NACOGDOCHES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Promoting Growth & Prosperity Throughout Nacogdoches County
Annual Report to Membership
October 1, 2011
pdf of Annual Report
Priority Goals for the Coming Year (FY 2011-12)
1. Business Attraction — attract at least one new company (with at least 20 jobs) at wages higher than the prevailing salary rate
2. Business Creation — launch at least three new businesses start-ups through our Entrepreneur Incubator Program
3. Business Expansion — one or more existing local business expansion(s) adding a total of at least 50 new jobs
4. Business Retention — on-site visits to at least 150 local companies
5. Technical Training Center — facility in Nacogdoches open for operations by Spring 2013
6. SFASU Collaboration — partner with SFASU academic leadership to help expand internship and entrepreneurial opportunities
Even with the headwinds of a soft national economy, Nacogdoches County has enjoyed robust economic growth over the past several years, adding more than 1,000 new jobs since June 2008. In just the past year, three oil and gas exploration and service companies have located major regional operations in our County, collectively adding more than 400 jobs. Additionally, two existing manufacturing businesses have chosen to expand their local production capacity, together adding more than 60 jobs. Not only did these enterprises choose Nacogdoches County over other options in neighboring counties or other regions of the country, but also the salaries of these new positions substantially exceed the average wage for Nacogdoches County workers. None of these opportunities would have been realized without the aggressive teamwork and cooperative, can-do spirit of all sectors, public and private, of our City and County. NEDCO is proud to be a member of the team that has produced opportunity and prosperity for Nacogdoches County.
— David Alders, Chairman, Nacogdoches Economic Development Corporation
SUMMARY OF ACTIVITY DURING FY 2010-11
Laying the Foundation
- Establish a Nacogdoches Workforce Technical Training Center
STATUS: the County purchased a 25,000 sq. ft. building on 4.5 acres on North Street and grant applications have been submitted to secure funding for renovation. Our goal is to establish a technical training center to provide bankable job skills (i.e., welding, petroleum tech, HVAC, electrician, nurse’s aide, etc.) to non-college bound students; to provide a technical training facility for local companies that will also serve as a conduit for state workforce training incentive programs; and to provide targeted adult education training classes for citizens to improve their education and skills. The NEDCO Board pledged $75,000, payable at $15,000 per year for five years.
- NEDCO-SFA Deans Joint Committee
STATUS: NEDCO Executive Committee and SFA academic leadership meet formally at the beginning of the Fall and Spring semesters to discuss ways in which the local business community can better integrate with, and support, SFASU’s academic mission. We are currently working on two major program initiatives with SFA: internships and entrepreneurial opportunities.
- Identify and Market Existing Commercial and Industrial Property.
STATUS: Continuous process. There are currently 45 buildings and 34 tracts of land listed on the NEDCO website, and we continue to work with local brokers and commercial property owners, with the goal of listing all available commercial and industrial property.
Business Retention & Expansion
- Cooper Power Systems Expansion
STATUS: Cooper closed one of its manufacturing plants in Mississippi and relocated the production line to their Nacogdoches plant, which added 44 new jobs and an additional $2.4 million to their annual payroll.
STATUS: NEDCO and the City of Nacogdoches worked with Etech over the past 18 months to ensure that Etech’s 500 jobs and company headquarters, along with a $14.5 million local payroll, remain in Nacogdoches..
STATUS: Phase 1 of the company’s expansion resulted in 10-15 new jobs at an average annual salary of $60,000.
STATUS: Pilgrim’s added 100 new jobs this past year, primarily Burmese refugees, and plans to add another 100 jobs this coming year.
- Visits to existing business visits throughout the year
STATUS: NEDCO staff made more than 150 visits to local employers (industrial, service and retail) during the past year.
- Monthly “VIP Employer” Visit Program
STATUS: NEDCO coordinates monthly visits by key local leaders (County Judge, Mayor and City Manager, SFA President, NISD Superintendent, along with NEDCO and Chamber leadership) to major local employers.
STATUS: NEDCO is a founding partner, along with the Chamber, CVB and Main Street, of the “Shop Nac First” program to encourage Nacogdoches residents to try local retailers first rather than simply heading out of town to shop.
STATUS: we are working with local retail property owners to help them find tenants for their vacant retail spaces. This also involves NEDCO courting national and regional retail prospects.
Business Creation
- Entrepreneur Incubator Program (with Angelina College SBDC)
STATUS (October 1, 2010 to July 31, 2011):
Sector New Jobs Capital
Manufacturing 22 $686,294
Service 74 $2,954,500
Retail 2 $155,000
Totals 98 $3,977,794
Start-ups Launched – 4
STATUS: The owner of Chilly Fillmore's went through our Entrepreneur Incubator program with the Angelina College SBDC. One fulltime and 14 part-time jobs have been created thus far.
Business Attraction
STATUS: Select Energy Services established an oil and gas services logistics facility in Chireno that has created 200-250 jobs with an annual payroll of $9-11 million
STATUS: EOG Resources established its Nacogdoches Field Office on South Street
STATUS: Exco Operating Company relocated its Shelby Field HQ offices from Center to Chireno, resulting in 90 new jobs
- Southern Power Company Biomass Plant
STATUS: Construction jobs at Southern Power Company’s $475 million biomass plant in Sacul this year resulted in upwards of 700 construction jobs during peak period. Scheduled to become operational in mid-2012, the plant will employ 35-40 people at an average annual salary of $74,000.
- Timber Springs Retirement Community
STATUS: Archangel Capital Partners broke ground on the Timber Springs development on Dec. 15, 2010. The $41.8 million project will create 71 jobs with an annual payroll of $2.1 million
NEDCO Membership
Adams, Belanger, Atherton & LoStracco
Alexander & Associates
Angelina & Neches River Authority
ANNACCO
Austin Bank, Texas
Axley & Rode
BancorpSouth - Fredonia
Blood Center East Texas
CAB, Inc.
Charles Pool Real Estate
Citizens 1st Bank
City of Nacogdoches
Clardy Davis & Knowles
Commercial Bank of Texas
Community Title
Cooper Power Systems
County of Nacogdoches
Cox Contractors
Daily Sentinel
Deep East Texas Workforce Development Board
Edward Jones (Steve Barber & Greg Nichols)
Elliott Electric Supply
EOG Resources
Etech
Exco Operating Company
Express Employment Professionals
Few Ready Mix Concrete
First Bank & Trust-East Texas
Forest Country Homebuilders Association
Fredonia Hotel
Huntington State Bank
Hydrex Environmental
J.E. Kingham Construction
Joe Max Green Insurance Concepts
KSA Engineers
KTRE
Mast Cattle & Timber Investments
Middleking Properties
Nacogdoches Abstract & Title Company
Nacogdoches Coca-Cola Bottling Company
Nacogdoches County Board of Realtors
Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce
Nacogdoches County Farm Bureau
Nacogdoches Independent School District
Nacogdoches Medical Center Hospital
Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital
NIBCO
Norbord Nacogdoches Texas
Oncor Electric Delivery
Point A Media
R & K Distributors
Regions Bank-Stone Fort
Rex Perry Autoplex / T-REX-S Outdoor Store
Select Energy Services
Smith & Partners Financial Services
Southern Power (Nacogdoches Generating Plant)
Stephen F. Austin State University
Suddenlink Communications
Texas Farm Products
Texas Office Leasing (University Industrial Business Center)
Tipton Ford
Viper Security & Investigation
Woden ISD
XerographiX East Texas
