Challenge The idling of Alcoa’s aluminum production facility in Rockdale, Texas—announced at the height of the Great Recession—would ultimately put more than 1,200 employees out of work and shutter nearly two dozen local businesses that were reliant on the plant or its employees. The crisis brought together representatives from the […]
Challenge Following significant job losses during the Great Recession, Yoakum, Texas, has experienced steady annual employment growth since the downturn’s official end in 2009. These gains reflect the continued diversification of the area economy, driven in large part by energy-related growth surrounding the Eagle Ford Shale. The city has also
Challenge While the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas fared better than much of the country during the Great Recession, it was not immune to the downturn. Across the four-county region, the construction, manufacturing, transportation, and farming industries were hardest hit, adding tens of thousands of workers to the unemployment
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 Faced with more than three decades of stagnant population trends and lagging income and educational attainment, Muskogee, Oklahoma, was at a crossroads. Despite the area’s many assets, which included a strong base of private and public sector employers, desirable market access, and a committed group of leaders, Muskogee failed
Challenge As one of the earliest communities settled by the Old Three Hundred under the direction of Stephen F. Austin, Richmond holds a pivotal place in Texas history. Located in Fort Bend County, one of the state’s fastest growing and most diverse counties, Richmond is also well positioned for the
Challenge The City of Irving, Texas, operates in a highly competitive environment. Despite its many advantages—ranging from its transportation network to available workforce to prime sites—the city is in a constant battle for projects within the fast-growing Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. Irving occupies an enviable position in the region but
Challenge Incorporated in 1914 in what is now the heart of the Dallas metroplex, Irving, Texas, has experienced remarkable growth over the last five decades. From Las Colinas, which pioneered the master-planned community model, to the bustling Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Irving’s forward-thinking development and successful attraction of global
Challenge The COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic upheaval had a negative impact on business supply chains, workers, and communities in Texas and around the globe. This upheaval exacerbated existing business challenges, particularly for small- and minority-owned businesses. Along with its challenges, the downturn presented opportunities to build on trends that
Challenge Located on the eastern side of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Rockwall, Texas, is an economic development leader. Its strong commercial and industrial tax base supports a high quality of life for residents, while maintaining a low property tax rate relative to the region. The establishment and growth of the
