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Calendar of Events
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| 2008 Projects |
 Tractor Supply Company broke ground in February on the expansion of its distribution center on Interstate 35, more than doubling the size of its current facility. The $10.2-million project will substantially increase their workforce and bring the size of the center at 2801 Corporation Parkway from 305,000 square feet to 654,221 square feet. |
 Caterpillar Logistics Services, Inc. announced plans in January to open a new parts distribution center in Waco. The new facility marks the beginning of a multiyear expansion and enhancement of the Caterpillar service parts distribution network throughout North America. The more than 500,000-square-foot facility will employ between 140 and 180 people, increase network capacity and provide primary aftermarket parts support to six Caterpillar dealers in North America. Once operational, the new facility will replace the smaller regional distribution centers in Dallas, Texas, and Kansas City, Missouri, while increasing total warehouse capacity. It will process dealer stock and emergency orders as well as inbound parts. |
| 2007 Projects |
Caterpillar Work Tools, Inc. announced in December that the company will launch a multimillion dollar expansion at their Waco production facility, increasing its workforce by nearly 50-percent.
Established in 2005 to manufacture the HEX buckets for the North American work tools market,
Caterpillar Work Tools Waco is a highly-specialized manufacturing operation. The operation has
grown to more than 80 employees over the past two years. Caterpillar plans to begin hiring 34 new
positions in January 2008. |
 A valued corporate citizen for more than 102 years, Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Waco announced it will build a new sales and distribution center in Waco. The approximately 60,000-square-foot facility represents a multimillion dollar investment in the market place and the retention of valued jobs. The company has selected a site on Texas Central Parkway in the Texas Central Park with the intention to begin construction in the first quarter of 2008. The Waco-McLennan County Economic Development Corporation, the City of Waco, McLennan County, Waco Industrial Foundation and the Greater Waco Chamber collaborated to support Waco Coca-Cola in securing the new location after the company sustained damages in a 2006 tornado that caused them to seek new facility options.
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 L-3 Communications Integrated Systems has announced the expansion of its Waco operation to include a wing refurbishment facility. The wing refurbishment facility will be used to structurally refurbish wings for P-3 Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance aircraft. L-3 currently refurbishes P-3 aircraft for the U.S. Navy, the Department of Homeland Security, as well as international customers. The new facility, located at 1555 Old Hewitt Drive in Waco, is designed to simultaneously refurbish multiple sets of wings that have been removed from aircraft. The wings will be transported by truck between L-3’s facility at Waco’s Texas State Technical College Airport and the wing facility. |
 TriVan Truck Body announced Dec. 5 multimillion dollar project will create up to 50 jobs and retrofit 35,000-square-feet of manufacturing and office space at 3120 Gholson Road. The Canadian company will produce custom trailers, truck bodies and enclosures supplying a diverse range of markets including mobile movie, oil well servicing, municipalities and regular freight hauling. TriVan President and General Manager Adrian Harthoorn selected Waco for a number a reasons including geographical proximity to the target market areas, a stable workforce and the City’s commitment to increasing industry to the area. The project is supported by Waco-McLennan County Economic Development Corporation, the City of Waco, McLennan County, Greater Waco Chamber and several local firms. TriVan is a subsidiary of Intercontinental Truck Body, a privately-held, custom truck body and trailer manufacturing firm with more than 60 combined years engineering and operating experience. ITB currently operates in three Canadian facilities including British Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba. TriVan Truck Body is the United States operating company and currently has one facility in Washington State. |
 The Texas Farm Bureau broke ground on its $8.5 million conference center in September. The three-story reinforced concrete structure is located on 60 acres. The facility is designed to serve as a base of operations in the event of major disaster. It also will have a state-of-the-art data center and disaster recovery space with stand-alone operation of power, cooling and battery backup equipment. The Texas Farm Bureau has 395,000 member families statewide, and insures 620,000 vehicles and more than 279,000 pieces of property, in addition to lobbying on behalf of farmers and ranchers. |
 Ethicus Healthcare Management, LLC announced Sept. 2 that it will locate Ethicus Hospital, a long-term acute care hospital in greater Waco. The $20-million project is expected to generate 200 new jobs. Ethicus Hospital will be the first building of a 40-acre mixed-use development of First Colony, which will include retail, professional and medical office development on the Highway 84 corridor in Woodway. The 70,000-square-foot facility will provide 60 private beds including 12 ICU and 48 medical surgery beds. The long-term acute care hospital will focus on clinically complex multiple acute and chronic conditions with stays between 26 to 28 days, versus an average hospital stay of three to five days. The hospital will also have a two-bed in-patient dialysis suite, a CT, C-Arm and ultra-sound. |
 Wells Fargo announced in May the expansion of its Waco-based service center for the Institutional Trust Services business group managed by Sandra Stewart. The group has relocated to the new building June 22. The new location, which has room for 70 team members, will accommodate the group’s continued growth. The ITS Texas Service Center is currently located within Wells Fargo’s downtown building, the service center has grown from seven team members in 2002 to more than 35. The group plans to hire additional team members this year. The service center for Wells Fargo Institutional Trust Services processes transactions for institutional investment accounts, such as 401(k) plans, corporate operating accounts and pension plans. With more than 6,000 accounts in 15 states, the group processed more than 550,000 transactions in 2006.
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 Wardlaw Claims Service has broken ground on a new 42,000-square-foot headquarters and training center campus on Texas Central Parkway. The center is the first tenant in the Texas Central Professional Park, one of six new master-planned subdivisions that the Waco Industrial Foundation is developing. The campus will include Wardlaw’s corporate office, a 24,000-square-foot training center and an automotive training facility. The Greater Waco Chamber supported the Waco Industrial Foundation in the sale of the site to Wardlaw. The Greater Waco Chamber Economic Development Department manages the real estate in Texas Central Park and Waco International Aviation Park for the Waco industrial Foundation. Wardlaw established the Claims Training Center in 2004 to provide reliable, progressive continuing education to claims adjusters ranging from entry-level to seasoned experience. The program is approved by the Texas Department of Insurance and draws on Wardlaw’s industry-knowledge, state-of-the art labs and training facilities to provide comprehensive educational programs.
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 In spring 2007, CenTex Aerospace, Inc. expanded to a 10,000-square-foog hangar at Waco Regional Airport. The company offers STC (supplemental type certificate) modifications to improve the performance and utility of many popular personal and business aircraft as well as certification and engineering services to individuals, FBO’s, the FAA, OEM’s, and other aircraft modification companies. In addition, specialized services ranging from aircraft modifications and flight testing to airplane flight manuals and consulting work is also provided. |
Caterpillar Inc. announced Feb. 2 that it will establish a logistics center here. From this location the company will distribute its
machine work tools and related attachments. The 975,000-square-foot facility will provide Caterpillar additional capacity to serve a growing business segment, and is expected to create 40 jobs and generate $7.9 million in capital investments by 2010. Caterpillar Logistics Services, Inc. (Cat Logistics), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Caterpillar, will establish and operate the centralized distribution facility to serve multiple Caterpillar divisions. The operation will enhance logistics flexibility and drive high turnover of products. Tonnage originating in the United States, Mexico, Europe and Japan will be distributed to prime product locations and directly to customers, resulting in faster deliveries. |
| 2006 Projects |
 Sanderson Farms announced Jan. 12, 2006, their selection of Waco for construction of a new poultry processing plant and hatchery complex. The company expects to invest $70 million in two separate facilities on a total of 300 acres. At full capacity, the complex will employ about 1,300 people and require 150 contract growers. Sanderson Farms anticipates that associated contract growers will invest an additional $115 million in poultry production facilities. The company began construction of the facilities in the summer of 2006, with initial operation of the complex scheduled to begin by August 2007. |
 Blackhawk Modifications, Inc., the leading turboprop engine upgrade company, built a 12,000-square-foot hangar at Waco Regional Airport. The hangar serves as headquarters for the worldwide Blackhawk sales team and research and development operations. The project represents a $600,000-investment and signals a commitment by Blackhawk to grow the aviation industry in Waco. |
 Advanced Concepts and Technologies International established the ACT-I Research and Analytical Laboratory (ARAL) in 2006. The 6,000-square-foot facility expands ongoing research programs to protect the drinking water of military men and women. It also will be a testing facility for public drinking water systems. The project is supported by a $5-million government contract in collaboration with Purdue University Research Center in Merriville, Ind. The company employs 20 scientific staff members. |
 Clarke Products announced in 2006 that it will establish a 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Waco. Clarke Products, based in Grand Prairie, Texas, manufactures a comprehensive line of whirlpool baths, soaking bathtubs, showers, shower bases, kitchen and laundry sinks. Renovations of the space began in summer 2006 and will be ready for production in January 2007. The new facility will employ 60 people. |
 Diversified Product Development acquired a 50,000-square-foot facility in October 2006 to expand and relocate headquarters and operations. The company is a fully integrated product design and development company. Diversified works with companies and entrepreneurs to develop a concept of a new product or redesign of and existing one. They are capable of taking the idea to limited production with parts descriptions and manuals. This unique company moved into the facility in November and will hire eight employees adding to the current 14. |
 Construction is underway at the 74-acre campus of Hillcrest Health System. In October 2006, Hillcrest Health System announced its plan to expand its operations by creating a campus adjacent to the major development center at the intersection of Interstate 35 and Loop 340. A Community Hospital and a Women's and Children's Pavilion will be built totaling 471,829 square feet at a cost of more than $184 million and representing 300 new jobs. This expansion also entails adding a long-term acute care hospital, or LTACH, now in the early stages at the Herring Avenue campus. In addition, the Inpatient Rehabilitation Center, the Fentress Cancer Center and support services will continue to operate at Herring Avenue after the opening of the new hospital, expected in the Spring of 2009. This expansion will allow Hillcrest to continue to fulfill its role as a health care provider to the entire region |
 SWB Heritage Square Partners, L.P. announced a 17-acre, $60 million mixed-use development to help revitalize downtown at Heritage Square. Phase I of the Waco Town Square project will break ground fall 2007 and will include 30,000 square feet of office space, 27,000 square feet of retail/ restaurants, and 17,000 square feet of residential lofts. The entire project (Phase I
and II) is expected to be completed by 2012, consisting of 61,880 square feet of retail/ restaurants, 68,680 sqft of class A office space, and about 35,000 square feet of loft-style residential space. In addition, SWB recently purchased over 90,000 sqft mixed-use center at River Square Center on Franklin. |
 In December 2006, Sears Methodist Retirement System, Inc. (SMRS) announced that it will expand by building a $65-million luxury senior living community at Highway 84 and Old Lorena Road. This expansion will be built as a continuing care retirement community (CCRC), offering three basic levels of care: independent residential living assisted living and skilled nursing care, with both short-term and long-term care. Construction at Wesley Village is scheduled to begin in 2008 and occupancy is foreseen for 2010. SMRS, the first aging-service system in the United States to be accredited for across-the-board excellence by the prestigious Continuing Care Accreditation Commission (CCAC) in Washington DC, is a great asset to the Waco community.
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 Graham Packaging Company, a global producer of custom blow-molded plastic containers, will lease 60,000 square feet of logistics space at Tejas Logistics to support a local manufacturer. They are a supplier to our Coca Cola North America here in Waco and specialize in the design, manufacture and sale of custom blow-molded plastic containers in select markets: food and beverage, personal care and specialty products, household products, and chemicals and automotive lubricants.
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2005 Announced Projects in Waco |
Company |
Project Type |
New Jobs |
Investment |
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Expansion (Aviation Mfg.) |
25 |
$2.1 million |
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New/Expansion
(Call Center) |
325 |
$5.6 million |
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Expansion (Mfg.) |
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$150,000 |
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New/Expansion
(Equipment Mfg.) |
80 |
$ 4,900,000 |
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New (Sales & Eng) |
20 |
$1 million |
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Expansion (Hospital) |
242 |
$48.52 million |
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Expansion (Call Center) |
70 |
$11.49 million |
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Other Significant Waco Projects
Greater Waco Chamber
Government
- City of Waco passed a $63-million bond package in May 2007 for improvements including:
- $17-million renovation to the Waco Hilton
- $13 million for a new police headquarters
- $12 million for library improvements
- $6.8 million for two new fire stations
- $2 million for the Texas Ranger Museum
- Waco Regional Airport announced a $7-million renovation plan. This includes $3.4 million for new passenger-to-airplane ramps and an enhanced waiting area, $1.6 million for an Airport Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Station already under construction as well as $1.7 million for runway safety improvements.
- Crawford is planning to spend $600,000 on enhancements at Tonkawa Falls Park including adding 32 acres and making upgrades to existing infrastructure and facilities.
Education
Residential
Medical
- Providence Health Center completed construction on the $48.5-million, five-story F.M. and
Gloria Davis Young Tower, which includes expansion of the Emergency Department, and
pulmonary and respiratory services. Parking deck and ancillary projects are still underway.
- CGC Southwest Management Services began a $3-million renovation of a 98,500 square-foot-facility at Highway 6 and Sanger to be named Central Texas Medical Complex.
Hospitality
- Courtyard by Marriott completed $2 million remodel of their downtown hotel.
- Image Hospitality under a franchise agreement with the Hilton Hotels Corp. will begin construction of a Hampton Inn & Suites a four-story, 124-room hotel at the Central Texas Market Place at the intersection of Interstate 35 and Loop 340.
- Days Inn & Suites is building a 70-unit hotel near Robinson Industrial Park. The project is scheduled to be completed in July 2008.
- Prem Sai Inc. is building a new $5.6-million Holiday Inn near I-35 in Bellmead.
Development Centers
- TSTC Industrial Airport completed airport master plan and secured $1.25 Million Federal
Grant for infrastructure improvements.
- Waco Industrial Foundation is implementing a new master plan for 2,000 acres of
development in the Texas Central Park and Waco International Aviation Park. New
Professional Park is open and first tenant, Wardlaw Claims Services is under construction.
- McGregor Industrial Park announced major expansion of Ferguson Enterprises and secured
Dell Inc. Business Service Center.
- Bellmead Industrial Park completed road and infrastructure project opening 40 acres for
development with IH 35 visibility.
- Waco Regional Airport implementing master plan and completed a new headquarter and
hangar operation for Blackhawk Aircraft Modifications.
- Commerce Park in Hewitt sold five initial lots.
Other Development
- Lacy Lakeview announced redevelopment of a major shopping center with more than 100,000 square feet on 14.5 acres at N. Loop 340 and Interstate 35.
- Insurors of Texas completed renovation and relocation of its headquarters to historic building in downtown Waco.
- Central Texas Iron Works landed an $80-million contract with Shell Canada for steel to build
an oil-processing plant in Canada. They will heavily recruit specialized welders.
- Goodwill Industries began construction on $6.5-million, 60,000-square-foot headquarters.
- Waco Nissan opened a $4-million showroom facility along Loop 340 in the Legends Crossing
development.
- Southeastern Freight Lines has begun construction of a $1.7-million freight depot.
- SAIA Motor Freight completed a $1.3-million depot.
- Southern Tire mart is constructing a $1-million, 21,000-square-foot warehouse.
- Commercial Tire Systems constructed at $950,000 truck service center.
- Construction is underway for the 150-acre Legends Crossing development on Highway 6 at Interstate 35 where TxDOT is rebuilding the interchange at $50 million.
- Profiles International completed headquarters and training center expansion.
- L-3 Communications Integrated Systems completed construction of a $4-million aircraft hangar at TSTC Industrial Airport.
- Dwyer Group completed headquarters expansion.
- The former Target facility at Highway 6 and Sanger is undergoing a $3-million renovation of its 98,500-square-foot building for medical offices.
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