The Tyler Economic Development Council (TEDC) hosted its quarterly investor breakfast on Wednesday, featuring a panel of three local manufacturing professionals to discuss partnerships and operations in Tyler and Smith County.
“Today we’re highlighting manufacturers that are a masterpiece to our economy and create jobs,” said Roy Martinez, chairman of the TEDC and executive at Bronco Companies. “These jobs enhance the quality of life.”
The 8 a.m. meeting at Cascades Country Club gathered local investors, entrepreneurs, business professionals and city officials to listen and receive updates on Tyler’s upcoming business projects and opportunities. Joe Holzbauer, general manager at Tyler Pipe and Coupling; Octavio Tellez, operations manager at Hood Packing Corporation; and Robert Rivers, plant manager at Trane Technologies, discussed technology advancements, student partnerships and community support in their companies in a manufacturers panel moderated by Dr. Juan Mejia, president of Tyler Junior College.
Founded in 1989, the TEDC, a nonprofit organization, aims to diversify the local economy and stimulate job growth and retention, according to the TEDC website. There are currently 28,000 jobs in Tyler attributed to TEDC.
TEDC updates
President and CEO of the TEDC Scott Martinez gave a rundown on the organization’s financial updates and project pipelines.
“When we look at our investor summary, you guys keep it going as we are scheduling the budget and we’re growing our investor base,” Scott said.
As of Jan. 31, the TEDC saw a total service revenue of $456,220, revealing significant growth over five years starting from 118 investors to 159 today. Expenses sit at 43%, but Scott said this is due to front-loaded costs at the beginning of the year.
The organization welcomed 12 new investors to the TEDC with a sub-total increased revenue of $44,000 and recognized nine existing investors who increased their investment levels to the silver tier of $5,000, which increased the revenue to $22,500.
“This applause is for you all for supporting us to help us complete our mission and we wouldn’t be able to support this community without you all,” Scott said.
Scott said currently the TEDC is working with a Fortune 500 company considering a new 800,000-square-foot facility with 800 jobs with the project decision expected to be made by the end of the first quarter of 2026. Also, TEDC is working with CBRE Group Incorporated for a possible 600,000-square-foot facility on 40 acres, wood-related supplier to YellaWood considering 100 acres in Tyler Interstate Commerce Park and has four projects looking at Prosperity Commerce Park on the Wisenbaker Property. The TEDC also acquired 3.8 acres to add to the Catalyst Commerce Park.
After updates, Scott handed it off to Mejia for the discussion panel, the first one in a series. The next panels will discuss topics such as retail and housing development and healthcare expansion.
“It’s incredible to see the collective genius of intellect here, which is really powerful and important,” Mejia said. “And what an honor to facilitate conversations with one of the strongest economic drivers in any community and that’s fantastic.”
Importance of manufacturing
The panelists said manufacturing companies provide high-paying jobs, apprentice opportunities, long employee tenure and strong community roots, while being a major economic driver by generating local wealth and a tax base.
“For us, it’s people and really community support,” said Holzbauer. “We truly try to open our doors to the community and let people know what we do and how much we care about people. Our company really generates well-paying jobs, even for people who aren’t attending college but through trade school or through an apprenticeship program we have at Tyler Pipe, you can get that high-paying job that takes a lot of people through college or purchasing homes.”
Tellez said Hood Packing Corporation continues to have a strong partnership with the Tyler Junior College offering pathways into trade.
“We have had a very successful partnership with TJC and UT Tyler, providing training and skilled workers,” Tellez said. “I think we have great support in our community and we’re trying to train them well and get them ready for the future as it evolves faster.”
Holzbauer said when Tyler Pipe and Coupling hires people, they tend to retain their employees.
“When we get people, people stay,” Holzbauer said. “We got really long tenure employees at Tyler Pipe.”
Workforce challenges and education partnerships
The three panelists said their companies work with either local colleges or school districts and focus on skilled trades training but still see a shortage of skilled workers. The panelist focused on a need for more workers trained in high-tech equipment operations and more safety mindsets.
“We train a lot of skilled trade people and that’s probably one of the biggest gaps that we’re seeing as automation technology starts to advance,” Rivers said. “Keeping up with that pace, there’s just not a lot of kids that want to go into school trades and so we really need to partner with the community on how we educate them on trades options, especially for those who don’t want a four-year degree but are willing to do a certification and skills trade.”
Tellez emphasized safety in the workplace and starting safety training at a young age.
“I’ve always thought of starting that at an early age because safety is a major thing,” Tellez said. “If we don’t have safe environments, it is chaos.”
Rivers said having interactive educational partnerships helps promote manufacturing roles in a light that seems obtainable and a long-term career option.
“At Trane, over the last six years, we brought through 12,000 students and educated them,” Rivers said. “A lot of those came back as we hired them and said, ‘Hey I learned about this through those tours,’ so not only are we focusing on those, but we are focused on skills trade. We end up hiring a lot of engineers from Chapel Hill, from Tyler and schools that are working here.”
The panelists all agreed students need to know that manufacturing offers viable career paths that will set them up for success in the future.
Technology and expansion
With the rise of artificial intelligence, the panelists said the companies integrate it for more officiant outcomes.
“That’s the future,” Tellez said. “The only difference from 25 years ago to today is this is going extremely fast. The changes are here.”
Rivers said Trane Technologies are making investments into automation and technology.
“Some … people are like, ‘You are just going automated to take jobs away,’ and no, we are automating your safety because a lot of jobs are inherently ergonomic risks and a risk for injury,” Rivers said. “A lot of automation improves safety and improves quality and efficiency and no one loses their jobs because of automation because we redeploy to other areas.”
Over the years, Trane Technologies replaced a 150,000-square-foot facility with a 210,000-square-foot facility and added 300 employees, Hood Packing Corporation installed new automated equipment and invested in scrap reduction and recycling, reusing 2,000 pounds of fiber per shift and Tyler Pipe and Coupling had a $35 million expansion in October 2022 with an additional $10 million production line investment as well as modernizing equipment to the 21st century.
The panelists ended with discussing ongoing need for educational partnerships and their vow to continue their long-term commitments to staying and growing locally, investing in the strengthening of Tyer and Smith County.
“I’ve been here for 17 years, and what I found in Tyler is a very strong community and it’s a place that keeps you here,” said Tellez. “It’s wonderful to walk into places and now people and that it’s a community supporting each other and making it grow.”