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Lifestyle and Business Advantages

Texas offers a long list of reasons for companies to relocate or expand in the Lone Star State, beginning with a high quality of life. From country music to symphonies, from the Dallas Cowboys to stock car racing, Texas has a "ten-gallon" appeal to people with a wide range of individual tastes.

Professional sports, museums and cultural activities abound in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio, while the state capital of Austin has long been known for its dynamic music industry. Padre Island National Seashore on the Gulf Coast, the "piney woods" of northeastern Texas and Big Bend National Park on the Rio Grande are just three of the state's countless outdoor attractions.

Texas residents enjoy a relatively low cost of living and a low tax structure. Housing is generally inexpensive, and builders are constructing new subdivisions in most metro areas at a rapid pace. At the same time, state funding of public education is on the rise, and Texas has a strong network of colleges and universities, including the University of Texas and Texas A&M, two of the largest university systems in the nation. More than half the Texas labor force has some college education, and the state's public institutions of high education grant more than 70,000 degrees each year, including 5,000 from engineering programs.

For businesses, Texas offers other types of advantages.

"Locating in Texas can help minimize long-term operating costs and increase profitability," says Moseley. "Texas offers the lowest fuel and energy costs in the nation. Our highly skilled and motivated work force is available at competitive wages and our state has no personal income tax."

Texas also offers job training incentive grants. For instance, the Smart Jobs Fund provides grants to employers for customized training in manufacturing and other emerging occupations. Texas also has a Skills Development Fund designed to help public community and technical colleges finance customized job training for Texas businesses.

The Texas Enterprise Zone Program is another incentive program for new or expanding businesses. Since 1987, the state's Economic Development Dept. has designated more than 280 enterprise zones, which have drawn more than $9.9 billion in capital and create more than 73,000 jobs. "The Enterprise Zone Program offers incentives to attract new or expanding businesses to economically distressed areas of Texas," says Moseley. "In turn, the program encourages these businesses to create and retain jobs while investing capital into their local economies."

With all these lifestyle and business attractions, it's not surprising that almost every community in Texas is generating new investment. Here is a closer look at recent developments.