Issue 76: Jobs
It’s a new quarter and greater:SATX is building on the strong momentum from recent projects that will add thousands of new jobs in the Greater San Antonio region. Our regional partners are central to the work we’re embarking on to change the trajectory of our growth in the coming years. My name is Tom Long and I am the Chief Development Officer at greater:SATX. I recently spoke with a few of our regional partners from New Braunfels, Seguin, Converse, and Cibolo about the strategy and the work ahead.
Let’s state the elephant in the room, we’ve worked together for years now. How is this different?
Dustin Morris, City of Cibolo Economic Development: “As neighboring cities, we always informally work together. Growing companies within our region regardless of city limits is a benefit to us all. Cibolo has been at the table from the start developing the regional strategic framework and each of the regional partners has vested ownership in how we work together to grow smartly, adding great jobs for our residents today and those in the future. Take Toyota as an example. With that major manufacturer in San Antonio, we are thrilled to have their supplier AW Texas adding hundreds of jobs in our community. Formalizing this partnership helps us align in how we recruit impactful employers that create opportunities and jobs multipliers throughout the region.”
Speaking of our manufacturing opportunities, Seguin is growing a significant regional manufacturing hub. How can we continue to build on that momentum with everyone at the table?
Josh Schneuker, Seguin Economic Development Corporation: “We have manufacturers like Caterpillar, Niagara Bottling, Continental Structural Plastics, and Vitesco Technologies growing in Seguin. Manufacturers need land, power, and skilled workers to get the job done. When we focus on selling the entire region, we have a greater pool of assets and we look that much more attractive to a potential company, whether they’re in manufacturing, tech, or other industries we’ve identified to target for growth.”
New Braunfels is notably the other anchor city within our San Antonio-New Braunfels MSA. What do you see as our greatest opportunity in coming together now?
Chester Jenke, New Braunfels Economic Development Corporation: “New Braunfels is proud to be an early adopter to the regional partnership. Working together, we can meet business’ needs for real estate and quality of life, while offering a much deeper pool of talent, utility resources, and unique assets from across the region. It’s a win-win because when we have our entire region at the table, we present a much more compelling pool of assets to any company looking to relocate and grow. They know they have the support of our entire region behind them, and that speaks volumes to who we are and how we continue to support our local businesses even after they locate here.”
We’re also thrilled to have Converse Economic Development Corporation working with us. Jimsi, I understand you’ve worked in a regional economic development model and seen firsthand what it can do?
Jimsi Kuborn, Converse Economic Development Corporation: “Exactly, regional economic development isn’t novel, but it is new to this region and I believe it’s going to strengthen our collective efforts. From my time working in economic development within the Chicago region, I’ve seen how regional partnerships build confidence with the companies and site selectors we work with. They want to know that, as a region, we can work together to pool what’s necessary to make the industry succeed. Larger regional partnerships can make substantial impacts for required resources, infrastructure, and workforce initiatives benefiting the region and the employers collectively. It’s about all of us working together and then making sure that we find the right fit for that company, wherever that may be.”
As the San Antonio region continues to safely open back up for in-person gatherings, it’s an excellent time to visit.
Contact greater:SATX today to book a site visit.