Important announcements, resources, events & recent news.



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The Governor's Texas Business Bulletin, Economic Development and Tourism

Dear Texas Economic Development Stakeholders,

In case you haven't heard...we are excited to share that Texas took home our *12th Governor's Cup [ [link removed] ]* in a row from Site Selection magazine in March! Continuing an unprecedented winning streak, we have once again attracted more corporate relocation and expansion projects than any other state (more on this below). Not to mention, Texas remains the leading annual jobs creator in the nation! Our state added *291,400 jobs* [ [link removed] ] between February 2023 and February 2024, growing at an annual rate of *2.1%*.

In the March/April issue of the Texas Business Bulletin, you'll find an update on how our office is strengthening economic ties between Texas and the U.K., our economic snapshot, recent meetings and upcoming events, as well as project announcements across the state. 

As always, please be sure to visit our website [ [link removed] ], follow us on social media or reach out to a member of our team [ [link removed] ] if we can be of any assistance!

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"-Adriana Cruz, Executive Director, Texas Economic Development & Tourism"

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*Unemployment Rate: *3.9%

*Workforce:* 15.1 million+

*U.S. Rank in Annual Job Growth: *#1

See full economic snapshot › [ [link removed] ]
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*Texas Takes 12th Governor's Cup in a Row*
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We are proud that Texas has once again secured Site Selection magazine's [ [link removed] ] Governor's Cup for the most corporate relocation and expansion projects in the U.S.—now for the 12th year in a row!

At the Governor's Mansion on March 1, Governor Greg Abbott celebrated this unprecedented win, which is the 20th total cup for Texas and a record unmatched by any other state. With 1,254 total projects in 2023, more than twice the total for the second-ranked state, business expansions and relocations last year are expected to result in approximately $59.95 billion in capital investment and more than 35,000 new jobs.

Across all regions of the state, from rural to urban, and across diverse industries, our office tracked new project announcements in energy, manufacturing, automotive, EV and batteries, technology, semiconductors, food and beverage, financial services and more!

It's thanks to the unwavering teamwork and collaboration in economic development in Texas that remarkable wins like this are possible. Congratulations to our exceptional economic development partners at the local, regional and statewide level who have all played a significant role in helping businesses grow in Texas and creating new jobs in communities across the state. Read more about this exciting announcement in the Governor's press release [ [link removed] ].

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Governor's Report to the People

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*Governor's Report to the People [ [link removed] ]
*The 2024 Governor's Report to the People shows the impact of our office's economic development efforts across the state and how we are helping to build a bigger, better Texas. Download the full report and see pages 13-24 for more on the strength of the Texas economy, as well as some of the critical economic development legislation that was passed during the 88th Legislative Session.



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Strengthening Texas-U.K. Ties

Governor Greg Abbott traveled to the U.K. in March to meet with business leaders and government officials to deepen the strong economic partnership between the U.K. and Texas, encourage expanded trade in critical industries and attract new job-creating business investments to Texas. The Governor was joined by First Lady Cecilia Abbott, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson, EDT Executive Director Adriana Cruz and Texas Economic Development Corporation President & CEO Aaron Demerson.

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*Statement of Mutual Cooperation with the U.K.*

The Statement of Mutual Cooperation signed by Governor Abbott and U.K. Secretary of State for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch further promotes economic growth, supports innovation and encourages job creation in Texas and the U.K. The statement prioritizes collaboration in sectors such as new and emerging innovative energy solutions, including hydrogen, carbon capture and energy storage; chemicals production; health and life sciences; supply chains and critical minerals; advanced technologies; aerospace; and more.



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*Meeting with Prime Minister Sunak*

Governor Abbott met with U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to discuss the deepening of the already-strong cultural and economic relationship between Texas and the U.K. A meeting was later held with the former prime minister, the Right Honorable Lord David Cameron, currently the U.K. Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.



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*Meetings with Corporate Leaders in Energy*

The Governor met with BP Executive Vice President of Regions, Corporates and Solutions William Lin and other senior leadership in London. With more than 110 years of experience in the energy sector and employees in 62 countries, BP’s U.S. headquarters are located in Houston. Home to more than 3,800 employees, it is the company’s largest employee base in the world.



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Also during his time in London, Governor Abbott delivered remarks as the 2024 Ronald Reagan Lecturer at The Margaret Thatcher Centre at the invitation of the Right Honorable Sir Conor Burns MP, the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to the U.S. for Regional Trade and Investment, who also serves as Chairman of The Margaret Thatcher Centre.

The trip was sponsored and paid for by the Texas Economic Development Corporation [ [link removed] ].



*"Did you know? "*The *United Kingdom* leads all nations for the number of foreign direct investment projects in Texas, and Texas is #1 among the states for exports to the U.K. In 2023, Texas trade with the U.K. totaled $18.2 billion, making the U.K. the state’s ninth-largest total trade partner. In the last decade, companies from the U.K. have invested $8.6 billion in capital investment, creating more than 18,200 Texas jobs.

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2024 Governor's Small Business Summits

Join us at the 2024 Governor's Small Business Summits! These events are designed to help small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs start, strengthen and grow a business by connecting them with the resources they need to succeed. Offering a variety of informational sessions, these events bring together local, state and federal resource partners to provide information on critical business topics. See the map below to find an event in a city near you and visit our website at* gov.texas.gov/events [ [link removed] ]* to register and find out more!

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New Digital Media Friendly Texas Program
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The Texas Film Commission [ [link removed] ] has launched a new Digital Media Friendly Texas Certified Community [ [link removed] ] program. This new program will attract digital media production across the state and grow local jobs in animation, visual effects (VFX), video games and extended reality (XR).

The Digital Media Friendly Texas designation showcases certified communities to digital media companies and professionals to attract economic development opportunities and grow local jobs. The program also connects digital media professionals in Texas with skilled municipal liaisons to encourage new digital media investment in Texas. Additionally, the program educates communities and their residents about the importance of digital literacy to help close the digital divide. Learn more at the link below.

Learn more  › [ [link removed] ]

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New Report from the Texas Workforce Investment Council

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The Texas Workforce Investment Council [ [link removed] ] recently published a new report to detail the demographic characteristics of the veteran population in Texas. The demographic analyses in this report offer important information for program planning and improvement efforts by local workforce boards, state agencies, community and technical colleges, policy analysts and other workforce system stakeholders. *"Did you know? "*There are more than 1.4 million veterans in Texas. For more information, download the report at the link below.

Download report  › [ [link removed] ]


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Texas' success in attracting the most corporate expansion and relocation projects in the U.S. is thanks to a unique combination of competitive business advantages that no other state can claim. For more on these business advantages, visit our Why Texas [ [link removed] ] webpages. Here are some recently announced projects in regions across the state:


* Eastman in Longview [ [link removed] ]: Eastman will add an additional manufacturing facility at its existing site in Longview, creating more than 200 new jobs and approximately $1.2 billion in capital investment. A Texas Enterprise Fund grant of $2,040,000 was extended to the company.
* Walmart in Robinson [ [link removed] ]: Walmart announced a new facility in Robinson, expected to create nearly 400 new jobs and $350 million in capital investment.
* Liberty Energy in Odessa [ [link removed] ]: Liberty Energy broke ground on a new $50 million headquarters in Odessa where the company plans to employ up to 1,500.
* Megaacrete in Kerrville [ [link removed] ]: Megaacrete announced a new U.S. headquarters and manufacturing facility in Kerrville expected to create $40 million in capital investment.
* AEP in Laredo [ [link removed] ]: AEP celebrated the ribbon-cutting of its new AEP Texas Laredo Service Center, creating $35 million in capital investment.
* SpaceX in Texas [ [link removed] ]: SpaceX launched a $100 million expansion project at Starbase in Boca Chica and also relocated its headquarters from Delaware to Texas [ [link removed] ].
* Grainger in Hockley [ [link removed] ]: Grainger will open a new 1.2 million-square-foot distribution facility in Hockley, adding 400 new jobs to the local economy.

More recent announcements › [ [link removed] ]

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*"“It ain’t bragging if it's true!” Here are some of the recent accolades Texas has received:"*


* Texas is home to seven of the *top 25 tech cities*, according to Cloudwards [ [link removed] ]: Plano (#4), Austin (#7), Frisco (#10), Arlington (#16), San Antonio (#18), Garland (#21) and Houston (#22).
* In the Milken Institute's [ [link removed] ] *Best-Performing Cities Index*, Austin-Round Rock (#1) and Dallas-Plano-Irving (#8) ranked among the top 10 best-performing large cities.
* *Laredo was the #1 port in the nation* for 2023 with the value of imports and exports passing $300 billion, a record for the port (U.S. Census Bureau [ [link removed] ]).
* Six Texas counties are among the* top 10* *fastest growing* in the U.S., according to the U.S. Census Bureau [ [link removed] ]: Kaufman (#1), Rockwall (#2), Liberty (#3), Chambers (#6), Comal (#7) and Ellis (#8).
* Texas cities are ranked among the top 10 *Hardest-Working Cities in America* for 2024, according to WalletHub [ [link removed] ]: Irving (#2), Dallas (#7) and Austin (#10).

Download the latest *Top Texas Touts* [ [link removed] ] to your phone for talking points you can take on-the-go—everything from economic expansion, job creation, workforce, industry, infrastructure, education and more. 

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Recent Meetings & Events

*Meetings with Australian Ambassador Rudd and German Minister Hoffmeister-Kraut*

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In March, Governor Greg Abbott hosted Australian Ambassador to the U.S. Dr. Kevin Rudd and the German Minister for Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism of Baden-Württemberg Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut at the Texas Capitol. During the two meetings, the Governor discussed bolstering Texas’ international economic partnerships with Australia and Germany and highlighted Texas as the premier destination for companies from around the world to do business. Read more in the Governor's press release [ [link removed] ]. 

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*SelectUSA Roadshows*

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During the month of March, EDT's International Business and Existing Industry Team attended SelectUSA Roadshow events across Europe, including stops in Bilbao, Valencia and Sevilla, Spain; Paris, Toulouse, Montpellier and Nice, France; and Milan and Padua, Italy. The event pictured on the left, hosted by Mouvement des Entreprises de France (MEDEF), kicked-off the U.S.-France Economic Investment Mission Roadshow portion of the trip. Pictured on the right is a one-on-one meeting during the SelectUSA Roadshow stop in Milan, Italy. Throughout the trip, the team met with companies across a variety of industries looking to expand their operations into the U.S. and discussed the benefits of selecting Texas for their next business investment.

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*SXSW Creative Industries Expo*

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In coordination with the Texas Economic Development Corporation (TxEDC), Travel Texas, the Texas Film Commission and the Texas Music Office, EDT showcased the Lone Star State's strong business, travel, film and music industries at the SXSW Creative Industries Expo in March. "Photo Credit: Jim Stone"

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*Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership*

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In February, EDT Executive Director Adriana Cruz participated in the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership event where she gave an overview of our office's activities, the latest on economic development in Texas and an update on the Texas Space Commission. Thank you to the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership and our many other partners in the region for your continued collaboration!

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*Megaacrete Announcement*

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EDT Director of Business & Community Development Larry McManus and State of Texas Mexico Office Director James Taylor attended the announcement of Megaacrete's new U.S. headquarters and manufacturing facility in Kerrville. The project is expected to create $40 million in capital investment and will bolster our state's strong manufacturing industry.

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*Opportunity Austin*

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In February, EDT's Executive Director Adriana Cruz spoke to a group from Opportunity Austin about the state-level economic development perspective in Texas and highlighted the robust and growing semiconductor industry in Central Texas and across the state.

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*TEDC Winter Conference*

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EDT attended the Texas Economic Development Council's 2024 Winter Conference in San Antonio in February. The staff attended numerous sessions and panels on a variety of economic development topics and networked with community partners from across the state. EDT Executive Director Adriana Cruz and Director of Business & Community Development Larry McManus presented an update on the Jobs, Energy, Technology & Innovation (JETI) Act during a conference panel session.

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Join Our Team!
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Interested in working with the best state economic development team in the country and helping grow the Lone Star State's economy? Come join our team! There are multiple positions for experienced professionals in Business & Community Development (BCD), Economic Development Finance (EDF) and other divisions. Here's a select sampling of open positions:


* Research Specialist (BCD) [ [link removed] ]
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Business Assistance Specialist (BCD) [ [link removed] ]


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Regional Representative - Panhandle (BCD) [ [link removed] ]


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Regional Representative - West (BCD) [ [link removed] ]


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Director of Economic Development Finance (EDF) [ [link removed] ]


* Senior Financial Analyst (EDF) [ [link removed] ]

For more information on available positions, visit gov.texas.gov/employment [ [link removed] ].

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*Bell Opens Texas Weapon System's Integration Lab [ [link removed] ]
*Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. company, announced the grand opening of its Weapon System’s Integration Lab in Arlington. The state-of-the-art facility will aid in the safe, rapid and efficient integration of next generation fly-by-wire tiltrotor and mission systems using a modular open systems approach for the U.S. Army’s Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft.



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*New Power Plant Planned for Lee County [ [link removed] ]*
Sandow Lakes Energy Co. announced plans to build a 1,200-megawatt, ultra-efficient, natural-gas fueled power plant in Lee County, growing the capacity and reliability of the state's power grid. The property will operate within the Electric Reliability Council of Texas. Construction is expected to begin in 2025, with the plant generating power by 2028.



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*ARPA-E Funds Texas Projects in Geologic Hydrogen [ [link removed] ]
*With funding from ARPA-E, project teams at Texas Tech University, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station and the University of Texas at Austin will explore the possibility of accelerating the production and extraction of natural hydrogen, transforming understanding of this critical energy resource while accelerating solutions to lower energy costs and increase national energy security.*
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The Texas Economic Development & Tourism Office markets Texas as
one of the world's premier business locations and travel destinations.
For more information on doing business in Texas, visit us online at gov.texas.gov/business [ [link removed] ].



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GovDelivery [ [link removed] ], Inc. sending on behalf of the Office of the Governor · P.O. Box 12428 · Austin TX 78711-2428 · 800-843-5789