News

The national news headlines in 2021 shifted dramatically, from wall-to-wall pandemic coverage to stories of extraordinary economic growth and recovery. After a dramatic downturn in 2020, the economy came roaring back with unexpected gusto — and that enthusiasm is reflected in the economic development activity that was bringing smiles an...Continue Reading

Residents of Cedar Creek Lake are getting ready to enjoy the upcoming July Fest to be held July 30 at the Gun Barrel City Park. Historically, a firework show is displayed for attendees to enjoy but the recent disaster declaration made by Henderson County has changed the festivals plans.  “Due t...Continue Reading

Sitting atop a woman’s shoulders was the best way to keep cool for this child as the water came down July 25 during the rain dance at Gun Barrel City Park.  Read full article.Continue Reading

From agriculture to tourism, forestry to manufacturing, rural communities bring their own specific perspectives to economic development. They are proud to promote their unique value propositions, including quality of life advantages, natural beauty, commuter options to larger urban centers but with more affordable housing and amenities, safe, family-friendly environments an...Continue Reading

Proving ROI for quality of place improvements typically centers around job creation and talent attraction. Economic development organizations understand that if their community does not have the workforce, they will likely not attract new companies to their area or see expansions in their local industries. A community's quality of life an...Continue Reading

More workers are finding themselves out of a job (or becoming worried they might soon be) as a string of high-profile companies, mostly startups and in tech, have moved to freeze hiring or even to slash workers and rescind job offers. New unemployment claims edged up to an eight-month high las...Continue Reading

AUSTIN — For the eighth consecutive month, Texas broke job growth records for 2022 by adding 82,500 total nonagricultural jobs in June, and total nonagricultural employment reached 13,431,100, according to data released today by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). “Texas leads the nation once again, creating more jobs and unmatched economi...Continue Reading

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment has fallen to pre-pandemic levels, but that doesn’t mean the workforce is simply returning to normal. In March of 2022, a record 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs, leaving 1.9 job openings for every unemployed worker. According to the Institute o...Continue Reading

GUN BARREL CITY, Texas — Country living, with lake access and lots of growth. It's what makes Gun Barrel City unique, along with its support for one particular presidential candidate - Willie Nelson. It's an eclectic city that brings something for everyone, and it seems like everyone is catching on. Dian...Continue Reading

GUN BARREL CITY–Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB), a statewide grassroots environmental and community improvement non-profit organization, recently named Gun Barrel City Beautification Committee a Gold Star Affiliate, a designation granted to 86 affiliates of KTB’s nearly 300 affiliates. Gold Star recognition is the membership recognition highest status any community affiliate ca...Continue Reading

GUN BARREL CITY–Gun Barrel City Council approved the use of $80,000 out of the Hotel and Motel Fund for an Electric Fall Festival in November. The festival was the idea of Council Member Gary Lerew and Mistletoe Mania Owner and Event Planner Renee Weaver. Both Lerew and Weaver say th...Continue Reading

CEDAR CREEK LAKE–During the April Luncheon of the Cedar Creek Lake Area Chamber of Commerce (CCLACC), members heard about the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program from program President Charlene Heydinger.  PACE is a proven financial tool that incentivizes Texas’ property owners to upgrade facility infrastructure with little or no capita...Continue Reading

In Texas, Dan and Emily find a waterfront home on Cedar Creek Lake that has tons of potential but needs a lot of work. They hope their budget will be enough to give them the open floor plan and modern farmhouse look they desire, turning the dated home into thei...Continue Reading

Website Engages Community Members and Business Owners GUN BARREL CITY, TX -- Gun Barrel City Economic Development Corporation recently launched a newly designed website, created by Golden Shovel Agency, to further strengthen its online presence and to foster economic growth. The website is beautifully designed with unique elements such as a...Continue Reading

Pier 334, the Rebuild of Big Chief Landing: 60 room Boutique Hotel (55 standard rooms and 5 luxury suits) A 20,000 square foot, three-story food and entertainment Pavilion Splash Park Amphitheater and stage A Marina built on floating docks with 40 boat slips 225 parking spots as well as Valet parking A public access fishing dock an...Continue Reading

Profile of the Consultants Survey Respondents At least 80 percent of those responding to our 17th annual Consultants Survey work with manufacturers of durable goods, with some of these consultants also working with other manufacturers, and three quarters are working on distribution/logistics projects. Nearly half represent clients in data processing/computer-related sector...Continue Reading

The challenges faced in 2020 were unlike any other confronted in our lifetime. The global pandemic wreaked havoc on our personal and professional lives and the U.S. and global economies. The Commerce Department reports that U.S. GDP declined 3.5 percent in 2020, with the economy falling into recession in February 202...Continue Reading

When we last took stock of Area Development’s Top States for Doing Business, it was a bit hard to gauge what “doing business” was even supposed to look like. In 2020, the country was riding one wave of COVID-19 after another, mixing times of turmoil and concern with ripples o...Continue Reading

Covid-19 has resulted in wild gyrations in the supply chain with the hard-hit semiconductor industry having a major impact on U.S. auto manufacturing. From its beginning, Covid-19 resulted in auto plants closing around the country while sales of computers and other consumer products skyrocketed. When automakers resumed production, they foun...Continue Reading

It’s no secret that the recipe for economic success usually includes generous portions of innovation and technology. That has been part of the economic development story for many years in such places as Boston, Seattle, the Research Triangle, and Silicon Valley. But just as you can find more and more cutting-edg...Continue Reading

You’re evaluating a new site. It checks all the boxes when it comes to the property, local infrastructure, and business climate. You have one more box to check — labor supply. You’re presented with a hodge-podge of numbers. How can you make sense of it all? And what’s the botto...Continue Reading

It seems like the ultimate good-news story. The shift toward electric vehicles will greatly improve the long-term climate health of the planet. It’ll improve human health, too, by reducing pollution. It’ll create thousands of jobs in new industries, with new manufacturing operations lifting local economies. What’s not to like? Don’t forge...Continue Reading

For nearly two years, the predominant COVID-19 driven incentive compliance issue looming over companies has been the difficulty to achieve and report on headcount performance as part of economic development incentive agreements. The evolving workplace landscape precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic adds another wrinkle to this process. With the trend towar...Continue Reading

The digitizing of the economy is pervasive, whether you’re performing quality control in an automated manufacturing plant; undergoing a medical procedure; operating a container crane at a backed-up West Coast port; launching fabrication of a 3D-printed prototype; or putting the finishing touches on a breakthrough architectural design. Could using our ow...Continue Reading