The Lone Tree Industrial Park in Victoria, Texas started with the vision of city leaders to create a site with everything a big employer would need to immediately set up a new facility, such as all city utilities and easy access to railroads and roadways. The multi-million dollar project, paid for with local sales tax revenue and federal grants, was finished in 2004. For six years, the large facility sat unoccupied. While the Victoria Economic Development Corporation could have dropped in several small users, they chose to wait for the right tenant - the tenant who would use the whole park and have a transformative effect on Victoria’s economy. Needless to say, they took some heat from a few naysayers. But the city’s leaders supported the dream and the vision for what the park could become. They stayed the course.
Then August 12, 2010 the announcement came. Victoria, Texas had nabbed the Big Cat. Caterpillar could have chosen any location in the United States to build their new plant and they chose population 65,000, Victoria, Texas. This new $120 to $150 million plant will create about 300 construction jobs and about 513 permanent jobs including managers, accountants, marketers, skilled manufacturers and semi-skilled laborers. They’ll all be working to build and distribute hydraulic excavators, basically backhoes on which you can take off the big shovel and attach anything from a jackhammer to a hair dryer. And they’ll be doing it on the 320 acre piece of real estate known as the Lone Tree Industrial Park.
One economic development official described it as possibly the biggest economic development announcement ever for Victoria County.
While this story paints a great picture about the economic future of Victoria, it also paints a picture about the wonderful character of this community, specifically its vision, patience and openness.
Over the years, VEDC formed relationships with many people in the world of industrial site location. The hard working people in the city earned a reputation for delivering quality information quickly, and doing so with a smile. This helped the VEDC officials to develop the relationships that led Caterpillar to take a long look at Victoria.
When businesses are looking for a place to locate a major capital investment, they usually operate under a strict veil of secrecy. Officials at Victoria schools, governments and businesses were initially introduced to Caterpillar’s decision makers by first name only. That didn’t stop the locals from giving them such a warm welcome that Caterpillar officials felt obligated to mention hospitality as a major factor in their decision to locate to Victoria. They were heard to remark, “Victoria just felt like home.” Wow, what better compliment can you give a city?
The same community character that helps major companies like Caterpillar find a home here also helps anyone else make this the place to live and raise a family.
If you are considering moving to the South Texas area, check out Victoria, Texas. You won't be sorry.