business images alamo area, tx: 2008

The Deal With Data High-tech equals high growth here

Where the Living Is EasyNewcomers have many housing options

Gateway to the WorldSan Antonio poised to become one of nation’s key inland ports

BUSINESSTM

OF THE ALAMO AREA, TEXAS

imagesalamoarea.com

SPONSORED BY THE ALAMO AREA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS | 2008

BUSINESS

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On the Cover PHOTO BY JEFF ADKINS

The Alamo

OVERVIEW 13

BUSINESS ALMANAC 17

BUSINESS CLIMATE

Working Together 20Business is booming in San Antonio, and it comes as no surprise to the city’s 1.3 million residents.

A Lesson in Economics 23

TRANSPORTATION

Gateway to the World 24The Alamo Area is poised to become one of the nation’s largest international ports, by highway, air and rail.

Cultivating a Commuting Culture 25

The Triangle Effect 26

More Places To Land 29

TECHNOLOGY

The Deal with Data 30From homegrown talent to Microsoft, high-tech equals high growth in the region.

Cyber City, USA 32

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LINKS Click on links to local Web sites and learn more about the business climate, demographics, service

providers and other aspects of life here.

WEATHER Find current conditions, immediate and long-range forecasts and historical averages.

ONLINE VIRTUAL MAGAZINE Flip through pages of Business Images of the Alamo Area on your computer screen, zoom in

to read the articles, and click on the ads to be linked to the Web sites of advertisers.

SHARE E-mail articles to a friend, Digg them, or use the RSS feed function to keep track of content updates.

THE MOVIE Take a virtual tour of the Alamo Area as seen through the eyes of our photographers.

ABOUT THIS MAGAZINE

Business Images of the Alamo Area is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is sponsored by the Alamo Area Council of Governments. In print and online, Business Images gives readers a taste of what makes the Alamo Area tick – from transportation and technology to health care and quality of life.

READ MORE ONLINE

IMAGESALAMOAREA . com

“Find the good – and praise it.”– Alex Haley (1921-1992), Journal Communications co-founder

jnlcom.com

A L A M O A R E A I M A G E S A L A M O A R E A . C O M 5

BUSINESSBUSINESS

contents

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ENERGY

King Oil ... and Gas and Alternative Fuels 34Natural energy resources abound in the region.

MANUFACTURING

Opportunity Knocked 36Texas itself is a big reason why Toyota Motor Corporation decided to construct a $1.28 billion vehicle assembly plant in San Antonio.

QUALITY OF LIFE

Where the Living Is Easy 38Newcomers to the Alamo Area can take their pick of housing options from a variety of neighborhoods.

AGRIBUSINESS

There’s Cattle, of Course, and More 40Agribusiness across the sprawling Alamo Area is much more than cattle ranches.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Calling Home 42Home to AT&T, San Antonio is at the forefront of the innovative and competitive communications industry.

BIOSCIENCES

A Healthy Industry 44San Antonio increasingly is being hailed as a leader in bioscience.

Good Genes are Hard to Find 45

The Prognosis Is Excellent 46

EDUCATION

Masters of Education 48San Antonio is home to a wealth of higher education choices.

Off the Field, They’re a Dynamic Duo 49

ECONOMIC PROFILE 51

contents


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BUSINESS

OF THE ALAMO AREA2008 EDITION, VOLUME 1

C U S TO M M A G A Z I N E M E D I A

SENIOR EDITOR ANITA WADHWANI

COPY EDITOR JOYCE CARUTHERS

ASSOCIATE EDITORS LISA BATTLES,

KIM MADLOM, BILL MCMEEKIN

ASSISTANT EDITOR REBECCA DENTON

STAFF WRITERS CAROL COWAN, KEVIN LITWIN

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT JESSY YANCEY

DIRECTORIES EDITORS AMANDA MORGAN, KRISTY WISE

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS JON BROOKS,

PAM GEORGE, TIM GHIANNI, AMY GREEN, MELANIE HILL,

MICHAELA JACKSON, LEANNE LIBBY, JOE MORRIS,

CINDY SANDERS, JAIME SARRIO

REGIONAL SALES MANAGER CHARLES FITZGIBBON

EXECUTIVE INTEGRATED MEDIA MANAGER AMY NORMAND

ONLINE SALES MANAGER MATT SLUTZ

SALES SUPPORT MANAGER SARA SARTIN

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS JEFF ADKINS,

WES ALDRIDGE, TODD BENNETT,

ANTONY BOSHIER, IAN CURCIO, BRIAN MCCORD

CREATIVE DIRECTOR KEITH HARRIS

WEB DESIGN DIRECTOR SHAWN DANIEL

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR NATASHA LORENS

ASSISTANT PRODUCTION DIRECTOR CHRISTINA CARDEN

PRE-PRESS COORDINATOR HAZEL RISNER

SENIOR PRODUCTION PROJECT MGR. TADARA SMITH

PRODUCTION PROJECT MGRS. MELISSA HOOVER, JILL WYATT

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS LAURA GALLAGHER,

KRIS SEXTON, VIKKI WILLIAMS

LEAD DESIGNER CANDICE HULSEY

GRAPHIC DESIGN JESSICA BRAGONIER,

ALISON HUNTER, JANINE MARYLAND,

LINDA MOREIRAS, AMY NELSON

WEB PROJECT MANAGER ANDY HARTLEY

WEB DESIGN RYAN DUNLAP, CARL SCHULZ

WEB PRODUCTION JILL TOWNSEND

COLOR IMAGING TECHNICIAN CORY MITCHELL

AD TRAFFIC MEGHANN CAREY, SARAH MILLER,

PATRICIA MOISAN, RAVEN PETTY

CHAIRMAN GREG THURMAN

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BOB SCHWARTZMAN

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT RAY LANGEN

SR. V.P./CLIENT DEVELOPMENT JEFF HEEFNER

SR. V.P./SALES CARLA H. THURMAN

SR. V.P./OPERATIONS CASEY E. HESTER

V.P./SALES HERB HARPER

V.P./SALES TODD POTTER

V.P./VISUAL CONTENT MARK FORESTER

V.P./TRAVEL PUBLISHING SYBIL STEWART

V.P/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR TEREE CARUTHERS

MANAGING EDITOR/BUSINESS MAURICE FLIESS

MANAGING EDITOR/TRAVEL SUSAN CHAPPELL

PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR JEFFREY S. OTTO

CONTROLLER CHRIS DUDLEY

ACCOUNTING MORIAH DOMBY,

RICHIE FITZPATRICK, DIANA GUZMAN,

MARIA MCFARLAND, LISA OWENS

RECRUITING/TRAINING DIRECTOR SUZY WALDRIP

COMMUNITY PROMOTION DIRECTOR CINDY COMPERRY

DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR GARY SMITH

MARKETING DIRECTOR KATHLEEN ERVIN

IT SYSTEMS DIRECTOR MATT LOCKE

IT SERVICE TECHNICIAN RYAN SWEENEY

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER PEGGY BLAKE

CUSTOM SALES SUPPORT PATTI CORNELIUS

SALES COORDINATOR JENNIFER ALEXANDER

OFFICE MANAGER SHELLY GRISSOM

Business Images of the Alamo Area is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed through the Alamo Area Council of Governments . For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080 or by e-mail at [email protected].

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:Alamo Area Council of Governments8700 Tesoro Dr., Suite 700 • San Antonio, TX 78217-6228Phone: (210) 362-5200• Fax: (210) 225-5937www.aacog.com

VISIT BUSINESS IMAGES OF THE ALAMO AREA ONLINE AT IMAGESALAMOAREA.COM

©Copyright 2008 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent.

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8 I M A G E S A L A M O A R E A . C O M A L A M O A R E A

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100 Dolorosa, Suite 120A • San Antonio, Texas 78205-3042 • (210) 335-0667

Bexar CountyS U P P O R T S YO U R E C O N O MIC D E V E L O P M E N T

Standing (left to right): Commissioner Paul Elizondo, County Judge Nelson Wolff, Commissioner Sergio “Chico” RodriguezSeated (left to right): Commissioner Tommy Adkisson, Commissioner Lyle Larson

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LIVE LINKSHot links allow users to quickly link to other sites

for additional information, and an ad index allows you to easily locate local advertisers in the magazine.

SEARCH AND YOU SHALL FINDAn easy-to-use search function allows you to fi nd specifi c articles or browse content by subject.

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Fredericksburg

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Boerne

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Bandera

Dilley

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Alamo Area

SEE VIDEO ONLINE | Take a virtual tour of the Alamo Area at imagesalamoarea.com, courtesy of our award-winning photographers.

WELCOME TO THE ALAMO AREAWith the nation’s seventh largest city – San Antonio – at its center, the Alamo Area

encompasses far more than the famous battle site.

The 12-county Alamo Area covers more than 11,000 square miles of urban, rural and

suburban territory. It is home to high-tech industry and agriculture, aerospace and

auto manufacturing, first-class colleges and universities, and the scenic beauty of

lakes, forests and ranchlands.

The Alamo Area Council of Governments, a voluntary association of cities, counties

and special government districts, promotes unified development of the region.

For more information about doing business in the Alamo Area, contact:

Alamo Area Council of Governments

8700 Tesoro Dr., Suite 700

San Antonio, Texas 78217-6228

Phone: (210) 362-5200

Fax: (210) 225-5937

www.aacog.com


overview

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1. Strategic LocationApproximately equidistant from the East and West

Coasts of the United States and along the NAFTA

Corridor between Mexico and Canada, the Alamo

Area encompasses 12 counties with the nation’s

seventh-largest city, San Antonio, as its hub.

2. Quality of LifeWhether you enjoy the arts, culture, shopping

and nightlife San Antonio has to offer, the diverse

housing options of suburban living or the tranquility

of small-town life, the Alamo Area has it all – within

commuting distance.

3. TransportationPort San Antonio is emerging as one of the nation’s

premiere inland international ports, and an extensive

network of highways, rail and airports make

transportation the region’s strongest asset.

4. Thriving and Diversified IndustriesManufacturing, biotechnology, distribution and

military enterprises have all found the Alamo Area

to be fertile ground for their growing businesses.

5. Low Cost-of-LivingHousing prices are among the lowest in the

nation, making it an attractive location for relocating

families who find they can get a lot more in return

for their housing dollars here.

6. Scenic Beauty The Alamo Area can lay claim to three things that

make it a standout in Texas: trees, water and hills.

Hiking, biking, fishing, kayaking and tubing are

popular outdoor activities.

7. A Skilled and Adaptable WorkforceThe region offers top education and workforce

training institutes.

8. Favorable Tax ClimateThe State Business Tax Climate Index ranked Texas

as having the sixth best business tax environment

in the nation. Local officials work hard to create

favorable tax incentives for business.

9. Recreation The Alamo Area has an abundant supply of

recreational activities, from boating and fishing

to museums and festivals to retail shopping and

small-town antique adventures.

10. An Ideal ClimateThe subtropical climate is consistently mild, with

average monthly temperatures in the 50s in winter

and 80s in summer.

TOP TEN REASONS TO DO BUSINESS IN THE ALAMO REGION

The Alamo Area has a wealth of golf courses.

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overview

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IT’S PRONOUNCED ‘GREEN’The entire community of Gruene has been designated a historic

town by the state of Texas.

Henry D. Gruene founded the town – whose name is pronounced

like the color green – in 1872. His first home is now known as the

Gruene Mansion Inn and is one of many local sites on the National

Register of Historic Places.

Other interesting attractions include Gruene Hall, which is the oldest

dance hall in Texas. Well-known entertainers who have performed

there include George Strait, Willie Nelson and Lyle Lovett. The line

dance scene from the movie Michael, starring John Travolta, was

filmed there.

Gruene is also known for its antique shopping, wine tasting, river

tubing and variety of lodging options.

OUT OF DEER CHOW?One of the largest suppliers

of high-end wildlife ranching

products in the United States

is located in Atascosa County.

Atascosa Wildlife Supply

provides a wide range of wildlife

management tools that range

from corporate hunting blinds to

wildlife feeders. The feeders can

range in size from tailgate feeders

to 3,000-pound farm feeders.

The company also manufactures

several foods for wild animals,

as well as a complete line of

hunting accessories. There

are 40 Atascosa Wildlife Supply

dealers throughout Texas, with 15

located in the Alamo Area alone.

HOWDY, DUDESYee-hah from Bandera County,

Texas, which calls itself the

“Cowboy Capital of the World.”

The county has several dude

ranches that draw amateur and

professional cowboys from all

over the United States. Bandera

is home to ranch tours, rodeos,

honky tonks, and a variety of

horseback riding opportunities.

One of its more popular festivals

is called Cowboys on Main, which

features an extensive western

cowboy exhibit in front of the

Bandera County Courthouse.

The festival also showcases

numerous entertainers

strolling along Main Street.

GEM OF A BUSINESSJames Avery Craftsman has been a shining example of a successful enterprise

ever since it started in 1965.

The company of 350 employees designs, manufactures, markets and sells

its own product line of fine jewelry for men and women. Its selections range

from sterling silver to 14-carat yellow gold and 18-carat white gold, and it

offers 1,100 designs and 14,000 separate jewelry items.

Its headquarters and a manufacturing plant are in Kerrville, plus there are plants in

Fredericksburg, Hondo and two in Comfort. Nearly 50 James Avery retail stores are

in Texas, Colorado, Georgia, Louisiana and Oklahoma.


business almanac

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KING REBOOG RULESYou don’t have to be nuts to attend the Floresville Peanut Festival.

The annual festival recognizes the importance of the peanut to

Southwest Texas agriculture and is always held on the second

weekend in October. Businesses throughout Floresville hang peanut

plants in front of their buildings to mark the arrival of the season.

Festival activities include the Goober Games for children and a Queen

Tunaep (peanut spelled backwards) and King Reboog (goober spelled

backwards) pageant. There is also a carnival, parade,

street dance, fiddler’s contest, peanut brittle

contest, arts and crafts and live music.

Peanut products available for purchase include

peanut brittle, homemade peanut

butter, peanut cookies, roasted

peanuts, pies and ice cream.

HURRAY, IT’S DOVE SEASONIt is never lonely at the annual

Lonesome Dove Fest.

The Karnes City Rotary Club hosts

the annual event each September

to celebrate the opening weekend

of dove hunting season in the

South Texas zone. Activities

include a parade, barbecue cook-

off and live music entertainment,

with most events taking place at

the Karnes County Show Barn.

The festival also features a Youth

Day that offers several hundred

area high school students mini-

seminars in firearm safety,

resource and wildlife management

and general outdoor activities.

THAT’S A HUGE PECANIt weighs a delicious 1,000

pounds, but it is not edible.

The self-proclaimed world’s

largest pecan sits in front of

Sequin City Hall in Texas.

The ceramic sculpture was the

brainchild of a local dentist and

was erected in 1962. The pecan is

five feet long, 2 1/2 feet wide and

weighs a little more than half a ton.

The unusual artistic landmark

is dedicated to Cabeza de Vaca,

a Spanish explorer who was held

captive afloat for 10 years on the

Guadalupe River, known then in

the 1500s as the “River of Nuts.”

The Spaniard thrived on a diet

of local pecans.

POTATOES, PEANUTS AND PIONEERSAgriculture is pretty big in Frio County. Why else would there be a statue devoted to the watermelon in the town of Dilley, and a sculpture of the World’s Largest Peanut in the county seat of Pearsall? Plus Pearsall is home to an annual Potato Fest.

There are also plenty of cattle in Frio County, but there is also a lot of oil and natural gas production. And the community also hosts an annual Pioneer Days to celebrate the way life in Texas used to be, in rougher and tougher times.

One of the highlights of Pioneer Days is a tour of the Old Frio County Jail, which is now a museum devoted to those rougher days. The old jail was unusual because prisoners were locked up in the jail upstairs, and the county sheriff had living quarters downstairs.


business almanac

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The Alamo Area Council of Governments brings the region together

Business is booming in the San Antonio area, and it comes as no surprise to the city’s 1.3

million residents. Conveniently positioned along the I-35

corridor and just a short drive from Mexico, the first-class city has become an international hub for industries ranging from manufacturing to bio-medicine. Its status as a preferred place to live and work has helped make San Antonio the seventh largest city in the U.S., outranking Dallas, San Jose and Detroit.

Newcomers to the San Antonio area

are soon pleased to discover much more than a mild climate and affordable cost of living. A dynamic regionalism move-ment initiated by the Alamo Area Council of Governments more than 40 years ago means the area also offers a cohesive workforce of more than 900,000 and positive working relationships among the area’s diverse communities and governing bodies.

“Employers want to know, ‘If I move and make an investment in the region, will it in fact be sustainable?’ Those are the answers San Antonio has been able

to provide,” says Al Notzon, former exec-utive director of the Alamo Area Council of Governments from 1971-2007.

Today, AACOG’s 100 member gov-ernments, including 12 active and participating counties work together daily to meet the regional challenges and promote the regional strengths of the region.

“Everyone has their own interest, but regionalism says you work at those interests while remembering the times you helped your neighbors and also needed their help. That’s the kind of

Working

Businesses are relocating to the New Braunfels area, where small-town charm and a thriving industrial sector coexist. PHOTO BY JEFF ADKINS

Together


business climate


consciousness we’re trying to promote – neighboring towns working together,” Notzon says. “When people come together, they’re not wasting time building turf wars or duplicating staff or services.”

The voluntary council serves 11,354 square miles in the Alamo Area/State Planning Region 18 and has been instru-mental in the planning of dozens of local and regional programs, from aging and mental health services to homeland secu-rity, transportation services and rural workforce programs. The council also helped implement the region’s 9-1-1 sys-tem and has been extensively involved in improving air and water quality through-out the area. Working with member

governments, the council helped estab-lish the Alamo WorkSource Board as well as the Alamo Area Regional Law Enforcement Academy.

“Because members put part of their budget into the council, it becomes a true service bureau for each region,” Notzon says of the council, whose 300-member staff now operates with an annual budget of $42 million. “We have to stay responsive to the needs of local governments and they have to feel like they’re getting their money’s worth.”

Those needs extend far beyond Bexar County into its neighboring counties, which Notzon says are an equally impor-tant part of the council’s mission.

“If we serve a region, we serve every-one,” he says. “Through collaborative efforts, we bring everyone to the table, both small and large. Every area has its own role in economic development.”

From the Wal-Mart Distribution Center in New Braunfels to Continental Automotive Systems and Commercial Metals Company plants operating in nearby Seguin, the region’s success can be felt throughout every urban and rural setting in the Alamo Area.

“There’s no question in my mind about the region’s continued growth,” Notzon says.

“If you’re global, we become a logical place to locate.” – Melanie Hill

Groups Unite to Form Military Task ForceREGION READIES ITSELF FOR ECONOMIC IMPACT OF BRAC IMPLEMENTATION

The Alamo Area region is gearing up for a major

military build up in the near future. According to Kara

Hill, Senior Economic Development Analyst/Military

Liaison with Bexar County, as a result of the Base

Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 2005 actions, in the

next five years, military missions in Bexar County will

experience a number of realignments and expansions,

including the relocation of approximately 11,000 new

personnel to Fort Sam Houston.

Consequently, Bexar County and the Alamo Area

will become the home of all military medical training

for enlisted personnel worldwide as well as the new

home for a number of headquarters operations,

including the Army Contracting Agency and

Installation Management Functions for both the Air

Force and Army. Bexar County has partnered with

the City of San Antonio and the Greater San Antonio

Chamber of Commerce to form the Military

Transportation Task Force (MTTF), which serves

as the focal point for the community-wide effort to

successfully implement the BRAC recommendations.

As the initial planning stages for BRAC

implementation start to wrap-up, the impacts BRAC

will have on this community are becoming more

apparent. These actions will benefit the area economy

not only by the immediate infusion of investment and

construction dollars, worth about $2.3 billion, but will

also provide significant opportunities for the area

workforce and businesses, as well as the possibility

for further recruitment and attraction of support

companies to Bexar County. This is a big boom for

not only Bexar County, but for the entire Alamo Area.


business climate


Few are as knowledgeable about San Antonio’s diverse business climate as Mario Hernandez. As president of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation,

the Texas native is tasked with bringing new job-producing investments to the area – a mission he’s accomplished repeatedly during his 18-year tenure.

“San Antonio has one of the better economic development programs in the country,” he says. “It’s a growth area that will be an economic success for many years to come.”

When he’s not luring new employers to the city, the grand-father of three enjoys cheering on the Spurs, golfing, hunting and reading in the community he’s called home for more than 20 years.

QHow is the Alamo region recruiting and welcoming businesses and professionals?

AWe make a continued, concerted effort to recruit jobs. We know growth occupations have to be a part of the

economic mix if we want to keep businesses and professionals in this area, so we target specific industries in growth sectors. It helps us retain high-level professionals as well.

QWhat kinds of businesses are a good fit here?

AThere are a lot of opportunities in diverse sectors, but information services, technology, computer security and

data centers are some of the largest. Microsoft is building a billion-dollar data center here. We’ve also had a lot of success in manufacturing. Toyota opened a big plant here, and it’s helped grow the city’s manufacturing sector four percent in the last four years. Healthcare is the single largest public sector employer in the region, with 114,000 employees. More of the big regional distribution facilities are here as well, including Home Depot and many others tied to the homebuilding and retail industry. Financial sectors also comprise a really strong growth sector.

QWhat types of business clusters have emerged?

AInformation technology, computer security and health-care are the main areas. We have a Texas Research Park

in the northwest part of the Metro area where we incubate a lot of those businesses.

QWhy do businesses choose to relocate to the area and why do entrepreneurs find this an

attractive place to start a business?

ABusinesses find the necessary infrastructure and both skilled and unskilled labor that they need. The city also

has a cost of living that is five to ten percent below the national average. There’s also a level of predictability with good labor and infrastructure for years to come.

QWhat training resources are available for companies and individuals?

AThere’s a central entity called Alamo WorkSource, which is our regional training operation tied to the Texas

Workforce Commission. They handle state, local and federal delivery systems all in one place. They provide identification, screening and training for new employees and work very closely with Alamo Community College District, which is one of the largest junior college systems in the United States.

– Melanie Hill

A Lesson in Economic DevelopmentBUSINESSES ARE FINDING NEW REASONS TO CALL ALAMO AREA HOME

Mario Hernandez stands in front of a sculpture titled The Torch of Friendship by Mexican sculptor Sebastian.

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By air, rail, road and sea, San Antonio is becoming a choice international port

The Alamo Area is poised to become one of the nation’s largest international ports, by highway, air, rail and sea.

With the ongoing development of Port San Antonio at the former Kelly Air Force Base, a Union Pacific railroad hub under construction and highway improvements, the region is capitalizing on its location.

San Antonio is perched on Interstate 10, halfway between the east and west coasts. Interstate 35, traveling north and south, gives San Antonio a prime location on the NAFTA Corridor connecting Canada and Mexico. And Interstate 37 provides easy access to the Gulf Coast at Corpus Christi.

The rail system is undergoing significant improvements as well.

Kyle Burns, president and CEO of Free Trade Alliance San Antonio, says investments such as Union Pacific’s $90 million terminal, under construction, “will strengthen San Antonio’s position as a global logistics hub.”

Already the city “is at the crossroads of the North American Free Trade Agreement area. With I-10 and I-35, you can access any of the three markets (Mexico, Canada and the U.S.) from here and enjoy a low cost of living and a great life.”

The Union Pacific terminal will add to both the trade and lifestyle pluses of San Antonio. “It will keep trucks off the road and allow more to go on rail,” Burns says. “It’s going to make (San Antonio) a lot more accessible for companies to do things more cost effectively.”

Port San Antonio, the former Kelly Air Force Base, “got a

Gateway

Investments in the expansion of rail networks are strengthening the Alamo Area’s position as a global logistics hub.

Worldto the


transportation

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Cultivating a Commuting CultureREGIONAL TRANSPORTATION A GAS-SAVING ALTERNATIVE

Alamo Area Council of

Governments vans soon may

begin transporting commuters

from the 11 rural counties

surrounding Bexar County

to work in San Antonio

or other sites in the bustling

Alamo Area.

At least that’s the hope of

Beverly Lutz, transportation

manager for the Alamo Area

Council of Governments.

“We have 12 counties in our

region: Bexar County (including

San Antonio) is in the middle,”

says Lutz.

She says the project is in the

exploratory stages.

Currently, AACOG is seeking

a pool of businesses interested

in participating in the van-

pooling idea.

“We would need to find 10 or 15

people who are going in the same

direction and put them together,”

she says.

The AACOG plan is to provide

vans and find riders, and then

from that pool find drivers to

volunteer in exchange for the

cost of transportation.

Lutz says timing is critical,

since the cost of fuel is high

and commuters may be seeking

alternatives. In addition, she says,

it would help air quality and traffic

flow within the region as well as

in the congested San Antonio area.

While the commuter van idea

is being explored, Alamo Regional

Transit (ART) already provides

public transportation services

in the AACOG region counties.

“We work as a demand-

response transportation service,”

Lutz says, meaning people

call AACOG and schedule

appointments for pickup. ART

takes riders to adult daycare,

senior nutrition centers, medical

appointments, dialysis treatments,

work, training and elementary

schools. Other passengers travel

to San Antonio for job training

and work.

ART’s 66 vehicles, including

vans and different types of

buses, make between 8,000

and 10,000 trips per month

for the rural counties.

The intermodal facility in Kerrville

shares office space with Coach

USA/Kerrville Bus Company.

Lutz says citizens can arrange

for transportation from ART from

their homes to the Kerrville facility,

where they can board buses to

begin journeys throughout the U.S.

– Tim Ghianni

whole new life for shipping, distribution and manufacturing” when it was turned into a trade hub, according to Stephanie Ramsey, vice president of marketing.

The 300 acres of railport industrial property includes about 70 “rail-served acres.” The port has invested in interchange tracks and a switch engine to bring rail cars into the distribution center. Rail containers can “either be unloaded into the buildings or onto the trans-load pads and then picked up by trucks,” Ramsey says.

“Already, we have had copper ore coming in from Idaho into our rail port, where it was trans-loaded into trucks and went to the port of Houston and then on to Hanover, Germany.”

The same process gets goods to and from manufacturers and seaports in Mexico.

Enhancing the port’s development is the fact that it “is serviced by a 11,500-foot runway, which is one of the largest in the country,” Ramsey says.

On one side of the strip is Lackland Air Force Base. “On the Port San Antonio side, we have approximately 575 acres that we will be developing for office f lex space and warehouse area, and we will be completing construction on an almost 90,000-square-foot cargo terminal” by the first of this year, says Ramsey.

“We are a formidable location for a logistics platform,” she says.

Jeff Webb, vice president of the Austin/San Antonio Corridor Council, says his organization is involved in logistics upgrades enhancing the growth of the entire NAFTA hub.

“The largest economic development in the state of Texas” is the State Highway 130 project, a 90-mile toll road that will

connect the area north of Austin with Seguin, just east of San Antonio.

“The road is like a river of commerce: Growth comes with it,” says Webb, of the project which is set for completion in 2012.

“What we are technically doing is pushing the cities of San Antonio, Austin and all the cities in between to the east,” he says of the toll road project that eventually will run virtually parallel to I-35, but will divert much of the traffic from that road that cuts through both cities.

“Over a million trucks from Mexico pass through San Antonio and Austin each year,” Webb says. “That’s 8,000-10,000 a day. And they obviously impact this region.”

– Tim Ghianni

Port San Antonio’s new terminal is expected to generate a $2.48 billion economic impact over the next 20 years.

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Trio of cities positioned as ideal distribution center hub

Guadalupe County seat Seguin, nearby Comal County seat New Braunfels and Hays County seat

San Marcos are partnering to sell their stretch of the Alamo Area as ideal for distribution centers.

The three cities are within easy high-way travel of one another – and just a few miles from San Antonio.

And, increasingly, distribution centers and warehouses are finding the munic-ipal triangle they form an ideal location.

“Technically, the signs say we are 32 miles from San Antonio, but we have clocked the mileage and it’s really 11 miles from the outer city limits,” says Seguin’s Kate Silvas, assistant director of economic development. What’s more important to economic growth is that Seguin is 14 miles east of New Braunfels, which is 14 miles south of San Marcos,

which is 13 miles northwest of Seguin.And local officials are finding ways

to get the word out.Together, the Economic Development

Partnership of Central Texas represents all three cities and emphasizes “strategic location” to lure distribution centers, according to Rusty Brockman, director of economic development for the New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce.

Interstate 10 also runs through the region en route from Houston to El Paso and I-35 as it connects Austin and San Antonio.

State Highway 130, a toll road that eventually will go from Georgetown (north of Austin) and all the way to I-10, roughly parallels I-35 and passes within honking distance of all three cities.

New Braunfels’ Brockman says the two interstates already make the triangle

Even as the Alamo region gears up to increase its transportation capacity, it is already poised to become a distribution center hub. PHOTO BY JEFF ADKINS



City of Windcrest • 8601 Midcrown • Windcrest, TX 78239

For more information, contact the Windcrest Economic Development Corporationat (210) 967-9381 or visit www.windcrest.ci.tx.us.

Windcrest, Texas …T h e p o s s i b i l i t i e s a r e e n d l e s s . B e c o m e a p a r t o f t h e v i s i o n .

attractive. The toll road, to be completed by 2012, will boost the distribution hub’s value even further, he says.

“We are in an ideal place to be able to garner distribution facilities,” Brockman says, adding that the regional airport in New Braunfels and 42 daily freight trains along the Union Pacific routes out of San Antonio enhance the options for this development.

Distribution centers are taking notice.In Comal County, Wal-Mart operates

a 1.5 million-square-foot distribution center. Ashley Furniture’s distribution center in Comal County has a quarter-million square-foot distribution center. And the county is also home to the 300,000-square-foot Lack’s Furniture distribution center.

A California development group has built a 224,300-square-foot warehouse facility in Seguin “that is first-class in terms of properties that are on the market right now,” Silvas says.

Some 164,000 square feet of space is available right now. The rest is occupied by a contractor that makes plastic storage bags for Wal-Mart, she adds.

Silvas says real estate developers have closed a deal for 500 acres in western Seguin that will be turned into “a multi-use retail, residential and industrial development.”

New Braunfels’ Brockman notes that

more than 400 acres are being developed near the regional airport as land ideal for use in this distribution hub.

As Silvas says: “I believe we are primed for the future.”

– Tim Ghianni

Wal-Mart is among the latest companies to establish a distribution center in the area, lured by accessible transportation and the low cost of doing business.

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Regional airports invest in infrastructure

Hondo Airport needed a little gas to attract the growing market of corporate travelers. Literally.

Airport managers knew if they were going to convince more corporations to f ly private jets in and out of the Medina County airport, they needed to install self-service aircraft fuel stations.

“Having an airport without fuel is like having a hotel without beds,” says manager Timothy Fousse. “The object is to make the airport more viable to local pilots and companies that want to locate here.”

Hondo isn’t the only area airport making changes to attract this growing group of airline elite. Regional airports in

Fredricksburg and Kerrville are making upgrades to boost traffic, and are among the local airports investing millions to expand runways, build new hangers and offer more accom-modations for those passing through.

“A lot of it has to do with the challenges of airline f light and the increased security and delays,” says Dave Fulton, Director of Aviation for the Texas Department of Transportation, which provided funding for many of the upgrades. “Business individuals want to go from Point A to Point B that might not necessarily be served by an airline.”

But travelers aren’t the only ones expected to benefit from the growth.

In Hondo, general aviation tenants and visitors at the airport are responsible for nearly $15.2 million in total economic output, 95 full-time jobs, and $4.1 million in payroll, according to a 2005 Department of Transportation study. Officials expect those numbers to increase as more businesses relocate to Hondo to take advantage of the airport’s five runways.

Kerrville opened a new terminal and parking lot to help travelers get in and out more easily, which officials say will increase access to local motels and shopping.

Gillespie County Airport, which serves the city of Fredericksburg, offers easy access for the area’s growing tourism industry. Airport officials say that’s been boosted with the addition of a new terminal and a longer runway, which allows access to larger jets.

“I think we’re looking to the future and seeing us accom-modating more jet traffic,” says Roger Hansen, Airport Manager. “The county is growing, and we know it.”

– Jaime SarrioHondo Municipal Airport is making the move to accommodate more corporate travel by installing self-service fuel pumps.

LandMore Places To



From homegrown talent to Microsoft, high-tech equals high growth

Once a suburb in a slump, the city of Windcrest is on the fast track for revitalization.

Most notable is the extreme makeover of the area’s deserted mall. Rackspace is taking over the 1.2 million-square-foot space, with plans to relocate more than 1,000 employees there in 2008 and thousands more by December 2012.

“If you just take the salary calculations, that’s a $300 million salary base in the area,” Ray Watson, executive director of Windcrest’s Economic Development Corporation, says of Rackspace’s impact. “This is an opportunity for us to have highly skilled jobs in a fast-growing industry. With the air-port and downtown nearby, we are ideal for new development.”

Rackspace’s commitment has spurred renewed interest in the area, including talk of a $200 million, master-planned residential development. Another sure sign of economic confi-dence: Starbucks recently opened its first Windcrest location.

Rackspace, headquartered in San Antonio, helps companies of all sizes host and manage their Web presence.

“We have large data centers that have thousands and thousands of computers hooked to the Internet,” said

People said Rackspace would never make it in San Antonio. Now, the company is expanding to nearby Windcrest.

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The availability of sites such as the empty Windsor Park Mall is drawing data centers like Microsoft and Rackspace.

company spokeswoman Annalie Drusch. “They all have special cooling and monitoring systems to make sure the sites stay up and running.”

The company employs 1,400 people locally and 1,800 worldwide, and has seen 60 percent growth a year for seven years. The average Rackspace salary, Drusch says, is $51,000.

“We love San Antonio,” Drusch says. “We feel like we have the secret San Antonio advantage. In the dot-com days, people said we would never make it here. They said we had to go to the Silicon Valley or at least Austin. But San Antonio has the universities, the schools, the military, which mean we’re able to find the talent we need.”

Community support, Drusch says, has been constant, noting the cities of San Antonio, Windcrest and Bexar County, as well as the state, worked cooperatively on the mall agreement.

“San Antonio is a wonderful place to build a company,” she says. “It has a stable IT environment and is very supportive of entrepreneurs.”

Spaces with large f loor plans and ample parking like the old mall are ideal for information technology companies.

New construction is also under way, with Microsoft’s 477,000-square-foot data center scheduled for completion in mid-2008 in San Antonio.

“With 100 employees, it isn’t huge, but the investment of $1 billion over 7 years is,” says Mario Hernandez, president of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation. “It’s very exciting. Having Microsoft’s name here focuses attention on IT here.”

Hernandez says the San Antonio area is experiencing a boom in technology jobs. Banks, investment firms and other agencies have moved data centers to the area, creating thousands of jobs requiring advanced degrees.

San Antonio’s powerful combination of infrastructure, low costs and a strong labor force, Hernandez says, increasingly is attracting corporate America’s attention.

“The service sector is the largest part of our prospect activity,” Hernandez says. “We have 104 companies looking at San Antonio, and more than 40 percent have some type of IT facility.”

– Leanne Libby



With its military roots, San Antonio has a lock on the security industry

Cyber

ISI Security Group CEO Sam Youngblood says his business in equipping prisons and jails with security systems has grown tremendously since Sept. 11. The trend has made San Antonio home to a cluster of security companies. PHOTO BY JEFF ADKINS

What’s keeping our nation’s financial industry locked down and secure? Odds are one of the many security companies located in the San

Antonio region. Named one of the Top 10 cities in America for information

assurance by Information Week, San Antonio’s mix of military manpower, academic know-how and a prepared workforce is earning it the nickname “Cyber City.”

Thanks to the city’s strong military presence, most notably the Air Force Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency and the 67th Network Warfare Wing, San Antonio’s become a breeding ground for a growing industry of infor-mation security developers who work on the Web and with digital hardware.

But even though these companies are based in San Antonio, they’re building prestige by doing business around the globe.

Mark Bell is vice president of security and compliance operations for Digital Defense, a San Antonio company that serves financial companies with assets from $10 million to more than $25 billion. He says the military has helped breed some of the most innovative business owners in the security industry.

“Lots of these guys are ex-military, and they start out in military intelligence,” he says. “The military is always cutting edge, and eventually that technology makes it into the marketplace.”

Bell himself, who joined the company shortly after it opened in 2000, is also currently serving in the U.S. Air Force Reserves as a security engineer. He says Digital Defense primarily helps companies assess their cyber risks and also

the safety of the actual workplace. “With the nature of the Internet, the threat has really

changed from someone coming in with a mask and a gun and robbing a credit union to robbing you without having to show their face,” he says.

Other companies concentrate their services in more obvious areas of need, such as the corrections industry. ISI Security Group, which was bought in July 2007 by Argyle Security and is headquartered in San Antonio, furnishes security systems and equipment to prisons and jails across the United States and internationally.

Sam Youngblood, CEO of ISI, says the security industry has boomed since Sept. 11th, and that’s had an effect on the San Antonio business industry.

“San Antonio has busted loose over the last few years,” he says. “There’s no longer a small group controlling the major economy in this city, and I think that’s a good thing. On the other hand, it still has a small-town feel, which is really nice.”

Another factor in the growing industry is the academic community’s interest.

The University of Texas San Antonio has recently opened the Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security, which is working to research new techniques and to help other cities plan for a cyber attack.

Jeffrey Kantor, the Center’s Senior Associate Vice President for Research Development, says he doesn’t believe the need for cyber security will slow down anytime soon.

“There’s a whole other issue when you go wireless,” says Kantor. “When you send things wirelessly, and anyone can pick them up.” – Jaime Sarrio

City, USA


technology technology


Natural energy sources play key role in region’s economy

The Alamo Area is rich in natural resources, not the least of which are oil and gas.

“Besides agriculture and catt le ranching, oil and gas are the main pro-ducts of the county,” says Ralph Morgan, 911 coordinator for Frio County. “We have a lot of cattle ranching, and the cattle graze around oil pump jacks.”

In Frio County, just 70 miles south of San Antonio, farmland sits atop oil and

Economythe

gas reserves. There are two large oil fields and several oil service companies. Many local residents depend on the energy industry for their livelihood.

Both Tesoro Corporation and Valero Energy Corporation, two of the largest refiners in the nation, are headquartered in San Antonio. Valero refines 3.1 million barrels of oil per day in refineries around the country, and the company has nearly 6,000 retail outlets in 44 states and across Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean. Tesoro processes more than 660,000 barrels of oil per day and operates more than 900 retail outlets.

Oil and gas are prominent natural resources in the Alamo Area, but they are by no means the only ones. Lignite mining began in Atascosa County in the 1980s, and the operation is a vital part of the local economy.

“When you look at the tax rolls, it’s hard to say how many millions of dollars the coal mine and the power plant pro-vide to the area,” says Dan Nick, city manager in Jourdanton who was the business manager at the mine for 17

years. Together, the mine and the mine employ approximately 500 people.

Many of the industry’s employees drive into Atascosa County for their jobs, broadening the inf luence of the operation, Nick says. The plant and the mine also draw job applicants from other parts of the country.

“When you look at the purchase of homes and the kids going to school and the purchase of vehicles and food and other necessities, definitely it’s a big impact,” he says.

Due to its bundant water supply, large coal reserves and immediate access to transportation and pipeline availability, Frio County is moving toward the pro-duction of alternative fuels, according to Morgan.

“We have the proven ability to grow crops that can be converted not only to biodiesel but to biomass as well,” he says. Biomass is used in the ethanol process.

“We could become a net exporter of diesel products just by going green on our marginal land.”

– Michaela Jackson

Valero Energy Corp., headquartered in San Antonio, is the largest oil refiner in the United States and among the largest retail operators.J

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OpportunityKnocked

San Antonio was surprising choice for Toyota plant


739-GF3(pg. 35),GF4(manuf. pg.36GF4 GF4 3/31/08 11:51:54 AM

Texans love pickup trucks, and Toyota hopes more Texans will be thinking “Tundra” when they choose a new pickup truck.

Texas itself is a big reason why Toyota Motor Corp. decided in 2003 to construct a new $1.28 billion vehicle assembly plant in San Antonio. The plant began manufacturing Tundra full-size pickups in November 2006 and can produce 200,000 trucks a year if desired.

“Five years ago when Toyota was starting to look at possible sites for its Tundra plant, San Antonio was nowhere on their radar,” says Mario Hernandez, president of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation. “We went from being a complete unknown to ultimately winning out on the project.”

So what happened?Back in 2003, Toyota had a 12 percent share of overall

automotive sales in the U.S. market, but only a 4 percent sales share in Texas. So in order to build up their market numbers in the important Lone Star State, the Japanese-based company realized it needed to target the pickup truck audience.

“Texans drive more pickups and SUVs than regular auto-mobiles – it’s just our preference for basic transportation,” Hernandez says. “Knowing that, the Toyota sales group based in California wanted to settle in Texas, but the company’s logistics and operations people were totally against it. For one reason, they pointed out that there were no automotive suppliers here because Toyota’s other U.S. plants are in the Southeast, Michigan and Indiana. Then there was one other key issue working against us as well.”

That issue was the fact that all of Toyota’s other U.S. assembly plants are located in smaller communities.

“Toyota likes to be in more isolated areas, so getting them to settle in the seventh-largest city in the country was no small task,” Hernandez says. “It took a real sales job to get them here, but we finally won out.”

Hernandez says a team effort between San Antonio, Bexar County and the state of Texas resulted in a $130 million incentive package to lure the automaker. That dollar amount is now dwarfed by Toyota’s economic significance in the local economy.

“We initially estimated that Toyota would have an annual $1.2 billion economic impact in San Antonio, but 37 supplier companies to Toyota have also located here – way more than we thought there would be,” Hernandez says. “So instead of $1.2 billion, Toyota’s economic impact figure is actually more like $1.7 billion to our community each year.”

Don Jackson, senior vice president for quality and production at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas, says the availability of a 2,000-acre piece of f lat land just south of downtown San Antonio – coupled with easy access to rail, highways and utilities – essentially clinched the company’s decision to build and locate in San Antonio.

“Everything is going well,” Jackson says. “The 2,000-member workforce is proving to be excellent problem solvers, which is critical to Toyota. They also pay close attention to the quality of work, and our productivity is excellent. We are highly encouraged with our San Antonio venture.”

– Kevin Litwin

Toyota’s move to San Antonio with a new, $1.28 billion plant building Tundra pickup trucks has been a boon to the regional economy, directly providing more than 2,000 jobs and attracting new auto supplier companies.

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Alamo Area offers rural, urban and suburban living options

Newcomers to the Alamo Area can take their pick of housing options from a variety of neigh-

borhoods in urban, suburban or rural settings across the region.

Schertz may be a bedroom com-munity, but it is also something of a media darling.

CNNMoney.com examined cities with fewer than 50,000 people and named Schertz its first choice. U.S. News & World Report called Schertz the 11th best place to retire. And Forbes mag-azine listed it as the 91st fastest-growing city in the nation.

The city of just over 30,000 is growing rapidly, thanks to booming business growth and expansions.

Brad E. Bailey, Schertz’ director of community and media relations, credits the growth to a number of factors, including the city’s proximity to the I-35 corridor and its strong school district. Schertz has capitalized on the growth, he says, while maintaining a friendly,

small-town atmosphere.In 2006, voters approved one of the

largest bonds in the area’s history, paving the way for projects such as a new civic center and state-of-the-art library.

“When businesses consider moving to an area, they consider quality of life,” Bailey says. “We have all the big-city services, including a high-tech ambulance system and hotels, as well as proximity to major airports and the rail system.”

For those who want the big-city expe-rience around the clock, San Antonio developers have renovated apartments, condominiums and lofts.

Downtown living spaces with hard-wood f loors and granite counters give residents suburban amenities within steps of the city’s legendary San Antonio River Walk, a vibrant arts community and sporting events.

In quieter areas such as Helotes, res-idents enjoy the scenic life in a town billed as “the gateway to the Texas Hill Country.” Located 12 miles northwest

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Residents of the Alamo Area can choose the small-town charm of cities like Hondo or city living in San Antonio.

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The Broadway San Antonio

Hoops and HelpSPURS PLAYERS AND TEAM GIVE BACK

The San Antonio Spurs have worked hard to win four NBA

championships, earning the enthusiastic support of local fans.

But perhaps their most meaningful work occurs away from

the basketball court.

In 2008, the team’s Spurs Foundation is marking its 20th year of

helping physically, emotionally and economically underserved youth

in the South Texas community. The foundation has donated more than

$12 million to charities over the years, with all of the money raised by

fundraisers and donations.

“We try to create positive educational and recreational

opportunities for children and young people to enjoy a greater

quality of life,” says Alison Fox, San Antonio Spurs vice president

of community relations and the Spurs Foundation director. “That

includes awarding more than $100,000 in grants each year to

organizations that work on behalf of young people.”

The Spurs Foundation also teams up with San Antonio center Tim

Duncan and his own foundation to annually recognize and reward

3,000 children who demonstrate caring and civic responsibility.

Retired San Antonio Spurs also continue to contribute to the South

Texas community. For example, former Spurs center David Robinson

started Carver Academy, a K-6 school that helps develop a child’s

academic, social, emotional, physical and spiritual needs. In addition,

former guard George Gervin helped to establish a local youth center

that is named after him.

The city has other professional sports teams, including the San

Antonio Missions minor league baseball team that won the Texas

League championship in 2007.

But it is the Spurs that create most of the sports buzz in San

Antonio, so Fox says the team tries to be involved in the community

as much as it can – earning respect both on and off the courts.

“The Spurs have many loyal fans in San Antonio and South Texas,”

Fox says. “It’s a pleasure for our players and the team to give back.”

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A hometown crowd cheers as the San Antonio Spurs play the Detroit Pistons.

of San Antonio and with a population of close to 10,000, the area beckons those wanting a rural lifestyle with fast access to the city.

Dedication to this lifestyle includes having the city’s wireless communications tower double as a f lagpole. Historic and modern limestone buildings add to the area’s country charm, as well.

In 2007, city leaders finalized the Old Town Helotes Plan, a compre-hensive development plan to create a central gathering place that retains the area’s small-town appeal, while allowing for growth.

“Helotes is extremely diverse and a perfect getaway for those seeking sub-urban living or a weekend of fun,” says Rick Shroder, Economic Development specialist with the Helotes Economic Development Corporation. “With a relatively low tax rate and cost of living, Helotes offers affordable luxury set within the foothills of the Texas Hill Country. Moreover, the city boasts an eclectic downtown area filled with small boutiques, restaurants and serenity.”

– Leanne Libby

SEE MORE ONLINETo read more about quality

of life in the region, visit

imagesalamoarea.com and click on “quality of

life” in the Lifestyle section.


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Mild climate, vast landscapes yield surprisingly diverse bounties

The landscape here may be forever associated with Texas cattle ranches. But agribusiness across the sprawling San Antonio region is much more than that. The region

is also famous for fresh vegetables, wild game, specialty products and even the bees that make agribusiness possible.

“The climate is so mild here that we can grow our products outdoors for most of the year,” says Charles Johnson, president of Patty’s Herbs in Pearsall. Johnson’s products consist of 18 varieties of herbs and edible f lowers – many of them hard to come by. Patty’s Herbs are distributed by grocery stores across the state, including the rapidly expanding 300-store HEB Grocery Co. chain.

The business began as a garden plot in 1981 from which Johnson’s mother sold herbs to a couple of local restaurants. Johnson, an MBA who spent 15 years working in high finance, found the herb business hard to resist and returned to the family calling. Keeping up with demand from groceries and

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The Alamo Area is home to large commercial apiaries that yield a flavorful honey from the local Guahillo plant.

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Fresh mint leaves are packed at Patty’s Herbs in the Frio County seat of Pearsall. The Alamo Area is famous for fresh vegetables, wild game, specialty products and even the bees that make agribusiness possible. PHOTO BY JEFF ADKINS

restaurants now requires a labor-intensive packing operation that pulls plants from across 40 acres and greenhouses.

In Floresville, Promised Land Dairy has also seen rapid growth. Beginning as a small local dairy, Promised Land developed a niche of supplying dairy products exclusively from Jersey cows. Most commercial dairies use Holsteins, but Jersey milk is considered more flavorful, with higher calcium content and more protein, says Gordon Kuenemann, Promised Land executive vice president.

Consumers in several states apparently agree with him. The dairy now supplies 2,882 grocery stores in 17 states from New Mexico to Virginia. A few years ago, the company grew too big to continue maintaining its own cows. Instead, it turned over all milk production to a local co-op of exclusively Jersey dairies.

“This is very diverse area,” observes Ralph Morgan, a Frio County rancher and county 911 coordinator. “The ranches

here do more than you think. Because of the local brush and vegetation, this area has abundant wildlife. Hunters come here from all over the world.”

When they do, they might very well munch on one of the region’s other big products – peanuts. So important is local peanut farming that the Frio County courthouse lawn features a giant statue of a peanut.

“Vegetables are very big here,” says Jason Ott, county extension agent in Hondo, Texas. The growing season for green beans, cabbage and cucumbers is one reason why Del Monte operates a large local farm, he says.

None of which would be possible without bees. The region is home to large commercial apiaries that yield a f lavorful honey from the local Guahillo plant. But the hives also perform a more critical job, being leased and trucked out to agribusiness customers from California almond growers to local melon farmers.


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telecommunications


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From its home base in San Antonio, AT&T expands worldwide

San Antonio is home to AT&T, putting the city at the forefront of the innovative and competitive communications industry.

With more than 6,000 employees here, AT&T is the nation’s largest communications company offering phone, wireless, Internet and television services. In San Antonio, AT&T’s oper-ations range from retail to repair, customer service and executive management, and its impact in the region is far-reaching.

“It brings all the people that they do business with here on an ongoing basis. It continually brings the attention of all those business partners of AT&T to San Antonio,” says Robert Peche, Director of San Antonio’s Economic Development Department. “The company has grown tremendously. They have a very, very far-reaching impact. Their business really is worldwide now. So we’re very fortunate.”

Southwestern Bell, later SBC Communications, moved to San Antonio from St. Louis in 1993 at a time when Texas provided the most business in the region. In 2005 SBC joined with AT&T, and AT&T’s headquarters moved from New Jersey. A year later AT&T acquired BellSouth, and BellSouth’s headquarters moved from Atlanta. Today San Antonio is a good fit for AT&T, says April Borlinghaus, a company spokeswoman.

“San Antonio is a great city, and it’s a city that is as diverse as our employees and customers are,” she says.

Also in San Antonio is the AT&T Foundation, the company’s philanthropic arm supporting academic and economic achievement and addressing community needs. AT&T

contributed more than $101 million in 2006 through corporate, employee and foundation-giving programs, Borlinghaus says.

Additionally the AT&T Pioneers are a group of active and retired employees who volunteer their time for education, literacy, environmental concerns and technology training for children and adults. Some 5,700 AT&T volunteers gave more than 670,000 hours of service in 2006 to the greater San Antonio community, Borlinghaus says.

Meanwhile San Antonio leaders are working to maintain the city for the fast-growing AT&T, investing in roads, the airport and education, Peche says.

The company’s plans call for expan sion, Borlinghaus says. AT&T is focused on growing its new TV product U-Verse

TV, launched in 2006 in San Antonio and now in more than 33 markets nationwide. The service brings television into the home using an Internet connection rather than cable lines.

The company also is focused on promoting its bundled services, allowing customers to package all their phone, wireless, Internet and television services together for con-venience and savings.

“We obviously really want to be the only communications and entertainment company that customers would really need,” Borlinghaus says. “We are con tinuing to expand our operations in all facets of our company. We are continuing to grow the company that has served its customers for more than a century.” – Amy Green

San Antonio-based AT&T is the nation’s largest communications company. PHOTO BY JEFF ADKINS

CallingHome


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San Antonio’s bioscience sector is booming

San Antonio is nationally recognized for its arts, culture and entertainment offerings. But increasingly it’s also being hailed as a leader in bioscience.

And it’s no wonder. The city is home to major military medical treatment and

training centers and nationally known research institutions, which are all powerful draws for both established and startup private bioscience companies.

BioMed SA, launched in fall 2005, resides at the heart of the region’s industry. The organization was founded to bring together the industry’s four major sectors: medical and health-care delivery, biomedical research, health professional training, and bioscience firms.

“We want to help sustain and grow the existing industry, attract new companies, help develop workforce talent and help develop financial resources,” says Ann Stevens, president of BioMed SA, a nonprofit industry organization supported in part by the city and county.

The industry’s anchor is the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. “It’s a research powerhouse that’s in the top 5 percent of all federally funded institutions in the nation,” Stevens says. “It has spawned a lot of activity and growth.”

In December 2007, the Cancer Therapy and Research Center announced that the merger with the UT Health Science Center was approved. The merger comes at an opportune time because, also in November, Texans voted to provide $3 billion in funding for cancer research over the next 10 years. “The consolidation helps us compete for state money as well as federal money,” Stevens says.

San Antonio also leads the way when it comes to military medicine. As part of the military’s Base Realignment and

Healthy

Researchers conduct protein studies at San Antonio’s Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Clinic.

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Closure process in 2005, Wilford Hall Medical Center and Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio are consolidating into one entity, the San Antonio Military Medical Center. “We are going to become the largest military medical treat-ment center in the entire country,” Stevens says. The consolidation is scheduled for completion in 2011.

Brooke, along with Walter Reed Army Military Center in Washington, D.C., already receives the bulk of wounded soldiers from Afghanistan and Iraq. Along with treating the military, San Antonio will become the training site for all military medics, as part of the BRAC process.

To further enhance San Antonio’s importance to the country, the Center for the Intrepid – a state-of-the-art rehabilitation facility for wounded soldiers – opened in January 2007. The $50 million center, built entirely with private donations from 600,000 Americans, serves traumatic amputee patients, burn patients requiring advanced reha-bilitation and those requiring limb-salvage efforts.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs has budgeted $67 million for a polytrauma rehabilitation center in San Antonio. Congress has already approved $30 million in construction funding.

What’s more, San Antonio is currently one of five finalists vying to host the Department of Homeland Security’s National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) to research disease-borne health and security threats, including animal diseases and bio-terror agents, and to develop vaccines.

“The reason we’re so well positioned is that San Antonio has a large body of expertise in infectious disease research,”

Good Genes Are Hard To FindFOUNDATION BREAKTHROUGHS PINPOINT DISEASE-RELATED GENES

In its 67-year history, the

Southwest Foundation for

Biomedical Research already

has an impressive catalog of

discoveries under its belt in the

areas of cancer, AIDS and other

complex diseases. Now the

foundation has made a new

breakthrough by developing

a method for rapidly isolating

disease-related genes. In so

doing, researchers have found

a gene that plays a major role

in regulating HDL, the so-called

“good” cholesterol. A scarcity of

HDL can be a major risk factor in

heart disease.

The gene, called VNN1, “wasn’t

on anyone’s radar,” says Dr. John

Blangero, the senior author of

the paper in Nature Genetics

announcing the findings. “Now it’s

probably a direct target.” If a drug

could be found that increases

VNN1, Blangero explains, HDL

levels might be improved as well.

The research team used the

search for HDL-influential genes as

a demonstration of the process by

which scientists can hunt for genes

implicated in diseases in general.

Fundamental to this method are

the 1,500 parallel processors in

SFBR’s AT&T Genomics

Computing Center. Using this

enormous computational power

enables scientists to narrow the

field from the 25,000 genes in the

human genome to those relevant

to the target disease. “It’s quite

an advantage,” says Dr. Blangero.

“The main set of analyses that

we ran for the Nature Genetics

paper took about two weeks.

These would have taken years

using a conventional approach.”

The team is already using the

technique to analyze genes

associated with other diseases.

– Jon Brooks

Ann Stevens is president of BioMed SA.

The AT&T Genomics Computing Center analyzes genetic data at record speeds.

Stevens says. She points to the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, which operates the nation’s only privately owned bio-safety Level 4 laboratory.

San Antonio’s health-care and bioscience industry’s economic impact in 2006 was $15.3 billion, with more than $4.4 billion in wages and salaries to 112,762 employees. The industry has added about 22,000 net new jobs over the past decade.

Expect that growth to continue. As America’s seventh-largest city, San Antonio is embracing science and medicine. “At BioMed SA, our role is to bring the story of San Antonio’s expertise to the attention of the nation and the world,” Stevens concludes. – Pam George



PrognosisThe

Large hospital network meets the needs of a growing population

Is Excellent

biosciences



If the number of hospitals in the Alamo Area is any indication, residents can rest at ease about their health.

Many of the hospitals in the region, including Christus Santa Rosa Health Care (CSRHC) and Methodist Healthcare System in San Antonio, are expanding into new facilities while others, such as South Texas Regional Medical Center, are adding on to their existing buildings.

Christus Santa Rosa is constructing a new 150-bed hospital in the Westover Hills area of town that is scheduled to be complete in December 2008.

“The heavy population growth in western San Antonio has created the need for a full range of medical services in this portion of the community,” says Don A. Beeler, CEO of CSRHC, in a statement announcing the new hospital. “This complex not only will bring out-patient and inpatient care closer to these residents, but it will provide extraordinary technology that should enhance the already high level of care that we deliver.”

Methodist recently opened a $13.6 million freestanding emergency center in Boerne, the first of its kind in South Texas. The hospital is an answer to serving the booming population in what was once a rural area.

South Texas Regional Medical Center (STRMC) in Jourdanton opened a new 27-bed center exclusively for heart and lung care in 2006, according to the hos-pital’s CEO Michael Pierce. The hospital also touts advanced hyperbarics and

wound care capabilities, as well as effective and competent home health-care and rehabilitation services.

STRMC heavily emphasizes commu-nity involvement, Pierce says.

“STRMC’s tradition is to provide quality care to the community through strong, lasting relationships with physicians that have a long standing with the community – a tradition of caring for the local community by the local community,” he says.

“STRMC is known for the personalized care the staff delivers. We pride ourselves in having familiar faces on staff and physicians who live in the area so that neighbors are treating neighbors.”

Sid Peterson Memorial Hospital in Kerrville is a community, non-profit health-care provider that was established in 1949 by Hal and Charlie Peterson, in honor of their father, Sid. Sid Peterson died of a heart condition after many long, hard trips from Kerrville to San Antonio, 60 miles away, and his sons wanted residents of the community to have a local alternative to San Antonio’s health-care providers.

The hospital is now an expanding institution, serving residents of the Hill Country with specialty wound care, women’s health and rehabilitation units, all opened since 2000. Construction on a new facility, located on a 35-acre campus west of the Peterson Ambulatory Care Center, began in December 2005.

– Michaela Jackson

Many of the hospitals in the Alamo Area, including Christus Santa Rosa Health Care in San Antonio, are expanding into new facilities. PHOTO BY JEFF ADKINS



Region offers higher education in private, public, community college settings

San Antonio is home to a wealth of higher education choices, including Texas’ two major public university systems, community colleges and an extensive menu

of private offerings.Alamo Community College District’s 52,000 students take

courses at one of five campuses and four satellite centers. Satellite centers in Kerrville and Floresville are expected in 2008.

“We have programs for medical assistants, physical therapy, mortuary science and culinary arts,” says Leo Zuniga, the District’s Associate Vice Chancellor for Communications.

“We also provide training for local businesses such as Christus Santa Rosa Health Care and the Boeing Company.”

In October 2007, the district’s parent/child scholarship program, funded by the League of United Latin American Citizens, received the Texas Higher Education Star Award. The award recognizes outstanding contributions toward closing the state’s educational gap. The scholarship awards $1,000 to single parents and, once they complete their education, a two-year scholarship for their child.

The district’s community education centers strive to make a college education accessible to all residents, offering services such as assistance with scholarship and f inancial aid applications. The district also provides free tuition to area high school students enrolled in dual-credit programs.

Increasingly, the district is helping prepare students for manufacturing, aerospace and information technology careers, which are flourishing in the area, as well as designing customized training programs for incoming businesses.

David Gabler, assistant vice president of communications at the University of Texas at San Antonio, says the university’s 29,000 students make it the fastest-growing university in the state and, he says, poised to be the next premier public research center.

The university’s three campuses offer a broad range of programs, specializing in science, engineering, business, music and architecture. Business Week ranked its MBA program among the top 50 in the nation.

The university’s $270 million capital expansion includes an $83 million engineering building slated for completion in 2009 and a $48 million student wellness and recreation center.

Masters

The University of Texas at San Antonio’s downtown campus

Educationof


education

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Off the Field, They’re a Dynamic DuoRIVALRY ASIDE, UT, A&M SERVE STUDENTS TOGETHER

The University of Texas and Texas A&M

University have a long-standing sports rivalry.

But in recent years, the universities have found

common ground in cities such as San Antonio,

where A&M has established a System campus

to support the Alamo Area’s growing population.

It’s a population the University of Texas at San

Antonio has served since 1979.

After establishing System centers in Killeen

and Dallas, Texas A&M University turned to San

Antonio. In 1999, the System received $1.6 million

to open a center for third- and fourth-year college

students in San Antonio. Classes began in fall 2000.

“If you look at the population in San Antonio and

the surrounding areas and the rural cities, the area,

along with the state, is growing,” says Greg A.

Garcia, Texas A&M’s Assistant Vice Chancellor

for Governmental Relations.

“There is a big population base and a lot

of students who want to stay in San Antonio

for college.”

Texas A&M’s classes currently meet in former

South San ISD school buildings on the city’s south

side. The System thanks the district for the space

by offering scholarships to 10 district students

a year. The students earn an associate’s degree

from Palo Alto College and then receive a free

ride at the System campus to complete a

bachelor’s degree.

The System recently received additional funding

from the Texas Legislature, enabling it to add

faculty and make plans to increase their

programming. Building a campus will follow

once the System meets its goal of 1,500 full-

time-equivalent students, which they hope to

accomplish by 2009. By 2030, Garcia would like

to see a four-year campus with 25,000 students.

The University of Texas at San Antonio has

29,000 students.

“San Antonio is a rapidly growing city, and I

think this demonstrates the city is committed to

providing resources for all students,” says David

Gabler, UTSA’s Assistant Vice President for

Communications. “We’re now a knowledge-

based economy in San Antonio, and we’re working

together to best prepare students for the future.”

Says Texas A&M’s Garcia: “In the long run, the

better job we do educating and improving the

level of education for undergraduates and

graduate students, the more it entices industry.”

– Leanne Libby

“The community is actively engaged with UTSA,” Gabler says. “We have advisory boards for all our programs to make sure we are helping shape future leaders for the community and the region.”

Gabler says many of the university’s 70,000 alumni have remained in the region, helping transform the area’s economy.

“Educational opportunities will help San Antonio go to the next level of excellence,” he says.

Trinity University, ranked top in its category for 10 years by U.S. News & World Report, is one of a variety of private universities in the area.

The liberal arts and sciences university has an enrollment of 2,700 students, more than half from within Texas. In addition to nationally ranked academics, the university’s Division III athletics programs have won a number of national championships in recent years.

The university offers a variety of programs, including East Asian studies and a science curriculum where undergraduate students have opportunities to engage in research shortly after enrollment. The university also offers an urban studies program and a variety of resources for student and professional educators.

“Every university offers something a little bit different,” Sharon Jones Schweitzer, the university’s assistant vice president for university communications, says of the area’s offerings. “If you’re a young person in this area, there is no reason you shouldn’t go to college. Our state population is growing and will continue to grow, and education is extremely important in terms of economic development and developing leaders.” – Leanne Libby

A $48 million student center at the University of Texas at San Antonio’s main campus is part of a $270 million expansion.

SEE MORE ONLINEFor more information about education

opportunities in the Alamo Area, visit

imagesalamoarea.com and click on

“education” in the Lifestyle section.


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PETERSON REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTERCome grow with us.

The Peterson Regional Medical Center is a health care facility of the future – modern, patient-

centered, welcoming and convenient. It will anchor a 35-acre campus that already includes an

ambulatory care center. Our patients will be cared for in 125 private rooms, with accommodations

for family members and 24-hour room service. It is high-tech, with a 64-slice CT scanner, seven

surgical suites and a state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization and interventional radiology lab. It is

high-touch, with a serene, inviting birth and women’s center and an acute rehabilitation unit

complete with a gym. The Hill Country’s premier medical center opens in April 2008. Our family –

including more than 800 employees and a medical staff of 86 physicians – looks forward to

welcoming your family, and we thank you for placing your trust in us.

551 HILL COUNTRY DR. • KERRVILLE, TX 78028

(830) 896-4200 • (830) 258-7628 • (830) 258-7833 FAX

WWW.PETERSONRMC.COM

Taking health care to new heights in the Hill Country.

739-Econ profiles.indd 50 3/31/08 4:36:06 PM

ECONOMIC PROFILE

TRANSPORTATION

AIRPORTSan Antonio

International Airport

(210) 207-3526,

www.ci.sat.tx.us/aviation

TAXES

Texas has no state income tax.

The state sales tax is 6.25 percent,

with groceries and medicine

exempt. The local sales tax and

property tax varies by county.

COUNTY INFORMATION

ATASCOSA COUNTYwww.co.atascosa.tx.us

Population, 42,696

County seat, Jourdanton

Pleasanton Chamber

of Commerce

P.O. Box 153

Pleasanton, TX 78064

Phone: (830) 569-2163

Fax: (830) 569-5272

www.pleasantoncofc.org

BANDERA COUNTYwww.banderacounty.org

Population, 19,754

County seat, Bandera

Bandera County Texas

Chamber of Commerce

P.O. Box 2445

331 Main St.

Bandera, TX 78003

Phone: (830) 796-3280

Fax: (830) 796-3970

www.banderatex.com

Bandera Texas Convention

& Visitors Bureau

P.O. Box 171

Bandera, TX 78003

Phone: (800) 364-3833

www.banderacowboycapital.

com

BEXARwww.co.bexar.org

www.bexar.org

Population, 1,493,965

County seat, San Antonio

Greater San Antonio

Chamber of Commerce

602 E. Commerce St.

San Antonio, TX 78205

Phone: (210) 229-2100

Fax: (210) 229-1600

www.sachamber.org

City of San Antonio Economic

Development Department

Frost Bank Tower

100 W. Houston St.

Suite 1900


Phone: (210) 207-8080

Fax: (210) 207-8151

www.sanantonio.gov

COMAL COUNTYwww.co.comal.tx.us

Population, 91,806

County seat, New Braunfels

New Braunfels

Chamber of Commerce

P.O. Box 311417

New Braunfels, TX 78131

Phone: (800) 572-2626 or

(830) 625-2385, www.nbcham.org

FRIO COUNTYwww.co.frio.tx.us

Population, 16,386

County seat, Pearsall

Pearsall Texas

Chamber of Commerce

www.pearsalltexas.com

GILLESPIE COUNTYwww.gillespiecounty.org

Population, 21,607

County seat, Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg

Chamber of Commerce

302 E. Austin

Fredericksburg, TX 78624

Phone: (888) 997-3600

(830) 997-6523

www.fredericksburg-texas.com

GUADALUPE COUNTYwww.co.guadalupe.tx.us

Population, 99,620

County seat, Seguin

Seguin Area

Chamber of Commerce

427 N. Austin St.

Seguin, TX 78155

Phone: (830) 379-6382 or

Fax: (830) 379-6971

www.sequinchamber.com

KARNES COUNTYwww.co.karnes.tx.us

Population, 15,458

County seat, Karnes City

Largest city, Kenedy

Kenedy Texas Chamber

of Commerce

Tourism & Visitors Center

205 S. Second St.

Kenedy, TX 78119

Phone: (830) 583-3223

www.kenedychamber.com

KENDALL COUNTYwww.co.kendall.tx.us

Population, 27,214

County seat, Boerne

Greater Boerne Texas

Chamber of Commerce

126 Rosewood Ave.

Boerne, TX 78006

Phone: (830) 249-8000

Fax: (830) 249-9639

www.boerne.org

KERR COUNTYwww.co.kerr.tx.us

Population, 45,675

County seat, Kerrville

Kerrville Area Chamber

of Commerce

1700 Sidney Baker

Suite 100, Kerrville, TX 78028

Phone: (830) 896-1155

Fax: (830) 896-1175

www.kervilletx.com

BUSINESS CLIMATEThe Alamo Area is a thriving business and industry community

centered in San Antonio, the second-largest city in Texas and

seventh-largest in the U.S. The region serves as the gateway to

the Southwest. It has a thriving economy, with one of the largest

military concentrations in the nation, in addition to traditional

manufacturing and service sectors.



MEDINA COUNTYwww.medinacountytexas.org

Population, 42,269

County seat, Hondo

Hondo Chamber of Commerce

1607 Avenue K

Hondo, TX 78861

Phone: (830) 426-3037

www.hondochamber.com

WILSON COUNTYwww.co.wilson.tx.us

Population, 36,726

County seat, Floresville

Floresville Chamber

of Commerce

Tourist and Visitor Center

910 Tenth St.

Floresville, TX 78114

Phone: (866) 276-6778 or (830)

393-0074, Fax: (830) 393-9224

www.floresvillechamber.org

MAJOR AREA MILITARY CONCENTRATIONS

Brooke Army Medical Center

(210) 916-4141, www.bamc.

amedd.army.mil

Fort Sam Houston,

www.samhouston.army.mil

Lackland Air Force Base,

(210) 671-2907

www.lackland.af.mil

Randolph Air Force Base,

(210) 652-1110, (210) 652-1411,

www.randolph.af.mil

Wilford Hall Medical Center,

(210) 292-7412 www.whmc.af.mil

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Alamo Area Council

of Governments

8700 Tesoro Dr.

Suite 700


Phone: (210) 362-5200

www.aacog.com

The Alamo Area

Council of Governments is a

voluntary association of local

governments serving the twelve

counties of the Alamo Area.

SOURCE:

www.aacog.com

1011 E. Houston St. • San Antonio, TX 78205(210) 229-9973 • Fax: (210) 229-9975www.redroof-san-antonio-downtown.com

WELCOME to Red Roof Inn – San Antonio Downtown

Enjoy our new 24-hour coffeehouse-style service featuring fresh brewed, ground whole bean coffee, cappuccino and latte served with fresh muffins every morning at Red Roof Inn – San Antonio Downtown.

Our all-inclusive king rooms offer free local and long distance calls and they are Wi-Fi accessible using T-Mobile along with offering a microfridge and desk area. We

also feature “On Command Video” with a selection of free TV channels, pay-to-view premium channels, movies, music and games. Plus, we offer a FREE on-site parking garage for our guests.

Outside our comfortable hotel, you will find all of the attractions San Antonio is famous for, like the Alamo, the Riverwalk, River Center Mall, the Alamo

Dome, the San Antonio Convention Center and the Tower of the Americas.

With all there is to see and do in our beautiful city, we doubt you’ll be spending much time in your hotel room. That means that for your stay to be complete, your hotel should provide the amenities you want at the price you need. Fortunately, Red Roof Inn – San Antonio Downtown provides that and more. We’re your best choice for economy lodging in the Alamo City!

Alamo Area Council of Governmentswww.aacog.com

Alamo Community Colleges www.accd.edu

Bexar County Economic Development Department www.bexar.org/ed

BioMed SAwww.biomedsa.org

Capital One NAwww.capitalonebank.com

City of Pleasanton

City of San Antonio www.sanantonio-airport.com

City of Windcrest www.ci.windcrest.tx.us

Floresville Economic Development Corporation www.fl oresvilleedc.org

HPI Real Estate Services www.hpitx.com

Huser Construction Company Inc.www.huserco.com

Jourdanton Chamber of Commerce

Red Roof Innwww.redroof-san-antonio-downtown.com

San Antonio Economic Development Foundationwww.sanantonioedf.com

Sid Peterson Hospital www.spmh.com

TAMU – San Antonio www.tamuk.edu/sanantonio

Texas Research & Technology Foundation www.trpf.com

University of the Incarnate Word www.uiw.edu

VISIT OUR ADVERTISERS



JOURDANTON, TEXAS“A Small Town on the Grow”

County Seat

Low Taxes

Excellent School System

Strong Community Spirit

Modern Medical Facilities with a New Heart & Lung Center

American Pride Day – July 4th

Located just 30 miles south of San Antonio on Hwy. 16

(830) 769-3557www.jsbbank.com

JOURDANTON PHARMACY1105 Oak St.

Jourdanton, TX 78026(830) 769-3614

(830) 769-3515www.strmc.com

City of Jourdanton & Jourdanton Economic Development Corporation(830) 769-3589

Jourdanton Chamber of Commerce(830) 769-2866

www.jourdanton.net

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business images alamo area, tx: 2008

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