Challenge At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Texas unemployment rate skyrocketed from its historical low of 3.4 percent in January 2020 to its historical high of 12.6 percent in April 2020. Like the rest of the country, a wide range of stakeholders, including public officials and economic development […]
Challenge In addition to producing the talent the economy relies on, innovation born out of Texas higher education institutions plays an essential role in the state’s global economic competitiveness. State leaders have made significant investments in this area, nearly tripling the number of top tier research universities in the past
Challenge With a thriving petrochemical industry, strong educational assets, and a vibrant local culture, Pasadena, Texas, is a significant contributor to the Houston metro area economy. The city’s central role in this dynamic region is reinforced by its geographic location (just 15 minutes from downtown Houston) and its status as
Challenge Proximity to interstates I-14 and I-35, an affordable cost of living, and an abundance of retail amenities makes Harker Heights, Texas, an ideal location for businesses looking for easy access the state’s major metro areas and an attractive quality of life for their employees. The city also benefits from
Challenge From its inception, Rosenberg has enjoyed a unique position in the Texas Gulf Coast region. Located just 30 miles from Houston, the city’s notable infrastructure—which includes three major railways, an interstate highway, and Port Freeport—contributes to its historic reputation as a hub for industrial production and distribution. Coupled with
Challenge Located southwest of Houston, Fort Bend County is one of Texas’s largest and most diverse counties, encompassing communities from the historic county seat of Richmond to up-and-coming cities like Sugar Land and Fulshear. It is also one of the nation’s fastest-growing counties, thanks to strategic advantages including transportation assets
Challenge In December 2017, the City of Fort Worth and TIP Strategies completed an economic development strategic plan (EDSP) built around themes of competitiveness, creativity, and community vitality. The EDSP tied these priorities to four tangible and measurable outcomes over a five-year horizon: high-wage job growth, a more sustainable tax
Challenge In 2018, Brownsville was the largest US city in the Rio Grande Valley and a rapidly growing, bi-national region with more than 2.5 million residents. The community was in the midst of an unprecedented convergence of major investment projects from both the private sector (such as SpaceX’s new Boca
Challenge “Imagine Lubbock Together” was a visioning process coordinated by the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce to define the values and goals of the community. A central theme that emerged from this process was the need to design an ambitious plan to diversify and grow the Lubbock economy, which had traditionally
Challenge The North Louisiana Economic Partnership (NLEP) serves the 14-parish North Louisiana region, which includes Shreveport, Monroe, and Natchitoches. The region experienced a number of high-profile relocations and expansions, including nearly 1,600 new information technology (IT) jobs resulting from the expansion of CenturyLink in Monroe and Computer Sciences Corporation’s (CSC)
