TEDD

Texas communities now have a new resource to help attract business and development opportunities to the Lone Star State. “SitesOnTexas 2.0 is a geographic mapping resource that allows workforce and economic development professionals to effectively collaborate with employers and plan for business expansion, job retention and workforce training,” said TWC Chairman Andres Alcantar.

Drought. Wildfires. Debt. Joblessness. Many rural communities in Texas are facing an economic crisis. Capitalizing on natural resources for alternative energy and adopting sustainable technologies could be the lifeline to pull some communities out of an economic slide.

TEEX’s Emergency Services Training Institute (ESTI) and Knowledge Engineering Center (KEC) are developing the curriculum and online campus for a hydrogen fuel training program housed within the National Hazardous Materials Fusion Center.

TEEX’s Knowledge Engineering Center is developing the website for the American Clearinghouse on Educational Facilities, as part of a Department of Education grant awarded to Tarleton State University in Stephenville, TX. The project’s goal is to assist the educational community in the planning, design, financing, construction, improvement, operations and maintenance of educational facilities.

The Growing Green – Aransas Pass conference on Feb. 24-25 at the Aransas Pass Civic Center will focus on how sustainable industries and technologies can boost the South Texas economy. Conference topics will include renewable energy projects, sustainable practices in agriculture, water conservation technologies, energy-saving ideas, tax credits, state and federal incentives, financing tools and best practices.

The first Growing Green Sustainable Rural Development Conference will be held Dec. 1-2, 2010, in Odessa, Texas. Attendees will learn how green or sustainable industries and technologies can boost the West Texas economy, improve a company’s bottom line and create jobs.

TEEX is facilitating the creation of a first-of-its kind economic development strategy for the City of Prairie View, which is home to Prairie View A&M University. The effort has been dubbed the “Communi-Versity Economic Development Initiative.”

A team from TEEX Knowledge Engineering helped aerospace supplier T&K Machine, Inc., of Paris, Texas, make improvements that led to $111,200 in annual savings through training in lean manufacturing techniques.

The Economic Development Administration (EDA), of the U.S. Department of Commerce, has awarded more than $516,000 to TEEX for a statewide education program on sustainable and green economic development opportunities for rural and economically distressed areas of Texas.

TEEX’s economic development specialists recently completed Chandler’s first Community Profile, a report filled with data and information that community leaders can use for strategic planning and attracting new businesses to spur growth.