San Patricio County EDC
San Patricio County Economic Development Corporation
Contact: Adam Gawarecki
801 E. Broadway Blvd, Augusta Suite
Portland, TX 78374
Phone: 361-704-3070
www.sanpatricioedc.com
WHY SAN PATRICIO COUNTY?
San Patricio County is economically diverse, ranging from big industry to small local mom and pop shops to an array of retail, both local and chain. The county comprises 9 cities ranging from agricultural farmlands to coastal living.
At the heart of the coastal bend, San Patricio has prime access to two ports, the Port of Corpus Christi, and the port of Aransas, both accessed through the Laquinta channel. This pro industry county is a key location in import/exports via interstate highway, rails, and sea. The region’s vast energy resources include ample local supplies of natural gas, a modern industrial electrical grid, and fuels supplied by one of the most vibrant refining regions in the United States.
Additionally, San Patricio County offers a hospitable business climate with low costs of land, labor, and taxes. For recreation, the county is ideal and known for having some of the best bird-watching locations, excellent fishing—rich of coastal wetlands, fruitful with wildlife both aquatic and terrestrial.
The county also has excellent school districts and embodies a great sense of community. Neighbor to the city of Corpus Christi, where Texas A&M University, Del mar college, and the Craft Training Center are located, these institutions provide a well-educated workforce available to appease any incoming company.
INDUSTRY CLUSTERS
San Patricio County is home to the largest manufacturing sector in the Coastal Bend, with more than one in 10 jobs relating to this industry. The construction sector is the leading private employer and supports the development and maintenance of heavy manufacturing. With several large-scale industrial sites under construction, temporary and permanent employment will continue to expand in years to come.
Available work in San Pat County is expected to be a stimulus to the metro area economy. Businesses in support activities for oil and gas exploration continue to expand their employment within the county.
San Patricio County is the chosen site for some of the world’s leading industrial and petrochemical companies (approximately 60 billion). They are here because few locations in North America offer so many practical business advantages. The county’s location in the friendly environs of the southern United States, in the Texas Coastal Bend on the Gulf of Mexico, is a key import / export point via interstate highways, rail and sea via the port of Corpus Christi. The region’s vast energy resources include ample, local supplies of natural gas, a modern industrial electrical grid, and fuels supplied by one of the most vibrant refining regions in the United States. Additionally, San Patricio County offers a hospitable business climate with low costs of land, labor, and taxes.
The first settlers in San Patricio County were attracted to the area because of its agriculture potential, and today the industry remains a major player in the local economy. According to a report from the San Patricio County Agrilife Extensions Office, the economic impact on the county from agriculture is $300 million annually. Five years of bad drought plagued much of Texas, and the county certainly was not excluded from the repercussions. However, the 2014 harvest is looking healthy, and San Patricio County producers have steadily maintained their operations, with some even making large investments in equipment and facilities in recent years.
The county consists of about 693 square miles of landmass, which equates to 443,520 acres. Of the county’s landmass, approximately 85% is used for agriculture production, making farming and ranching the county’s two largest industries by acreage. That 85% consists of 50% crop production (farming) and 35% native rangeland (ranching). Only 15% of the county’s landmass is developed.
Grain sorghum has been the predominate crop in San Patricio, which typically ranks in the top 5 grain producing counties in Texas. According to Farm Service Agency records, there were 230,500 acres (more than half the county’s land mass) of grain planted in 2012. Cotton is also a major cash crop within San Patricio County, which produces two to three bales of cotton per acre in normal years. Corn also plays a part, making up about .5% of the total fields planted. About 15,000 acres of crop production is under irrigation.
Cattle, as well, have an impact on our economy. An estimated 7,000 cows are dispersed throughout the county. Once commercial cattle feeding operation, located in Edroy, feeds 10-15 thousand head of cattle annually.
Many agriculture support businesses exist throughout the county. There are eight cotton gins, seven commercial elevators, six farms with onsite storage, two tractor and equipment dealerships, one 555,000 square foot, 115,000 cotton bale storage facility, several crop consultants and numerous seed and agricultural chemical operations.
In Texas, lawmakers deregulated the electricity market more than ten years ago. This has allowed retailers to buy electricity from power generators and then, through open markets, provide more competitively priced power to consumers. The Power to Choose website has more information on electricity resources in Texas, as well as links to many electricity retail providers.
AEP Texas, a unit of American Electric Power, delivers electricity to over one million homes, businesses, and industries in South and West Texas. AEP Texas provides regulated energy delivery service to consumers, regardless of which Retail Electric Provider (REP) they choose. AEP Texas also builds new power lines, restores service following outages and collects electricity use information for REPs throughout its service territory. The company also connects or disconnects service upon the orders of the REPs. The region headquarters is in Corpus Christi. Please contact E. Ray Covey, Manager of Economic and Business Development at (512) 391-2981 or by email at ercovey@aep.com.
San Patricio Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SPEC) is a member owned “not for profit” electric cooperative providing electric power to over 11,500 members located within Aransas, Bee, Goliad, Jim Wells, Live Oak, McMullen, Nueces, Refugio, and San Patricio counties. SPEC has proudly supported local communities since 1938. If you need electricity for residential, agricultural, small commercial or large commercial service please give us a call at 1 (888) 740-2220 or visit our website for more information.
Wind is one of the most abundant natural resources in San Patricio County and the Coastal Bend. With an average wind speed of 12 mph throughout the year, peaking at 14 mph in March and April, continual gusts create a strong market for wind energy. San Patricio County is, in fact, windier than Chicago, Illinois which averages only 10 mph, but is often referred to as “the windy city.”
San Patricio County has one operating wind farm with more wind energy projects under development.
COASTAL LIFE STYLE
The Coastal Lifestyle embraces beachy summer, all-year-round aesthetic. With endless activities ranging from fishing (deep sea, or whatever body of water you choose to explore), windsurfing, boating, kayaking, a nice bike ride, or a walk down the beach followed by sunbathing- the pastimes are endless. Right on the Gulf Coast, your off days are meant to be spent on or near the water.
The county also incorporates year-round activities embracing their coastal lifestyle, such as Portland Windfest, Aransas Pass Shrimporee, Ingleside Round-Up Days, Rock the Dock Boat Show, and many more.
image courtesy of Texas A&M