News

Meet Kyle Kramm, the Force Behind the Growth of Downtown Seguin

Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Kyle Kramm, Seguin’s Main Street & CVB Director, has a passion for working with small businesses and helping the community grow. He started in Seguin’s economic development office as a college intern and has been dedicatedly working to support the community ever since. “My internship started right after Caterpillar announced they were coming to Seguin. I got to experience the excitement in the community and see first hand what that meant to people when a company invested in the community. I saw how that would benefit Seguin,” said Kyle. “I discovered quickly that this is what I want to d...

Free Wing Farms Organic Chicken Facility Grows in Gonzales,Texas

Tuesday, June 07, 2022

Free Wing Farms is a new 100% Certified Organic and Certified Non-GMO feed mill and feed store in Gonzales, Texas. They specialize in poultry feeds and are expanding to other animals. They have already built a loyal following. One Facebook user wrote, “I picked up some layer mash for Seabreeze Hens. Our chickens love it! They are laying more also. Love your feed.” Other reviews include, “Great customer service and high quality feed!” and “Well run and very modern equipment.” With customers being able to pick up their feed in Gonzales, their local customer base has continued to grow. This veteran-owne...

AW Texas Begins Manufacturing Transmissions in Cibolo, Texas An Uncommon Story of Success

Friday, February 04, 2022

In September, the first transmission rolled off the line at AW Texas, a subsidiary of Japanese automotive giant Aisin Corporation. AW Texas, a producer of automatic and hybrid vehicle transmissions, invested more than $400 million in the site and currently employs 400—a number that is expected to rise to 900 as Phase II of the plant gets underway. The story of AW Texas is a good one and one that goes against all the norms of economic development and site selection. In 2013, GVEC purchased 159 acres of farmland along Interstate 10 between Seguin and San Antonio, Texas, with the vision to attract a large commercia...

The Development Process: A GVEC Resource

Friday, February 04, 2022

In an effort to boost economic activity and provide a home for new and expanding business operations, both Yoakum Economic Development Corporation and Gonzales Economic Development Corporation have purchased raw land for industrial development this year. What does the typical development process look like after land is purchased? We went to ED Best Practices and our good friend Greg Last to find out. GVEC worked with Greg to produce this basic overview of the steps involved in the identification, due diligence, evaluation, acquisition and development of real estate, which you can download here.

Understanding Current Workforce Shortages

Friday, February 04, 2022

Workforce shortages are a primary concern for businesses and economic developers throughout the country. For economic developers, this creates a clear and urgent challenge - find workers to support existing businesses or risk them going elsewhere. The same is true for business attraction. Economic developers seeking new investment must have a workforce attraction strategy that supports that growth. Read full article.

City helping to spruce up downtown businesses

Thursday, February 03, 2022

(Seguin) — There are more improvements on the way to buildings in the downtown area. The Seguin City Council continues its efforts to spruce up the exterior of downtown buildings. Council members on Tuesday approved nine grants to property owners in the downtown historic district. Seguin Main Street Director Kyle Kramm says they had just over $50,000 in grants to award this year as part of its Fix-It Facade grant program. Read full article.

Innovation Corridors Have Economic Assets Driving Business Growth

Thursday, February 03, 2022

It’s no secret that the recipe for economic success usually includes generous portions of innovation and technology. That has been part of the economic development story for many years in such places as Boston, Seattle, the Research Triangle, and Silicon Valley. But just as you can find more and more cutting-edge restaurants and exceptional craft breweries in sometimes surprising places beyond the most obvious locales, the innovation-based recipe for success is being served up in smaller communities, too, far beyond the places that may first come to mind. When it comes to building an innovation corridor or innovation district, the traditiona...

How States Can Direct Economic Development to Places and People in Need

Wednesday, February 02, 2022

To address local disparities and help struggling areas thrive, governments at all levels have spent hundreds of billions of dollars over the past 40 years on a range of geographically targeted, or “place-based,” economic development programs — mostly in the form of financial incentives — designed to boost job creation and business investment, incentivize real estate development, or increase property values in specific places. But decades of research have shown that governments have struggled to effectively target these programs to the people and places most in need. Tax increment financing (TIF), enterprise zones, community development block grants (CDBG), and other program...

The “Great Resignation” Is Impacting Corporate Relocations

Wednesday, February 02, 2022

I'm mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore” declared the longtime news anchor Howard Beale in the 1975 film classic Network. A similar debate is raging across the world about the future of work, and there is a lot more at issue than how often to commute. The way of working that is emerging could alter the basic elements of our work life. A whopping 65 percent of employees said they are looking for a new job, according to a PwC survey; And 88 percent of executives said their company is experiencing higher turnover than normal. Read full article.

Adapting to Agility: Leveraging a “Hub and Spoke” Model

Tuesday, February 01, 2022

As businesses navigate a new world following the global pandemic, most will need to adapt to a more agile workplace. An overarching result of the pandemic was the population diffusion of city centers. As COVID cases continue to affect our society, a return to downtown metro areas has been slow and methodical. This shift is leading many companies to reconsider and evaluate the hub and spoke model across their business footprint. The “Hub and Spoke” Model As population shifts away from major “hub” markets, businesses and real estate developers are reimagining how to help people work. A hub and spoke model o...

BBQ On Wheels In Cuero

Tuesday, February 01, 2022

When it comes to food, there are not many things better than good ole’ traditional Texas barbecue. Cattleman’s Catering LLC is just that with a menu that consists of brisket, ribs, sausage and chicken. There is a wide range of options to choose from including plates, sandwiches, and even meat by the pound. Read full article.

Big Tech Schools Us

Tuesday, February 01, 2022

Even as state and regional education systems and business coalitions roll out reams of computer, tech and STEM skills certification and boot camp programs, Big Tech behemoths is doing the same. Companies such as Google, Intel, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, LinkedIn and beyond have developed their own academic portfolios in order to fill a need for talent that only promises to keep climbing. Skeptics might point to such programs as community development sops — the sort of philanthropy-tinged outreach a company does to convey its goodwill and commitment to a region even as it hunts out ever more competitive advantage. But ther...

Talent-Based Location Strategies

Tuesday, February 01, 2022

As the U.S. economy continues its recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, employers are encountering an increasingly difficult talent landscape fraught with challenges related to the attraction and retention of the talent upon which their business relies. This is particularly true for the most advanced technical job roles. Amid this environment, companies are relying on their site selection consultants to develop talent-based location strategies that help ameliorate these challenges. Utilizing market data in more creative ways can help companies gain competitive advantage by identifying new pools of accessible technical talent. Read full article.

“Earn as You Learn” Cohort to Ignite Workforce Development in Manufacturing

Saturday, January 22, 2022

Modern manufacturing companies are struggling to fill key roles as they recover from the repercussions of the pandemic while facing a retirement surge amongst the Baby Boomer generation. This significant gap could result in 2.1 million unfilled jobs by 2030 potentially resulting in a loss of $1 trillion in 2030 alone*. Manufacturers are also struggling to fill intermediate-level jobs that entail some level of technical training or applied skills. Fortunately, coalitions of manufacturers have joined forces and are working toward a solution. The Texas Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (TX FAME) will be kicking off its first cohort for the ne...

4 Trends that Will Reshape the Small Business Landscape in 2022 and Beyond

Sunday, January 02, 2022

We all know that in the past two years, the only constant for small business owners has been change. Thousands of businesses changed their business model at the onset of the pandemic, introducing new products or services and embracing new channels to reach their customers. Thousands more launched new businesses altogether, spotting untapped opportunities in our collective “new normal.” Now, as we head into 2022, we see the impacts of the past two years crystallizing and new trends emerging, like the beginnings of the metaverse to changing how we define small businesses and how small businesses operate — online, offline an...

How To Prepare An Economic Development Strategy That Impresses The Board And Gets Results

Saturday, January 01, 2022

The long-term effectiveness of your economic development strategy that impresses the board depends on your stakeholders. Fostering public ownership and enthusiasm starts with your board. Communicating well with them is the key to getting the best strategic support, fresh thinking, and leadership they can offer. DEVELOPING AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY THAT IMPRESSES A BOARD Think of your strategic plan as the blueprint that will help businesses, organizations, local governments, educational institutions, and private citizens engage in a constructive dialogue about the future. Ideally, that dialogue will get each stakeholder thinking about their capacity to contribute. In this context, providing an accurate pictur...

Gonzales is the Birthplace of Texas Revolution and the Proud Home of U.S. Manufacturing Companies

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Gonzales, Texas was the site of the first shot fired in the Texas Revolution - the battle that eventually led to the United States formally acquiring Texas, New Mexico and California. Home to the famous “Come and Take It” cannon, Gonzales has never forgotten its roots as a community proud of its U.S. heritage. That same pride is evident in the community’s support of the U.S. manufacturing and agricultural industry. Adams Extract moved to Texas in 1905 and companies like Kitchen Pride joined them in the decades to follow. Graham Land & Cattle Co., is another company in the agricultura...

TEXAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LEADERS MEET WITH CALIFORNIA BUSINESSES

Thursday, December 09, 2021

Business executives who met with Texas economic development leaders in California this week were eager to discuss the advantages of relocating to and expanding in the Lone Star State, said Robert Allen, President and CEO of the Texas Economic Development Corporation. Allen, Adriana Cruz, Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism, and representatives from the Brazos Valley Economic Development Corporation, the City of Sugar Land, the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation, greater: SATX, the Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative, and the Irving Economic Development Partnership traveled to San Francisco to meet with business executive...

Cuero Goes the Extra Mile to Support Local Businesses: Explore this Friendly Community

Tuesday, December 07, 2021

Cuero is in the heart of South Texas, the county seat of DeWitt County and located in the Eagle Ford Shale oil and gas play. Centrally located, businesses in Cuero are 28-minutes from Victoria, 1 ½ hours from San Antonio and Corpus Christi, 2 hours from Austin, 2 ½ hours from Houston, and just 4 hours from Dallas/Fort Worth. This centrality is beneficial for companies looking to operate throughout Texas, while benefiting from a low-cost, low-traffic and high-value community - Cuero. There’s plenty of room for growth in Cuero’s DeWitt Industrial Park. For sale by GVEC, all of the infrastructure i...

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Kitchen Pride Mushroom Farm

Wild Flowers

Cuero Regional Hospital

GVEC Internet

TLU

Gretchen Bee Ranch

Aisin AW

Come and Film It