It’s a bit cliché but true — Texas is business-friendly. But there’s more: Jobs, parks, arts, education and affordable real estate make us family-friendly too. And for businesses, the rewards run deep.
We want you here
And we’ll show you, not tell you. We have no personal income tax, a nominal corporate tax, reasonable regulations, and just this year invested billions of dollars in new infrastructure. The state not only has a balanced budget but a $10 billion “rainy day” surplus.
We make moving easy
We will compete for your business. Moving expenses can be deducted from your corporate return. The economic development infrastructure is second-to-none and here to support you before and after your move. The governor’s office and local chambers of commerce and economic development corporations work hand-in-hand to get the data you need to evaluate and then execute your move.
We are easy to get to
Both people and goods can travel to and from Texas with ease. By air, we have 26 commercial airports totaling over 200,000 flights daily. By ship, there are 624 miles of coastline with more than 20 ports — including Houston, the nation’s largest. By land, we have over 310,000 miles of public roads and plans to invest in more. By rail too, Texas has thousands of miles of railroads carrying over 400 million tons of freight annually.
A skilled workforce
I’ve had CEOs tell me our workforce made their re-location decision easy. Of course, our large and growing population gives you choices. But the state has also made a commitment to create more tier-one universities and focus on taking research to market. Skills training is also part of the re-location package. Texas invests in people.
Booming markets
During the past year, Texas added jobs in all 11 major industries. The state remains the top energy producer in the country, but the state’s economy has diversified greatly over the past two decades. We just passed California as the nation’s top exporter; Houston is a world leader in the medical community; San Antonio has become a life science and medical device leader; Dallas is headquarters to some of the largest companies in the world across myriad sectors, and Austin — AKA Silicon Hills — has become a recognized technology powerhouse.
Affordable real estate
Texas has more land mass than every state but Alaska; we’re big with lots of affordable land. From big-city living to desert ranches, you and your company will have plenty of real estate options. Affordable housing, low cost of living and no personal income tax are a few of the reasons corporate executives are not afraid to move their employees to the Lone Star State.
The people
Have you heard of “Texas-friendly?” We will smile and wave and say hello — in College Station it’s a close cousin, “howdy.” This habit can also cause confusion. Even the state’s name derived from a Native American word meaning friendship.
A friend from San Francisco said he was perplexed the first few months because people kept waving at him and he figured he was doing something wrong. Nah, it’s just Texans being Texans.
If you’re coming from the coasts, come to Texas and double your money. My bet is you’ll stay for dessert.
Craig Casselberry is the founder of Quorum Public Affairs in Austin.
Reprinted from Austin Business Journal: http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/print-edition/2015/07/31/7-reasons-businesses-should-move-to-texas.html
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