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Dear Texas Economic Development Stakeholders,
It's official...Texas is the #1 jobs creator in the U.S. for 2023! Maintaining our status as America's jobs engine, Texas added a total of 369,600 jobs last year, more than any other state in the U.S. Our state's economic might and unmatched competitive advantages continue to attract large job-creating investment projects and we continue to see employers choosing to grow in Texas, keeping us the leader in job creation.
In the February issue of the Texas Business Bulletin, you'll find a recap of the 2024 Namaste India! Texas-India Business Development Mission, "hot off the press" publications, recent meetings, as well as project announcements across the state.
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%
Workforce: 15.2 million+
U.S. Rank in Annual Job Growth: #1
Hot off the Press
Headquarters Relocations to Texas
Texas is a top state for corporate headquarters relocations. Download our new relocations map, listing and snapshot for more information on the long and growing list of companies relocating to the state.
Download the map and listing ›
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 Our office develops in-depth reports, publications, infographics and maps highlighting the Lone Star State's best assets for business and targeted growth sectors. Check out more Reports & Publications on our website.
Namaste India!
In January, Governor Greg Abbott led the Texas-India Business Development Mission, organized in partnership with the Texas Economic Development & Tourism Office (EDT) and the Texas Economic Development Corporation (TxEDC).
The Governor was joined by First Lady Cecilia Abbott, Secretary of State Jane Nelson, EDT Executive Director Adriana Cruz, the Texas-India Business Development Mission Chair, TxEDC Vice Chair and President of Nextt Arun Agarwal, and TxEDC President & CEO Aaron Demerson. The Texas delegation also included business and economic development leaders from across the state, representing more than 16 companies, communities and economic development organizations.
During the trip, the group met with leaders in business, government and industry in Mumbai and New Delhi to expand upon the strong cultural and economic ties between India and Texas. Below is a look at some of the highlights from the trip, and you can find the full mission recap online.
Business Meeting Highlights
The delegation met with executives at industry-leading companies in both Mumbai and New Delhi, including Infosys, Reliance Industries (pictured left), Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, Larsen and Toubro Limited (L&T), Adani Group and HCLTech, to discuss continued partnerships and growth in Texas. While in Mumbai, the Texas delegation toured the A.M. Naik School, located at the L&T campus, which prepares pre-school through middle-school children for the future demands of our changing world.
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Government Meeting Highlights
In New Delhi, the Governor met with the Minister of Commerce and Industry of India Piyush Goyal to build upon the already strong economic relationship between Texas and India (pictured right). The discussion included plans to encourage investment in information and communication technology and promote engineering and research at institutes of higher learning.
Governor Abbott also met with the External Affairs Minister of India Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to discuss ways Texas and India can continue to strengthen our partnerships.
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Industry Highlights
In Mumbai, Governor Abbott participated in a Texas-India business industry roundtable and reception hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) (pictured left). At the roundtable, featuring CII members, women business leaders and other business organizations from Mumbai, the Governor outlined Texas’ world-class, business-friendly climate.
The Governor also met with the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) and executives of Indian tech companies to discuss growing and expanding India’s robust technology industry in Texas.
The Governor participated in a Texas-India economic partnership roundtable discussion in New Delhi hosted by the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF). During the roundtable, the Governor discussed ways Texas can continue to strengthen its economic ties by expanding the strategic partnership between Texas and India.
In New Delhi, the Texas delegation attended a reception with young business leaders from a diverse set of industries in India, including energy, technology and finance.
Naveen Jindal, a distinguished alumni of The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) and the namesake of the university's Naveen Jindal School of Management, invited the Texas delegation to his home for a reception and dinner with representatives of UTD.
Governor Abbott also gave a keynote address at the 7th India-U.S. Forum hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs and Ananta Centre in New Delhi.
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Cultural Highlights
While in Mumbai, the Texas delegation participated in a dinner with Bollywood film industry leaders, featuring performances with Bollywood dancers.
The Governor participated in a jersey exchange with the Mumbai Cricket Association (pictured right). During the exchange, the Governor touted the new professional cricket teams as a boon to Texas’ growing economy, noting the teams will bring in new economic investment and tourism to Texas.
Governor Abbott and the Texas delegation also attended a reception hosted by the U.S. Commercial Service in India.
The trip was sponsored and paid for by the Texas Economic Development Corporation.
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Did you know? India is ninth among all nations for the number of foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in Texas. According to Indian industry estimates, Texas is the most popular destination for Indian FDI capital investment and jobs created in the U.S. In the last decade, companies from India have invested $1.4 billion in capital investment, creating more than 10,300 jobs. In 2022, Texas’ total trade with India totaled $20.4 billion, making India the state’s 11th-largest total trade partner.
Travel Texas recently launched the new Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community Program! The Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community designation is open to local governments or non-profit organizations that serve as the lead entity for tourism promotion and development efforts.
Texas is one of the top travel destinations for visitors from across the nation and around the world and the tourism industry continues to be a major driver of the Texas economy. In fact, travelers to our state generated more than $187.5 billion in economic impact and supported 1.2 million jobs across the state in 2022.
The new Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community Program will allow Texas’ travel destinations to further grow, attract new visitors and generate new economic growth for our state. Interested Texas communities may submit a letter of intent to begin the certification process. The last day to submit a letter of intent is February 9. Learn more at the link below.
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MGC Pure Chemicals' plant in Killeen is expected to undergo a $100 million expansion. (Photo Credit: Herald File Photos)
 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:
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MPCA in Killeen: MGC Pure Chemicals America, Inc. announced a $100 million expansion to their chemical plant in Killeen, which produces super-pure hydrogen peroxide for the semiconductor industry.
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XAG Group in Katy: Development firm XAG Group announced plans for a new $12 million headquarters office in Katy.
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Tesla in Hutto: Tesla broke ground on a new $1.5 million investment in Hutto, expanding is tech footprint in the Central Texas area.
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MSS International in Austin: MSS International, a supplier of gas sensor and piping to Samsung, selected Round Rock for the location of its new U.S. headquarters.
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LG Electronics in Fort Worth: LG Electronics, a division of South Korean conglomerate LG Corp., opened a 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Fort Worth for the assembly of EV charging stations.
   “It ain’t bragging if it's true!” Here are some of the recent accolades Texas has received:
- Dallas-Fort Worth was named the #2 U.S. Metro for Growth of Women Business Owners, according to the 2024 Wells Fargo Impact of Women-Owned Business Report.
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Business Facilities’ 2023 Impact Awards featured two Texas projects: Siemens in Fort Worth (advanced manufacturing) and Plant Agricultural Systems (Plant-AS) in Lubbock & Amarillo (agri-tech).
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington was voted #1 on the list of Best U.S. Cities for HQ Projects by Site Selection Magazine, with Austin tied at #4 (as voted by site consultants).
- Texas was voted Best Manufacturing Workforce State by site consultants, according to a survey done by Site Selection Magazine.
- Seven Texas cities were named among the top 100 Hotspots of Economic Growth by Area Development Magazine: Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, Brownsville-Harlingen, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, College Station-Bryan, El Paso, San Angelo and Midland.
Download the latest Top Texas Touts to your phone for talking points you can take on-the-go—everything from economic expansion, job creation, workforce, industry, infrastructure, education and more.
Meeting with British Minister of State for Trade Policy Sir Conor Burns MP
 In January, Governor Greg Abbott and EDT's Executive Director Adriana Cruz met with British Minister of State for Trade Policy Sir Conor Burns MP and British Consul General in Houston Richard Hyde. The group discussed ways to strengthen the already robust economic ties and rich history between Texas and the U.K.
 After the meeting at the Governor's Mansion, EDT met with Sir Conor Burns MP, the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to the U.S., along with Consul General Hyde to further discussions on our work to strengthen the Lone Star State’s economic relationship with the U.K. Our team looks forward to working closely with our partners from the U.K.!
Did you know? The U.K. is the #1 source country for FDI projects into Texas. In the last decade, companies from the U.K. invested $5.6 billion in capital investment, creating more than 15,100 new jobs in Texas.
 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 Film Commission (TFC) and other divisions. Here's a select sampling of open positions:
For more information on available positions, visit gov.texas.gov/employment.
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