TEMPLE, Texas—The Temple Economic Development Corporation (Temple EDC) today
announced the recipients of its 2012 Annual Industry Appreciation Awards at a luncheon held today at the Hilton Garden Inn in Temple. H-E-B, Mars Petcare US and Scott & White Healthcare were awarded.
“Each of these businesses has significantly contributed to the quality of place in our community,” said Lee Peterson, president of the Temple EDC. “Whether it be by growing their businesses, adding more jobs, or partnering with another organization for the greater good of the community, these businesses are not just surviving, but thriving right here in Temple where the economy is relatively strong. We are proud to be in Central Texas where business is good.”
Expansion Project of the Year
The Expansion Project of the Year award recognizes a Temple business with a significant expansion project in terms of capital investment, equipment purchase, and job growth in 2011.
The H-E-B Retail Support Center was awarded Expansion Project of the Year for its significant expansion project. H-E-B added a $20 million, 300,000-square-foot perishable-food distribution facility that broke ground in September 2011 and was completed in April. The new building is adjacent to the existing 480,000-square-foot H-E-B Temple Retail Support Center established in 2009. The perishable-food distribution center is expected to employ 150 additional workers.
Excellence in Workforce
The Excellence in Workforce award recognizes a Temple business with notable success with their workforce development in 2011. This success can be in the area of new job growth, education and training programs for employees, or a unique workforce initiative.
Scott & White Healthcare earned the Temple EDC’s Excellence in Workforce award for collaborating with Workforce Solutions of Central Texas to hire more than 855 local job seekers last year, including 266 claimants and 171 Texas Back to Work (TBTW) eligible claimants. Scott & White developed a strategy with Workforce Solutions’ staff to customize a streamlined approach to the job matching and hiring process to help meet Scott & White’s workforce requirements.
Corporate Partner of the Year
The Corporate Partner of the Year award is presented to a Temple business with substantial involvement in the local community, including active involvement or partnership with a community organization, such as a business organization, charitable organization or the school district.
The Temple EDC recognized Mars Petcare US as the Corporate Partner of the Year for the company’s substantial involvement in the local community. Mars donated 104,000 pounds of pet food from the Temple plant to the local community, which includes the Temple, Waco and Killeen area. Mars is also holding adoption drives that have led to the adoption of eight pets (four dogs and four cats) in the last six months.
The Mars Petcare US 2011 Volunteer Program activities generated more than 250 volunteer hours in the Temple community, including:
• 9 days spent cleaning up Temple parks
• 30 jackets collected from local Mars Petcare associates and donated to two local pantries
• 16 hours spent following Meal on Wheels drivers with Mars Petcare Paws on Wheels pet food distribution program; 1,200 pounds of pet food was donated to needy households with pets
• 16 hours spent at the senior center as part of the Mars Petcare “Bingo Was His Name” Day
• 200 pounds of human food collected from by Mars Petcare associates and donated to three local shelters
Mars has also partnered with the Leadership Temple class and will provide dog-bone-shaped benches for the new Temple Dog Park located within the City of Temple’s Lions Park. Mars Petcare also helped raise money for the Kites and Tails event held April 14.
Comments at the luncheon
Lee Peterson, president of the Temple EDC, emceed the event in which business and community leaders from the Temple area attended. Dr. Eugenio Alemán, director and senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, was the keynote speaker and discussed the national economic recovery and its effect on Texas.
“The Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood MSA never really experienced the house price bubble that affected other parts of the nation, and thus both prices and construction activity has remained rather stable,” Alemán said during his keynote.
“Employment growth in Texas continues to outpace the nation, as a strong growth in the service sector outweighs the drag by the government sector,” he said.
Temple City Councilman Danny Dunn read a proclamation to officially proclaim that April 25 is Industry Appreciation Day in the city.
“Existing industries bring new payroll, new capital investment and new employment
opportunities to Temple,” Temple Mayor Bill Jones said in a City of Temple press release. “Business expansion does not always generate the headlines that recruiting new companies does; however, it is one of the most important elements of our economic development strategy.”
About Temple
Temple, Texas, is a community with a diverse economic base that includes healthcare, distribution and warehousing, and manufacturing as its foundation. Within 200 miles of a population of 19 million, Temple is in a strategic location that is central within the Southwest U.S. marketplace. Visit choosetemple.com.
About H-E-B
H-E-B, with sales of more than $15 billion, operates more than 300 stores in Texas and Mexico. Known for its innovation and community service, H-E-B celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2005. Recognized for its fresh food, quality products, convenient services, and a commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability, H-E-B strives to provide the best customer experience at everyday low prices. Based in San Antonio, H-E-B employs more than 76,000 employees and serves millions of customers in more than 155 communities.
About Mars Petcare US
With headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, and more than 33,000 Associates in 199 locations around the world, Mars Petcare has been in operation for more than 75 years and is one of the world’s leading pet care providers. Mars Petcare makes iconic products including PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, KITEKAT®, BANFIELD®, CESAR®, NUTRO®, SHEBA®, CHAPPI®, GREENIES® and CATSAN®. Mars Petcare is also home to Mars Fishcare, Mars Horsecare, Petservices and The WALTHAM® Centre for Pet Nutrition, which provides the science behind our leading pet care brands.
About Scott and White Healthcare
Scott & White Healthcare is a non-profit collaborative health care system which encompasses one of the nation’s largest multi-specialty group practices. Scott & White provides personalized, comprehensive, high-quality care enhanced by medical education and research to Central Texans in a 29,000-square-mile service area. The system owns, partners or manages 12 hospital sites, two additional announced facilities, more than 65 clinics and a 223,000-plus member health plan.