NACOGDOCHES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Promoting Growth & Prosperity Throughout Nacogdoches County
Annual Report to Membership
October 22, 2009
Don Schjeldahl Presentation
pdf of Annual Report
Priorities for the Coming Year
· Business Attraction — attract at least one new company (with at least 20 jobs)
· Business Creation — launch at least two new businesses through Entrepreneur Incubator Program
· Business Retention — on-site visits to at least 60 local companies
· Census 2010 — ensure an accurate population count
· R&I Park — develop action plan for best use of property
· Technical Training Center — be ready to break ground on a facility in Nacogdoches by end of 2010
“As our nation found itself caught in the grip of its most severe economic in nearly three decades, our focus at NEDCO was on laying the foundation for future growth. While Nacogdoches was not hit nearly as hard as most of the rest of the country, our local economy nonetheless faced extraordinary challenges during the past year, and the fact that we avoided widespread layoffs and bankruptcies is a tribute to the tremendous resiliency of our local business community. I firmly believe that our efforts at NEDCO during the past year will begin to pay dividends as our nation’s economy begins to come out of recession.”
SUMMARY OF ACTIVITY FOR 2009
Laying the Foundation
· Restructure and redesign NEDCO Website.
STATUS: completed and launched in December 2008.
· Begin participation in the American Chamber of Commerce Research Association (ACCRA)’s quarterly Cost of Living Index.
STATUS: completed in January 2009.
· Publish Strategic Plan for NEDCO in April 2009.
· Establish a Nacogdoches Workforce Technical Training Center
STATUS: In progress. We are working with County Commission, SFASU, Angelina College, local ISDs, and local manufacturing and service sector companies to establish a technical training center to provide bankable job skills (i.e., welding, HVAC, electrician, nurse’s aid, etc.) to non-college bound students; to provide a technical training facility for local companies that will also serve as a conduit for state workforce training incentive programs; and to provide targeted adult education training classes for citizens to improve their education and skills. We (Nacogdoches) would need to build or buy the building, and Angelina College would provide for the O&M to run the facility thereafter.
· Identify and Market Existing Commercial and Industrial Property.
STATUS: Continuous process. There are currently 14 buildings and 20 tracts of land listed on the NEDCO website, and we continue to work with local brokers and commercial property owners, with the goal of listing all commercial and industrial property.
Business Retention
· Establish a “Shop Nac First” Program
STATUS: Founding partner, along with the Chamber, CVB and Main Street, of the “Shop Nac First” program to encourage Nacogdoches residents to try local retailers first rather than simply heading out of town to shop. NEDCO also provided the money to fund the radio and TV advertising campaign before the 2008 Christmas shopping season. NOTE: through the month of June, year-to-year sales taxes up 1.87%.
· Bring Jon Schallert Retail Boot Camp to Nacogdoches
STATUS: partnered with CVB, Chamber & Main Street to bring in nationally-renowned retail expert to provide information, tips and guidance to individual retail owners on how to improve their bottom line. This training event took place on October 6, 2009.
· Visits to existing business visits throughout the year.
STATUS: on-going
· Sponsored Job Fair for local companies
STATUS: 23 employers participated and 288 job seekers registered at the job fair, which was held at the University Mall.
· Fill Vacant Retail Space
STATUS: we are working with local retail property owners to help them find tenants for their vacant retail spaces. This also involves NEDCO courting national and regional retail prospects.
Business Creation
· Entrepreneur Incubator Program (with Angelina College SBDC)
STATUS (since October 1, 2008):
o counseled 34 clients from Nacogdoches County
o assisted with 4 business starts, creating 25 new jobs
o assisted in one refinancing that resulted in 35 retained jobs
· Revolving Loan Fund
STATUS: Southwest Scooter Co. received a loan from the City’s RLF in November 2008 to open up a retail store and distribution outlet. Nine new jobs have been created thus far.
Business Attraction
· Biomass Plant
STATUS: $350-$400 million plant in Sacul. Southern Power acquired the project from American Renewables in early October 2009 plans to break ground in early November 2009. The plant should be operational in 2012.
· Minimum Security Federal Correctional Facility
STATUS: the Nacogdoches site did not make the federal Bureau of Prison’s short list and was eliminated from further consideration.
· Timber Springs Retirement Community
STATUS: have been working with the new developers of the Timber Springs project and, pending funding, they hope the break ground by the end of 2009.
· On-going Projects: in addition to Timber Springs and the Biomass Plant, we are currently actively working on three manufacturing projects (that promise to bring in a total of 130 jobs), a large retail project, and a number of smaller retail and hospitality projects. We are also working with a retail developer in hopes of building an additional retail center in Nacogdoches.
NEDCO MEMBERS
Adams, Belanger, Atherto9n and LoStrocco
Alexander & Associates
ANNACCO
AT&T Texas
Austin Bank, Texas
Austin Hollow Development Corp.
Axley & Rode, LLP
BancorpSouth – Fredonia
BancorpSouth Insurance Services/Joe Max Green Insurance Concepts
CAB
Centerpoint Energy
Charles Pool Real Estate, Inc.
Citizens 1st Bank
City of Nacogdoches
County of Nacogdoches
Commercial Bank of Texas
Community Title
Cooper Power Systems
Cox Contractors, Inc.
Curtis & Clark Engineering
Deep East Texas Workforce Development Board
Edward Jones
Elliott Electric
Endura Products/Framesaver
Etech
Express Personnel Services
Fairchild, Price, Haley & Smith
Few Ready Mix Concrete
First Bank & Trust-East Texas
Fredonia Hotel & Convention Center
Huntington State Bank
Hydrex Environmental, Inc.
J.E. Kingham Construction
Joe Max Green Insurance Concepts
KSA Engineers, Inc.
Kelly Services
KTRE
Law Office of Darren Bertin
Lee Container Corporation
Mast Cattle & Timber Investments
Middleking Properties
Nacogdoches Abstract & Title Company
Nacogdoches Coca-Cola Bottling Company
Nacogdoches County Board of Realtors
Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce
Nacogdoches County Farm Bureau
Nacogdoches Independent School District
Nacogdoches Medical Center
Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital
NIBCO
Norbord Nacogdoches
Oncor Electric Delivery
Phillip Foshee & Associates
Pilgrim's Pride Corporation
Point A Media
R & K Distributors
Regions Bank-Stone Fort
Schaumburg & Polk
Southwest Scooter
Smith & Partners Financial Services
Stephen F. Austin State University
Suddenlink Communications
Texas Bank
Texas Farm Products
The Blood Center East Texas
The Daily Sentinel
Timber Springs
Tipton Ford
Woden Independent School District
Workman Enterprises
