. The team manages the office’s engagement channels, produces promotional content and works to enhance the state’s visibility as the premier place for business. Marketing designs and creates content for a variety of collateral materials, such as infographics, industry reports, and sector snapshots, and makes it available to all Texas economic development stakeholders through the office's website, e-newsletters and social media channels. The team supports the Small Business Assistance Office through promotion and creative design for the Governor’s Small Business Events, and more recently, the Governor’s Small Business Webinar Series. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, Marketing has focused its efforts to ensure the timely and accurate dissemination of COVID-19 recovery resource information and related communications.

It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a colossal impact on global trade. The pandemic’s devastating effect on global supply chains has not only disrupted normal trade activity for Texas, but for the entire U.S. and countries around the world. According to the World Trade Organization, it is estimated that global trade will fall between 13% and 32% in 2020 (source). Texas leads the U.S. in trade activity as the top exporting state—now for the last 18 years—but COVID-19 related shutdowns and the closure of supply resources across North America has affected Texas’ ability to bring in much needed supply chain components. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that Texas exports have decreased 12.6% this year, compared to last year. However, as suppliers begin to reopen and manufacturers regain operations, Texas exports will start to recover.

As Texas copes with COVID-19 challenges today, we are also able to look towards the future and the next chapter of North American trade. On July 1, 2020, the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) officially went into effect. This new trade agreement will allow Texas increased access to trade with Mexico and Canada, the state’s first and second largest export partners. USMCA will also allow for greater foreign direct investment from Mexican and Canadian firms through expanded collaboration and efficiencies between the international markets. Trade officials say that USMCA is already assisting border industries recover from the pandemic, as it begins to bring in jobs and investment (source).

Another recent win for Texas is the federal approval authorizing the use of rail to ship liquefied natural gas (LNG) (source). Texas is the largest producer of LNG in the country, and energy companies are already eyeing the opportunity for this new approval to expedite LNG exports to Mexico. There’s also good news for trade-related jobs in Texas. The Lone Star State leads the nation in jobs supported by exports—nearly 1 million in 2019—and although all major industries saw job loss in April, data shows that the Trade, Transportation, and Utilities sector is on the rebound, adding record-setting job numbers in June (source).

Tesla in Travis County: Tesla announced that its new Gigafactory is set to be located in eastern Travis County. The facility will be one of the world’s largest and most advanced automotive plants and will bring an estimated $1 billion in capital investment and 5,000 new jobs to the region.

CoffeeTech in Seguin: CoffeeTech Industries announced it will invest at least $56 million to build a new state-of-the-art headquarters and manufacturing facility in Seguin. The project is expected to create at least 91 new jobs.

Mastronardi Produce in Laredo: Mastronardi Produce announced plans for a new refrigerated storage facility in Laredo, a project that is expected to create 140 new jobs and $5 million in capital investment.

Cisco Equipment in Seguin: Cisco Equipment it is expanding its presence in South Texas with the opening of a facility in Seguin. The new location includes a state-of-the-art maintenance facility, shop and floor space on 10 acres of land.

Diversified CPC in Beaumont: Diversified CPC International, a manufacturer of aerosol and refrigerant, announced plans for a new manufacturing and distribution facility in Beaumont, which is expected to create more than 30 new jobs.

Wet Sounds in Rosenberg: Marine audio systems company, Wet Sounds, announced plans to build a new warehouse, fabrication and office facility in Rosenberg. The project is expected to create up to 50 high-paying jobs.

Amazon in Pflugerville and El Paso: Amazon announced plans to open a new fulfillment center in Pflugerville, a project that is expected to bring about 1,000 full-time jobs to the area. Amazon also announced plans to open its first fulfillment center in El Paso, which is expected to create over 700 new, full-time jobs.  

Investex II in Round Rock: Investex II announced it will build a cold storage and manufacturing facility in Round Rock. The project is expected to create $14 million in capital investment and 60 new jobs.

Texas dominated the Business Facilities 2020 Annual State and Metro Rankings Report, receiving the high honor of Best Business Climate in America. Texas received #1 rankings in three other state categories, including #1 for Installed Wind Power Capacity, Exports and FDI Investment. For more information, find Governor Greg Abbott's statement here and read the full rankings report here.

The U.S. government is paying $265 million to the Texas A&M University System and its subcontractor, Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, to help mass-produce a COVID-19 vaccine from the company Novavax. The federal government has reserved a high-tech bio-manufacturing facility in the Brazos Valley for production, which will generate new high-paying jobs for the area while placing Texas on the map for helping to solve one of the world's biggest crises. Read more here. 

Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies Texas, LLC is a recipient of an $18.5 million loan through the Product Development and Small Business Incubator Program (PDSBI). Administered by the Office of the Governor, PDSBI loans finance the development and production of new or improved products in the state of Texas and/or the stimulation of new or existing small businesses in Texas.

Texas State Technical College (TSTC) received a Skills Development Fund from the Texas Workforce Commission for training businesses that are impacted by COVID-19. TSTC will provide COVID-19 related training to medical professionals through a partnership with the Practice Management Institute. All courses provided will be online. Click here for more details about medical courses. TSTC is also putting together courses that are currently in high demand, including: Contact Tracing, Return to Workplace Safety Standards and How to Maintain a Healthy and Clean Work Environment.

Texas A&M and OnMed debuted their new “telemedicine station” in Milam County, which is the first of its kind, allowing health practitioners to make a diagnosis and prescribe medications on the spot. Implementing the OnMed station is part of a series of rural health innovations implemented by Texas A&M Health Science Center through what is known as the Moonshot Research Project. This new technology has the potential to increase access to health care for residents in rural communities across Texas. Read more on this innovative health care advancement here.