News

In a rapidly growing region, it can be easy for small businesses to get lost in the pace of development. In Cibolo, Texas, city leaders are taking a different approach. By investing directly in local entrepreneurs and forming strong partnerships with regional utilities and organizations, Cibolo is fostering intentional, collaborative, and sustainable growth.“Cibolo is set up for success,” said Clancy Hardin, City of Cibolo Economic Development Manager. “It is just a matter of right-sizing and right-fitting.”Cibolo exemplifies the forward-thinking communities within the GVEC service area. Through specific programs and purposeful partnerships, the city demonstrates how sustainable growth can simultaneously support...

The Yoakum Economic Development Corporation (YEDC), in collaboration with the Yoakum City Council, has secured the land necessary to establish Yoakum’s second business development park suitable for the location of industrial and manufacturing companies that are key to the community’s long-term growth. The new 60-acre industrial park is located at the major intersection of US Highway 77-A and Farm-to-Market 3475 (Carl Ramert Drive). The park will boast the availability of shovel-ready sites including all the requisite utility infrastructure in the near future. YEDC’s goal is for the location to bring millions of dollars of private investment with stable, well-paying jobs...

  WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Energy Department today released three wind market reports demonstrating continued growth in wind energy nationwide. America’s wind industry added more than 8,200 megawatts (MW) of capacity last year, representing 27 percent of all energy capacity additions in 2016. In 2016, wind supplied about 6 percent of U.S. electricity, and 14 states now get more than 10 percent of their electricity from wind. The reports cover the following market sectors: land-based utility scale, offshore, and distributedwind. Wind power capacity in the United States experienced strong growth in 2016. Recent and projected near-term growth is supported...

  With more than 300 days of sunshine a year, and maybe even more considering the mildness of this past winter, it’s easy to understand why members’ interest in solar energy is growing. South Central Texas is proving to be a good location for producing this type of renewable energy, and is an important reason we began selling solar systems through GVEC Home several years ago. Another reason was to ensure that members who are interested in purchasing a system would be able to get reliable information from a trusted source. We realize, however, that investing in a...

  Texas Public Radio has expanded coverage into Gonzales and the I-10 corridor with the return of KCTI 1450 AM to the airwaves of Central Texas. The station, acquired by TPR late in 2016, had been silent for almost a year. This expansion provides a vital in-depth news and information source to Gonzales, Luling, Flatonia, and surrounding areas, and continues the growth of Texas Public Radio, which already serves five other areas of the state. READ MORE...

Texas’ economic growth proves this is not the 1980s Published 4:41 pm, Friday, September 30, 2016 M. Ray Perryman The Texas economy has added 190,600 jobs over the past year, and employment has risen in 16 of the past 17 months. Last month, nine of the 11 industry groups tracked by the Texas Workforce Commission added jobs. All of this occurred despite the end (at least for now) of a major oil surge. For those of us who have been around a while, the differences between what has happened this time when oil prices dropped precipitously and...

Yoakum residents are getting ready to saddle up as Circle Y Saddles prepares to construct a 30,000-square-foot warehouse in Yoakum. Yoakum Economic Development Corporation and Circle Y Saddles announced Friday the saddle maker is consolidating its two plants in Yoakum and Tennessee. Fifteen Tennessee-based employees were offered packages to relocate to Yoakum, according to a news release.  READ MORE...

  SHINER - The model that sits on the table in Texas Precious Metals' privately owned depository is small. But the idea captured by the miniature walls is a Texas-sized proposal in response to a uniquely Texas bill. The model is the Shiner business' proposal for a more than 46,000-square-foot incarnation of the Texas Bullion Depository. The depository is a product of House Bill 483, which introduced a public-private partnership for the only state-owned depository for precious metals such as silver and gold.  READ MORE...

  (TNS) -- Tucked between farm fields off U.S. 87 in East Bexar County, CPS Energy’s newest solar installation will soon host 11,280 panels generating power for specific customers across San Antonio. On Monday, CPS Energy offered a first look at its “roofless solar” installation, a 10-acre site near Loop 1604 south of St. Hedwig. The site is CPS Energy’s first attempt to make solar panels available to customers who cannot install them on their own homes or businesses.  READ MORE...

Texas continues to be one of the top states in the U.S. for business, according to the latest edition of an annual survey conducted by CNBC. Texas came in second in CNBC's rankings, which scored the states on about 60 measures of business competitiveness. Texas's No. 2 rank is the same as last year. The scores were based on input from business and policy experts, government sources, CNBC's Global CFO Council and the states themselves.  READ MORE...

ur latest forecast for the Texas economy indicates relatively healthy growth over an extended time horizon. Business cycles are inevitable, but the stage is set for growth outpacing most parts of the United States. Texas compares well with most areas in terms of the business climate, size of workforce, and other parameters, contributing to economic growth potential.  READ MORE

Oil and natural gas companies operating just south of San Antonio are looking at opportunities to reach newer and more profitable markets following improvements and the expansion of the Panama Canal. Panamanian officials inaugurated the newly expanded canal this week, and the Texas oil and gas sector is glowing amid new opportunities to export their products to lucrative markets in Asia. READ MORE...

  City of Cuero residents will soon be able to see their water and electricity usage in real time on a smartphone application. City staff are replacing all of Cuero's water and electric meters with advanced meters that use a smart system. All information from the meters will be sent to City Hall virtually and can be read online, Cuero city manager Raymie Zella said. Residents will be able to monitor their usage of water and electricity and see an estimated bill through a smartphone application that will be available in October.  READ MORE...

At least five Austin-area startups reported raising a combined $19.2 million in investment capital last week, according to the companies and filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Such fundings are often a source of business leads for a variety of professionals including job seekers, real estate brokers and accountants.  READ MORE...

New Braunfels passed San Marcos on the list of fastest-growing cities in the U.S., according to Census Bureau numbers just released. At a 6.6 percent growth rate, New Braunfels was No. 2 in the nation from July 2014 to July 2015, topping 70,000 in population. Georgetown, north of Austin, was No. 1 among cities above 50,000 people. But in actual numbers, bigger cities like San Antonio continue to draw more people. It was No. 4 on the list of U.S. cities for numeric gains, adding more than 29,000 people for the year ending July 1, 2015, reaching 1.47...

The City of Seguin was recently named a GO TEXAN Certified Retirement Community by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). “We are so excited to be here today,” Dan Hunter, TDA assistant commissioner for water and rural affairs, said. “You, in Seguin, are to be honored with this designation and to know that you are only one of 26 cities in the whole state of Texas that has this designation.”  READ MORE...

Governor Greg Abbott today announced that Texas has won Site Selection’s Prosperity Cup for 2015, awarded to the most competitive state-level department of commerce or economic development. Formerly the State Competitiveness Awards, the Prosperity Cup is awarded to the top scoring state in Site Selection’s 10-part index of investment-attraction criteria. Texas was ranked the 3rd most competitive state by Site Selection in 2014 and rose to first place for 2015.  READ MORE...