|
Dear Texas Economic Development Stakeholders,
Texas dominates in job creation! June employment data shows that Texas broke all previous job records for total jobs for the 21st month in a row AND again set new records for total Texans employed and total Texas labor force. This now marks more than 2.1 million jobs added under Governor Abbott's leadership. It's clear that Texas is focused on providing both job seekers and job creators the opportunity to flourish!
In the August issue of the Texas Business Bulletin, you'll get to meet some of our new team members and learn more about the state's exceptional quality of life, which is attracting both companies and talent here. Also in this issue: a recap of the 2023 Business Development Mission to Europe, our economic snapshot, new project announcements across the state, upcoming and recent events and more.
As always, please be sure to visit our website, follow us on social media or reach out to a member of our team if we can be of any assistance!
 -Adriana Cruz, Executive Director, Texas Economic Development & Tourism
  Unemployment Rate: 4.1%
Jobs Added in June: 31,100
Job Recovery Rate: 166%
Workforce: 15 million+
Quality of Life: Drawing Businesses & Talent to Texas
 Photo Credits: Travel Texas
The Lone Star State continues to attract businesses and talent from across the nation and around the world to take advantage of a comparatively lower cost of living and world-class educational institutions, in addition to an exceptional quality of life with dynamic cultural, recreational and economic opportunities.
Texas gains about 1,000 people every day, including people moving from other states and countries in addition to newly born Texans. Plus, Texas is by far the "stickiest" state in the nation with more than 82% of those born here staying here. The Lone Star State is also younger and growing faster than the nation as a whole, leading the country in population growth for the last 17 years. Not to mention, Texas is the most popular destination for those relocating from other states, ranking as the number one growth state in America, according to U-Haul in-migration data trends.
Our state's robust higher education network includes 37 public four-year universities, seven state university systems, 74 public two-year colleges and 50 community college districts. Texas is also home to six of the nation’s top 100 universities, according to U.S. News & World Report, and 11 Tier One research universities.
Many companies have relocated to Texas in recent years, like Tesla, Oracle, Caterpillar and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), to take advantage of a number of unmatched competitive business advantages, including a strong quality of life for employees.
"This is a place not only to attract and retain talent, but for young incoming talent to build their families and give them the chance to not only meet their professional aspirations, but also their personal aspirations.” — HPE CEO, Antonio Neri
Across this vast state, residents can find exciting cultural and recreational opportunities scattered among breathtaking natural landscapes. Our state offers the best of city and country lifestyles with each place presenting a unique Texas experience. Home to hundreds of barbecue restaurants, wineries, live music venues and museums, Texas is full of memorable activities.
The Lone Star State boasts approximately 90 state parks, 191,000 miles of rivers and streams, more than 360 miles of coastline and more than 70 working guest ranches where visitors can experience the true cowboy lifestyle. Not to mention, many renowned sporting events, with top college and professional teams including the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, Austin FC, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo FC and others.
For more on the exceptional quality of life in Texas, EDT's Travel Texas offers an extensive listing of the diverse experiences found across the great state of Texas.
2023 Business Development Mission to Europe
The 2023 Business Development Mission to Europe, which took place July 8-15, was led by First Lady Cecilia Abbott, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson, EDT Executive Director Adriana Cruz, and Texas Economic Development Corporation (TxEDC) Board Vice Chair Arun Agarwal, and joined by a delegation of Texas communities. During the trip, the group met with leaders in business and government in Germany, the U.K. and France to promote the benefits of doing business in Texas.
The first stop in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, included a meeting with Mercedes-Benz Group and a lunch with regional business leaders held at the Porsche Museum, followed by a meeting with Baden-Württemberg Minister of Economic Affairs, Labor, and Tourism Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut to discuss the strengths of both the German and Texas economies. Read more here.
During the next stop in the United Kingdom, the First Lady, Secretary Nelson, Executive Director Cruz, Vice Chairman Agarwal and members of the Texas delegation met with executives from Drax, the U.K.'s largest renewable power company, as well as Octopus Energy. The group also met with the Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade Nigel Huddleston MP to discuss the strong economic partnership between Texas and the U.K.
TxEDC hosted a reception in conjunction with the U.S. Embassy in London and the Institute of Directors (IoD) for about 100 leading companies in the U.K. Read more here.
The following day, the First Lady and Secretary Nelson attended the Prime Minister's Questions at the U.K. House of Parliament and following, a lunch hosted by the British American Parliamentary Group, joined by Vice Chairman Agarwal.
Later, First Lady Abbott, Secretary Nelson, Executive Director Cruz and Vice Chairman Agarwal met with BP executives in London to discuss developing the next generation of renewable energy. Read more here.
The Business Development Mission wrapped up with a final stop in France. The Texas delegation visited the site of the former Texas Embassy at 1 Place Vendôme, then attended a business lunch hosted by Mouvement des Entreprises de France (MEDEF) International, the U.S. Commercial Service in France, the U.S. Embassy of France, Consul General of France in Houston Valérie Baraban and TxEDC.
Following the lunch, the group toured Schneider Electric’s Paris headquarters and met with executives to discuss the future of data centers, energy and industrial automation, as well as the latest expansion at the company’s manufacturing facility in El Paso, Texas.
In the evening, the First Lady, Secretary Nelson, Executive Director Cruz and Vice Chairman Agarwal attended a cocktail reception hosted by MEDEF International, the Cercle France-Ameriques, Consul General Valérie Baraban and TxEDC, where Deputy Minister of Digital Affairs Jean Noel Barrot provided remarks. Read more here.
 On the final day in France, Governor Greg Abbott joined the Texas delegation in Paris and signed an economic development Statement of Intent with the French Minister for Foreign Trade, Economic Attractiveness and Foreign Nationals Abroad Olivier Becht to promote business investments, job creation and innovation in both France and Texas.
The Governor also attended France’s Bastille Day Military Parade with the First Lady, Consul General of France in Houston Valérie Baraban and Honorary Consul General of France in Dallas the Honorable Jeanne Phillips.
Finally, the Governor met with French President Emmanuel Macron during Bastille Day festivities, and in the evening, Governor Abbott and First Lady Abbott attended a state dinner with President Macron and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi at the Louvre Museum. Read more here.
|
The trip was sponsored and paid for by the Texas Economic Development Corporation, an independently funded and operated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization responsible for marketing and promoting Texas as a premier business location. Along with Texas Economic Development & Tourism, these two organizations make up the cornerstone of Governor Abbott’s economic development agenda to build the Texas of tomorrow.
   
A rendering of CoreWeave's new $1.6 billion data center facility in Plano, Texas.
Texas' success in attracting the most corporate expansion and relocation projects in the U.S. is thanks to a unique combination of competitive business advantages that no other state can claim. For more on these business advantages, visit our Why Texas webpages. Here are some recently announced projects in regions across the state:
-
PLANT-AS in Lubbock and Amarillo: Agriculture data and technology company PLANT-AS will invest more than $670 million in Lubbock and $510 million in Amarillo for the development of advanced Controlled Environment Agriculture production facilities.
-
CoreWeave in Plano: CoreWeave announced a new $1.6 billion data center facility in Plano, the company's first facility in Texas, which will support economic activity and job growth in the area.
-
Grupo Corporativo Papelera in New Caney: Mexico-based manufacturer Grupo Corporativo Papelera announced a new $400 million manufacturing and conversion facility in New Caney.
-
Superior Essex Communications in Brownwood: Superior Essex Communications, a manufacturer and supplier of communications cable, announced an expansion at its Brownwood plant, expected to create $73 million in capital investment and 170 new jobs.
-
Niagara Bottling in Temple: Niagara Bottling, LLC will invest $48 million to expand its existing facility in Temple, creating 14 new jobs.
-
Huhtamaki in Paris: Huhtamaki announced the expansion of its manufacturing capacity in Paris, expected to create $30 million in capital investment.
-
NextDecade Corp in Texas: The Port of Brownsville will be the site of the new $18 billion Rio Grande LNG terminal from NextDecade Corp.
Upcoming Governor's Small Business Summits
Governor's Small Business Summit — Marshall
August 24, 2023 Ι 8 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Ι Marshall Convention Center
The Governor's Small Business Summit — Marshall aims to help Texas small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs reach new heights by connecting them with the resources and information needed to start, strengthen and grow a business. This event offers a variety of sessions bringing together local, state and federal resource partners to provide key insights on critical business topics. It's also an opportunity to network with other business owners and meet experts who will share timely, relevant and actionable advice on a multitude of small business subjects.
Panel Topics:
• Access to Finance & Funding
• HUB Certifications: What to Know
• Small Business and Entrepreneurship 101
• Workforce Development
 Other Upcoming Events
Be sure to check in at gov.texas.gov/events as we continue to announce additional event details, speakers, panelists and webinars for 2023!
Steffen Riener joined the Business & Community Development team as a Research Specialist. Steffen was born and raised in Washington state, having lived mostly in small towns on the Olympic Peninsula. In 2021, he graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle with a bachelor's degree in Geography. He performed spatial analysis, data validation and quality control for the Apple Maps team prior to joining the Office of the Governor as a contract employee. Steffen grew up playing the trumpet, pursued marching bands throughout middle school, high school and college, and toured various parts of the U.S. and Canada for shows. In the absence of band, he now tries his hand in many different instruments such as the ukulele, guitar and piano. You may reach Steffen through our online staff directory.
|
RJ Hakes joined the Texas Travel Industry Recovery Program (TTIR) team, within EDT's Economic Development Finance team, as Associate Administrator in June. RJ served for more than 20 years in the U.S. Navy, primarily in special operations. He is an alumnus of Yale University where he graduated summa cum laude with distinction in two majors and was awarded the prestigious Charles Seymour Prize for attaining the highest standing in the humanities of all graduates in his college. RJ is passionate about serving his community and volunteers in his off time as an undergraduate admissions advisor to military veterans and servicemembers for Service2School. He is most proud to be a father to two beautiful daughters. He lives in Georgetown and loves to skydive, scuba dive, hike and complain about morning traffic. You may reach RJ through our online staff directory.
|
 “It ain’t bragging if it's true!” Here are some of the recent accolades Texas has received:
- Texas dominated Business Facilities State & Metro Rankings, again taking the #1 ranking in semiconductors and installed wind power capacity (MW), along with high marks in installed solar capacity (MW), foreign direct investment (projects and capital investment), aerospace defense, EV charging infrastructure, customized workforce training and more.
-
Our state is home to four of the top 10 counties on Site Selection's “America's Best Counties” ranking, including Dallas County at #1 and Harris County at #2.
- Round Rock was named the best place to live in the U.S. on The Today Show.
- PODS 2023 Long Distance Moving Report listed three Texas metros among the top 20 in the nation for highest number of move-ins: Houston (#5), DFW (#6) and San Antonio (#14).
Governor's Small Business Summit — Arlington
 The Governor's Small Business Summit — Arlington took place July 13 at Globe Life Field. This sold-out event featured informative panel sessions on a variety of critical business topics and a keynote address from Rob Matwick, Executive Vice President, Business Operations, Texas Rangers. Find more photos from the event here and watch the full panel and keynote sessions on YouTube. To find other upcoming events, visit gov.texas.gov/events.
Meeting with U.S. Senator Cornyn
 EDT Executive Director Adriana Cruz met with U.S. Senator John Cornyn in July to discuss the implementation of the Texas CHIPS Act. The Texas CHIPS Act will help our state to leverage investments in the semiconductor industry, encourage semiconductor-related companies to expand in the state, further develop the expertise and capacity at Texas higher education institutions and maintain the state’s position as the nation’s leader in semiconductor manufacturing.
Governor's Small Business Summit — Stephenville
 The Governor's Small Business Summit — Stephenville took place on July 27. Attendees heard from subject-matter experts, networked with other small business owners and had access to a multitude of local, state and federal resource providers to ask questions and gain contacts. The Governor's Small Business Awards were presented to three local small businesses. Find more photos from the event here and visit gov.texas.gov/events to find other upcoming events.
Meetings with Fort Worth Community Partners
 EDT Executive Director Adriana Cruz visited Fort Worth at the end of July where she spoke at a luncheon hosted by the Rotary Club of Fort Worth and participated in a fireside chat hosted by the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Visit Fort Worth. Adriana spoke about the activities and initiatives of the EDT office, highlighting economic development, tourism, film, music and small business. Thanks to all of our community partners in Fort Worth for your continued partnership!
 Interested in working with the best state economic development team in the country and helping grow the Lone Star State's economy? Come join our team! There are multiple positions for experienced professionals in Business & Community Development (BCD), Economic Development Finance (EDF), the Texas Music Office (TMO), the Texas Workforce Investment Council (TWIC) and other divisions. Here's a select sampling of open positions:
For more information on available positions, visit gov.texas.gov/employment.
|
