The Heart of Texas Region, which includes the Central Texas counties of McLennan, Falls, Limestone, Freestone, Hill and Bosque, could well be called “the best of the best” in job creation. While Texas stands out as the best state in the nation for job growth, Waco was recently named as the best city in the state for adding new jobs, according to an annual study by the Texas Workforce Commission.

Job growth is just one of the positive indicators that give the Heart of Texas a robust economy. The region is centrally located, almost equidistant from Dallas, Austin and Houston, crisscrossed by major highways and rail lines and home to several colleges and universities devoted to research and economic development.

Low Wages, Skilled Labor Bring New Jobs

“We haven’t had the negative impact from the recession other areas of the country have experienced,” says Kenneth Simons, executive director of the Heart of Texas Council of Governments. “We have an excellent, skilled labor market, relatively low wage rates and a stable housing market. The prospects are bright for our future here in the Heart of Texas.”

Those positives have resulted in some significant relocations and expansions across the region. Waco in McLennan County and Mexia in neighboring Limestone County have together added thousands of new jobs in sectors such as manufacturing and health services. Some rebirth of energy exploration – long a regional economic staple – has also brought expanded facilities.

Cattle ranching is also a big contributor to the region’s economy.

“We have a very balanced economy and are not dependent on any one particular industry segment,” said James Vaughan, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Waco Chamber. “As a result, we are experiencing sure, steady growth.”

Caterpillar Inc. recently opened a precision manufacturing center at its Waco campus, making this the fourth new Caterpillar location to open in Waco since 2005. Caterpillar employs more than 500 workers at its Waco facilities.

Health care and personal product manufacturers have also expanded in the Waco area. Allergan plans to employ more than 600 workers at its pharmaceutical site in Texas Central Park, and Associated Hygienic Products, a leading manufacturer of diapers and training pants, completed a $10 million expansion of its facility, adding more than 200 jobs.

Power plants and mining provide a great deal of employment for the region. Luminant, the state’s largest power-generating company, is in the midst of a 10,000-acre expansion of its Big Brown Mine in Freestone County. This lignite coal deposit will serve the nearby Big Brown Steam Electric Station. Superior Silica Sands LLC, a provider of sand products for the oil and gas service companies, has built a new state-of-the-art processing plant in Kosse, Texas.

Energy Resources, Location Big Pluses for Region   

Tommy Tucker, president of the Mexia Economic Development Commission, says the abundance of energy resources and water are attractive to companies locating in the region. True to its name, the Heart of Texas has another big plus – an ideal location.

“We think we have the best of both worlds,” Tucker says. “We enjoy a rural atmosphere and all of its benefits, but we can easily reach the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex and other major cities.”

Mexia has seen impressive growth in recent years with a major shopping center expansion planned and the third expansion of the Carry-On Trailer plant in recent years.

Carry-On, the largest maker of utility trailers in the world, added 98,000 square feet to its plant and will hire 100 more employees.

Several colleges and universities, including Baylor University, Texas State Technical College and Navarro College, are providing job skills for employees of companies across the region.

Skilled professionals and an ideal location were major factors in Clearview Managed Services’ decision to locate a data center in Waco in 2010, according to Jay Battershell, Clearview’s chief operating and technology officer.

“We have had an excellent experience since locating here,” Battershell says. The abundance of reliable power in the region was another important factor to ensure business continuity for Clearview's clients, he notes. Perhaps one of the greatest assets of the Heart of Texas is the spirit of cooperation that exists among all of the members of the Heart of Texas Council of Governments to make the region attractive to businesses, Kenneth Simons says.

“We are all working closely together for the good of the entire region,” he says.