City of Harker Heights, TX – Business Attraction Plan
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 a strong regional workforce, driven largely by Fort Cavazos and supported by institutions like Central Texas College and Texas A&M University Central Texas. However, a lack of local employment prospects means this regional talent pool is frequently recruited elsewhere. Other challenges impacting the city’s success include limited options for land assembly and redevelopment, a lack of local incentives, and a local property tax exemption for disabled veterans that has not been sufficiently relieved by state funds in the past and threatens the city’s ability to deliver services.
Response
In late 2024, the City of Harker Heights engaged TIP Strategies to create a Business Attraction Plan that identified potential industry targets and prioritized areas of town ripe for development and redevelopment. The plan’s employment-centered approach is intended to attract high-wage jobs for Harker Heights residents and help balance the tax base to ease the burden placed on residential taxpayers. Following a thorough quantitative analysis (the City of Harker Heights Strategic Analysis, which was delivered separately as an interactive data visualization) and robust stakeholder outreach, TIP identified six recommendations to drive future business attraction efforts. Each recommendation centered on a specific target industry area and was tied to one or more of the five real estate opportunities identified for driving business growth in Harker Heights. TIP also provided guidance on potential organizational structures, along with examples of potential strategies for improving regional collaboration. With these recommendations and a commitment to strengthening economic development, Harker Heights will be well equipped to attract high paying jobs and balance the tax base.