Every year, Economic Development Week serves as a springboard for communities to demonstrate their effectiveness in bolstering businesses, jobs and the local economy. Hosted by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), Econ Dev Week is celebrated by hundreds of participating organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada — building awareness of the people, businesses and economic centers that strengthen regions, states and municipalities.
Temple EDC is accredited by the IEDC and has served as a champion for economic development activity and quality of life in the Central Texas region since 1988. The organization’s 2022 annual report references the more than 2,000 jobs that have been created over the past decade and the 27.13% average increase in annual wages in the past five years.
To celebrate Economic Development Week 2023, we’re taking a look at some of the businesses that have contributed to our region’s economic growth and continue to make Temple a great place to live and work.
Businesses driving change in Temple
Whether a firm has been in Temple for a few months or a few decades, the city’s strengths in talent, infrastructure and business development resources create opportunities for growth and innovation. Here are just a few of the business success stories to come out of the Temple community:
- Fikes: Thanks to strong support from the City of Temple and proximity to a cluster of corporate service businesses, Fikes has seen more than 60 years of success in the community. In 2011 Fikes opened its 19.5-acre headquarters at the Temple Airport Park, a site with more than 100 acres of land currently available for commercial development.
- H-E-B: With more than 1,600 acres of shovel-ready land, Temple is readily able to support the expansion of retail and supply chain businesses like H-E-B. In 2022 the company announced the addition of a frozen food distribution line that would grow the footprint of its existing Temple facility by 325,000 square feet.
- PPG: Also announced in 2022 was a $9 million investment from architectural coatings business, PPG. The project included an expansion to its sealants and adhesives production line and the creation of 12 jobs. In 2020, the company produced and shipped nearly 48 million units of its Liquid Nails and MULCO products from its Temple facility near the NW H K Dodgen Loop.
Supporting businesses and community
Business and workforce development programs are critical to the economic growth and success of a region. Workforce Solutions of Central Texas is one such organization that plays a vital role in connecting local employers with skilled workers.
In partnership with the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce and Central Texas College, Workforce Solutions’ Central Texas Business Resources Center also offers several services specific to small businesses including:
- Business Counseling
- Small Business Workshops
- Entrepreneurship Learning Programs
- Veteran Training Programs
For decades, Temple EDC has been Central Texas’ one stop shop for business development — helping to foster lasting relationships with local, regional and state partners, assembling comparative data and cost analysis, assisting with talent attraction, and securing competitive incentives for qualifying projects. The nonprofit is staffed by a team of economic development experts which includes recently appointed vice president Tom Long, CEcD — a seasoned business development and investment professional with more than three decades of experience in attracting investments, building workforce and growing economies.
Located at the heart of Central Texas, Temple is home to thousands of acres of plug-and-play sites, abundant talent, low taxes and an experienced team of economic development professionals ready to help your business succeed.
Ready to tap into the potential Temple has to offer? Contact us to discuss the benefits of doing business in a state that has been ranked ‘Best for Business’ for 18 consecutive years.