Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce, Texas – Fort Hood Region
Economic Diversification Strategy
The Challenge
For over 60 years, economic development in Bell, Coryell, and Lampasas Counties has been strongly influenced by the growth and expansion of Fort Hood – the largest active duty armored installation in the United States Armed Services. As the mission and scale of the post has grown and evolved over the years, so has the population and economy of the region. Cities such as Killeen, Copperas Cove, and Harker Heights have benefited economically, socially, and culturally from the thousands of soldiers, civilian contractors, and their families that have lived in the area.
TIP Strategies was engaged by the City of Killeen and the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce (administrator of an Office of Economic Adjustment grant) to develop an economic diversification plan for the Fort Hood region. Central components of this plan were developing a mechanism for assessing the skill sets, job preferences, and relocation intentions of both military retirees and those separating from service through Fort Hood; gauging the feasibility and impact of establishing a stand-alone Texas A&M University—Central Texas in Killeen; and identifying new industry clusters for the region to attract and strategies for their development.
The Approach
An assessment of the area’s economic base helped the consulting team understand the opportunities available and identify the most pressing challenges facing Killeen and the area surrounding Fort Hood. The results of this work were refined based on input from city officials and other key stakeholders. To maximize participation in the process, the consulting team conducted individual and group interviews with representatives of industry, retail, transportation, education, economic development, military retirees, city government, and others. The results of the assessment, coupled with information on existing skills sets gathered from a veterans survey, provided the foundation for the design of strategies that will secure the economic vitality of the Fort Hood region for future generations.
The economic impact of the proposed Texas A&M—Central Texas (TAMU-CT) campus was modeled using IMPLAN, an input-output based model. In the absence of specific information about the campus, the primary inputs for the model were based on estimates of enrollment and operating expenditures, as well as student and visitor spending, using Tarleton State University in Stephenville and Texas A&M University–Texarkana as benchmarks. The TIP team also explored the research, academic, and economic development potential of establishing a technology research center on the proposed campus to be developed jointly by TAMU-CT, the U.S. Army, and the regional economic development partners.
The Outcome
The resulting plan, Operation Economic Transformation, was presented to city officials and adopted. It will serve as a guide for the allocation of resources and will provide a framework for attracting new investment to the region in the fields of industry, transportation, research, and higher education.
John Crutchfield President, Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 548 Killeen, TX 76540 Local: (254) 526-9551 Fax: (254) 526-6090 jcrutchfield@gkcc.com
