Success Breeds Success Across All Sectors of the East Texas Economy
Published Dec 15, 2008
East Texas is enjoying the results of years of growing local economies, not only in the hot energy market, but also in such evergreen industries as manufacturing, transportation and tourism.
Low tax rates, a strong workforce, quality schools from kindergarten through college and a year-round temperate climate also fuel that diversification.
“It certainly does help that the oil industry is really hot right now,” says David Cleveland, executive director of the East Texas Council of Governments. “That’s a key component of the economy here, but it goes well beyond that factor. East Texas offers a highly skilled workforce, great locations and natural amenities. We are the best-kept secret in Texas.”
East Texas is home of a number of success stories, from precision manufacturer Merritt Tool Co. in Kilgore to food products company Homemade Gourmet in Canton to Powell Plant Farms, a provider of plant products to national retailers that generates some $50 million in annual revenue.
The Palestine Economic Development Corp. is overseeing plenty of retail growth as well as ongoing expansion in other industry sectors, says Brian Malone, executive director.
One new hotel has just been finished and two more are under way, part of a surge in commercial property development. Warehousing-distribution and health-care related projects are also on the uptick.
Malone credits the area’s active energy business as an underlying factor in the growth, but adds that the new activity is designed to stand on its own.
Clyde Smith, director of the City of Emory Development Corp., says the city also is seeing a surge in activity, from a multiyear restoration of its historic courthouse to the opening of new stores and restaurants. Locally operated Hooten’s Hardware has expanded into a 55,000-square-foot manufacturing facility for its wholesale and retail operations.
A multimillion-dollar bond initiative will fund new schools and upgrades to existing facilities. And with an eye toward markets ranging from product distribution to medical research and development, Emory also is plugging its location halfway between Interstates 20 and 30.
“We’re well situated for a lot of different industries,” Smith says. “We’ve got a business park that’s about half full, with more buildings planned, and a new industrial park that we’re developing on 31 acres on the city’s south side.”
That kind of business-friendly approach, tied into an awareness of quality-of-life issues, is what makes East Texas a draw for both business and residents, says the Council of Governments’ Cleveland.
“We have a trend of constant and consistent growth in this region, and that’s going to continue as our industries become even more diverse,” he says. “Even when oil has slowed down in recent years, the area has continued to thrive.”
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