BUSINESS
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OF THE RESEARCH VALLEY, TEXAS
Bio-Energy on the Front Burner Winemakers Uncork Texas Vintages
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contents BUSINESS TM
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OVERVIEW
13
BUSINESS ALMANAC
17
BUSINESS CLIMATE
Inking the Deal
22
Toyo Ink chooses The Research Valley as home to its newest facility.
Intangible Riches in Reserve
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Biased Towards Business
25
Bombers Away
25
QUALITY OF LIFE
31
A Texas-Sized Passion for Education
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Texas A&M and Blinn College set the standard for higher learning.
Pedal Pusher
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Prescription for Community Care
29
Liquid Assets Fill the Valley
30
The Shape of Things
31
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTIONS: CITY OF BRYAN FRANKLIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
On the Cover PHOTO BY TODD BENNETT George H.W. Bush Library READ MORE ONLINE
IMAGESRESEARCHVALLEY . com LINKS Click on links to local Web sites and learn more about the business click climate, demographics, service providers and other aspects of life here. WEATHER Find current conditions, immediate and long-range forecasts and historical averages.
ARCHIVES Read past editions of Business Images of the Research Valley. THE MOVIE Take a virtual tour of the Research Valley as seen through the eyes of our photographers. ABOUT THIS MAGAZINE
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ONLINE VIRTUAL MAGAZINE Flip through pages of Business Images of the Research Valley on your computer screen, zoom in to read the articles, and click on the ads to be linked to the Web sites of advertisers. B;
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Business Images of the Research Valley is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is sponsored by the Brazos Valley Council of Governments. In print and online, Business Images gives readers a taste of what makes the Research Valley tick â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from transportation and technology to health care and quality of life.
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R E S E A R C H VA L L E Y
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Find the good â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and praise it.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Alex Haley (1921-1992), Journal Communications co-founder
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I M A G E S R E S E A R C H VA L L E Y. C O M
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contents ACCESSIBILITY
Planes, Trains & Automobiles
32
A proposed high-speed rail route will link Houston and Dallas via College Station.
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36
Avoiding Road Hazards
34
Meeting the Need for Speed
35
HEALTH/LIFE SCIENCES
Health Sciences Triple Play Three Texas A&M research centers are launching and expanding.
Changes in Sight
47
36 39
E N E RGY
Bio-Energy on the Front Burner
40
There’s more to meeting America’s desire for alternatives to fossil fuel than corn.
Fuel Cells of the Future
41
Powerful Forces at Play
43
MANUFACTURING
Made in the Valley
44
Trailers, fencing and disappearing ink are produced in The Research Valley. TECHNOLOGY
High-Tech’s Happening Place
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The Research Valley is fertile ground for high-tech and innovative businesses.
Keeping an Eye on the Sky
48
A Boost for Science
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AGRIBUSINESS
Winemakers Uncork Texas Vintages
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Winemaking is a growing business in Texas, the fifth-largest wine-producing state in the country.
Staving Off Starvation
53
Not Just Horsing Around
55
Shear Profit
56
HISTORY
Photo Essay
57
The Research Valley is worth exploring.
ECONOMIC PROFILE
R E S E A R C H VA L L E Y
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I M A G E S R E S E A R C H VA L L E Y. C O M
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BUSINESS TM
OF THE R ESEA R CH VA LLEY 2008 EDITION, VOLUME 3
SENIOR EDITOR KIM MADLOM COPY EDITOR JOYCE CARUTHERS ASSOCIATE EDITORS LISA BATTLES, SUSAN CHAPPELL, ANITA WADHWANI ASSISTANT EDITOR REBECCA DENTON STAFF WRITERS CAROL COWAN, KEVIN LITWIN, JESSICA MOZO DIRECTORIES EDITORS AMANDA MORGAN, KRISTY WISE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT JESSY YANCEY CONTRIBUTING WRITERS LOUISE GACIOCH, MELANIE HILL, PAUL HUGHES, KELLI LEVY, BILL LEWIS, DANNY McKENZIE, JOE MORRIS, BETSY WILLIAMS REGIONAL SALES MANAGER CHARLES FITZGIBBON ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER TODD POTTER EXECUTIVE INTEGRATED MEDIA MANAGER AMY NORMAND ONLINE SALES MANAGER MATT SLUTZ SALES COORDINATOR SARA SARTIN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS JEFF ADKINS, WES ALDRIDGE, TODD BENNETT, ANTONY BOSHIER, MICHAEL W. BUNCH, IAN CURCIO, BRIAN M C CORD CREATIVE DIRECTOR KEITH HARRIS WEB DESIGN DIRECTOR SHAWN DANIEL PRODUCTION DIRECTOR NATASHA LORENS ASSISTANT PRODUCTION DIRECTOR CHRISTINA CARDEN PRE-PRESS COORDINATOR HAZEL RISNER SENIOR PRODUCTION PROJECT MGR. TADARA SMITH PRODUCTION PROJECT MGRS. MELISSA HOOVER, JILL WYATT SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS KRIS SEXTON, VIKKI WILLIAMS LEAD DESIGNER LAURA GALLAGHER GRAPHIC DESIGN JESSICA BRAGONIER, CANDICE HULSEY, JANINE MARYLAND, LINDA MOREIRAS, AMY NELSON, CARL RATLIFF WEB PROJECT MANAGER ANDY HARTLEY WEB DESIGN RYAN DUNLAP, CARL SCHULZ WEB PRODUCTION JILL TOWNSEND DIGITAL ASSET MANAGER ALISON HUNTER COLOR IMAGING TECHNICIAN CORY MITCHELL AD TRAFFIC MEGHANN CAREY, SARAH MILLER, PATRICIA MOISAN, RAVEN PETTY CHAIRMAN GREG THURMAN PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER BOB SCHWARTZMAN EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT RAY LANGEN SR. V.P./CLIENT DEVELOPMENT JEFF HEEFNER SR. V.P./SALES CARLA H. THURMAN SR. V.P./PRODUCTION & OPERATIONS CASEY E. HESTER V.P./SALES HERB HARPER V.P./VISUAL CONTENT MARK FORESTER V.P./TRAVEL PUBLISHING SYBIL STEWART EXECUTIVE EDITOR TEREE CARUTHERS MANAGING EDITOR/BUSINESS MAURICE FLIESS PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR JEFFREY S. OTTO CONTROLLER CHRIS DUDLEY ACCOUNTING MORIAH DOMBY, DIANA GUZMAN, MARIA MCFARLAND, LISA OWENS, JACKIE YATES RECRUITING/TRAINING DIRECTOR SUZY WALDRIP COMMUNITY PROMOTION DIRECTOR CINDY COMPERRY DISTRIBUTION DIRECTOR GARY SMITH MARKETING COORDINATOR AMY AKIN IT SYSTEMS DIRECTOR MATT LOCKE IT SERVICE TECHNICIAN RYAN SWEENEY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER PEGGY BLAKE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR NICOLE WILLIAMS SALES SUPPORT MANAGER/ CUSTOM MAGAZINES PATTI CORNELIUS OFFICE MANAGER SHELLY GRISSOM
Business Images of The Research Valley is published annually by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed through the Brazos Valley Council of Governments. For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080 or by e-mail at info@jnlcom.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Brazos Valley Council of Governments 3991 E. 29th St. • Bryan, TX 77805 Phone: (979) 595-2800• Fax: (979) 595-210? www.bvcog.org VISIT IMAGES OF THE RESEARCH VALLEY ONLINE AT IMAGESRESEARCHVALLEY.COM ©Copyright 2007 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent. Member Member
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overview
COME ON DOWN A desirable lifestyle and a favorable business climate â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both await in The Research Valley of Texas. Located within this seven-county region are prestigious Texas A&M University, the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, sites that chronicle Texas history, performing and visual arts venues, hightech enterprises, vibrant industries, and the pastoral beauty of lakes, parks, rangelands and agricultural fields.
@SaSO`QV DOZZSg
Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finding a great quality of life for your family, an excellent college education for your children, or the latest and best manufacturing process for your business, The Research Valley should be your destination of choice.
R E S E A R C H VA L L E Y
I M A G E S R E S E A R C H VA L L E Y. C O M
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Preparing for the future with respect for the past
City of Caldwell
City of Caldwell, Texas ■ (979) 567-3271 ■ www.caldwelltx.gov
Where the past, present, and future meet
Burleson County
Burleson County Chamber of Commerce (979) 567-0000 ■ www.burlesoncountytx.com Burleson County Industrial Foundation (979) 567-0000 ■ www.co.burleson.tx.us
Home of Beautiful Lake Somerville
City of Somerville
City of Somerville, Texas ■ (979) 596-1122 ■ www.cityofsomervilletexas.com
overview
TOP 10 REASONS TO DO BUSINESS IN THE RESEARCH VALLEY 1. Intellectual Capital
8. Quality of Life
A diverse, highly educated workforce supports The Research Valley’s expanding business base. The region is the home of Texas A&M University and Blinn College. With more than 55,000 undergraduate and graduate candidates, businesses are never at a loss for quality employees and trainees.
City or country, modern or quaint, a vast choice of lifestyles and housing is available in The Research Valley. The region has been designated a “Five-Star Quality-of-Life Metro,” where people can enjoy a career and raise a family at the same time.
9. Favorable Tax Structure 2. Excellent Education
The area’s tax structure makes it a low-cost center for doing business. Major draws for the region include no personal state income tax or state property tax, and “freeport” exemptions.
School districts in the region have earned a reputation for academic excellence. Students and staff in the area’s primary and secondary schools are diverse, with more than 36 languages represented.
10. Business Incentives The Research Valley knows how to welcome businesses with incentives, including property tax abatements, tax increment reinvestment zones, performance-based grants and customized job-training programs.
3. Prime Location Centrally located within a triangle formed by Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth and Austin/ San Antonio, the region offers easy access to big-city amenities and more than 13 million people (62 percent of Texas’ population).
4. Entrepreneurial Spirit The region is a “knowledge commercialization zone” where university, industry and government partners join forces. New ideas for the marketplace are fostered by The Research Valley Angel Network, which provides capital, strategic advice and mentoring to early-stage companies.
5. Robust Cultural Life The high educational attainment of the residents is apparent not only in their work but also in their involvement in cultural and entertainment activities. World-class performing arts, museums, libraries and more are available here.
6. Affordability The Research Valley consistently ranks among the lowest areas in cost of living – meaning lower taxes, less expensive housing, and more disposable income for individual and families.
Taking advantage of temperatures that average 68 degrees annually, residents enjoy the region’s more than 400 miles of cycling routes and trails over gently rolling terrain. An abundance of championship courses challenge golfers year-round.
R E S E A R C H VA L L E Y
BRIAN MCCORD
7. Healthy Living
Walking Trail at Wolf Pen Creek
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business almanac
HAIL TO THE RENOVATION Visitors can now have their photo taken sitting behind the president’s desk in the Oval Office – albeit in College Station. The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum underwent an $8.3 million renovation in 2007, with the grand re-opening to the public taking place in November 2007. One of the renovation additions is an Oval Office exhibit that allows visitors to sit in the “seat of power” for photo opportunities. The museum features several displays linked to George H.W. Bush, including a TBM Avenger like the one he flew in World War II. There is also a section of the Berlin Wall, 1947 Studebaker automobiles and a replica of a White House situation room with an interactive presentation on the decisions leading to the first Gulf War. The library and museum is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2008.
FUNGUS FUN IN MADISONVILLE The mushroom capital of Texas? It is Madisonville. The city presents an annual Texas Mushroom Festival (Fiesta de Hongos) each October, and the celebration will be observed for the sixth consecutive year in 2008. Local company Monterey Mushrooms conducts growing demonstrations throughout the day as part of the entertainment.
COLOR THEM BLUE The city bills itself as the Blues Capital of Texas, thanks to Mance Lipscomb. The Navasota Blues Fest strums into Grimes County each year, with performances taking place at the Grimes County Expo Center. The music festival began in 1996 and occurs on a Friday and Saturday in mid-August. The founders of the festival organized the event to honor Mance Lipscomb, a long-time Navasota bluesman. The music extravaganza is also meant to help keep blues music alive, with performances over the weekend by many local and regional musicians. Many of the proceeds from the event go to college music scholarships for graduating seniors at Navasota High School.
Other festival events include a gala Friday night dinner, a shiitake road run, an auto showcase, cooking demonstrations and an art show. Area chefs are on hand with several dishes for tasting, and all types of mushrooms can be purchased. Oh, be sure to try a spicy mushroom fajita when you’re there.
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business almanac
RING THE BELL We eat all we can and sell the rest. That is the official slogan of Blue Bell Creameries, a Brenham-based company that celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2007. To celebrate its centennial, the ice cream maker visited 66 cities in 16 states by caravan â&#x20AC;&#x201C; handing out free products from Arizona to Louisiana. Part of the 100-year celebration included the publication of a 160-page coffee table book called Blue Bell Ice Cream: A Century of the Little Creamery in Brenham, Texas 19072007. In addition, College Station artist Benjamin Knox completed an original oil painting that combines historical images with the modern Blue Bell icons.
THE WHOLE WORLD IS INVITED Texas A&M has more than 3,700 international students from 128 different countries, so the university decided to organize an international festival. The inaugural Brazos Valley Worldfest took place in November 2007 to celebrate the international diversity in this part of Texas. Activities and attractions included global cuisine, culture demonstrations, an international craft tent, a world fashion show and a diversity of musical entertainment. A global village featured several ethnic displays, and a kids village featured rides and other activities for children. The second annual Brazos Valley Worldfest will occur in November 2008.
GIVEN BIRTH Texas was born in 1836, and its birthplace is a historic site. Washington-on-the-Brazos is a 293-acre park in Washington County that includes the site where Texas declared its independence from Mexico on March 2, 1836. The park now hosts an annual Texas Independence Day Celebration each March. The site includes attractions such as Independence Hall, the Star of Republic Museum that was built in 1969 and Barrington Living History Farm. The farm is a working plantation of the 1830s that is modeled after the home of Anson Jones, who was the last president of the Republic of Texas.
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business almanac
CZECH IT OUT Where else could you enter a kolache eating contest, other than at the annual Kolache Festival in Caldwell? The event to celebrate the history and culture of Czech people takes place on the first weekend after Labor Day in September. Attractions include a Friday night Czech meal, street dance, parade of costumes, live musical entertainment and plenty of Czech food. The festival is sponsored by the Burleson County Czech Heritage Society, which has its own museum. Items of interest at the museum include a wall mural of the city of Prague, Czech costumes, books, crystal and handpainted eggs. The 24th annual Kolache Festival is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 5-6, 2008. By the way, a kolache is a pastry filled with fruits or cheeses.
PINKIES IN THE AIR Sipping tea and sampling Victorian delicacies. That is what takes place in Calvert each year at the Victorian Tea and Gala, with the eighth annual get-together scheduled for Oct. 11, 2008. A tea gathering occurs in the afternoon at a historic home in Calvert, while the gala dance is at the pavilion in Virginia Field Park. The gala features men and women dressed in Victorian finery.
P H OTO C O U R T E S Y O F B U F FA LO E X P R E S S
WHERE THEY ROAM
The city of Calvert was founded in 1868 and named for Robert Calvert, a descendant of Lord Baltimore. After the Civil War, huge plantations and a number of large Victorian mansions were constructed, many of which still stand today. The Calvin Historical District stretches 37 complete and nine partial blocks.
An annual buffalo stampede is held every year â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in Buffalo. It is a festival that takes place each September and enters its 29th year in 2008. Activities include live entertainment, an auction, car show, a parade, kids games, plenty of food and contests. Those contests include the crowning of Miss Buffalo Stampede. Events take place at several venues, including Harriman Park, the Buffalo High School auditorium, Guinn Arena and at the Memorial Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, where a dominoes tournament is held. The next Buffalo Stampede is set for Sept. 14, 2008.
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Achieving
Competi the
A
P H OTO C O U R T E S Y O F TOYO I N K I N T E R N AT I O N A L C O R P.
Edge
Toyo Ink chooses Bryan for its newest project
A rendering of the new Toyo Ink facility Right: A groundbreaking ceremony in October 2007 celebrated Toyo Ink’s decision to expand in The Research Valley.
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s it marks an impressive 100 years in business, Toyo Ink continues to grow and expand, with its latest project under construction in The Research Valley. Toyo Ink broke ground for its $20 million plant at the Bryan site in October 2007. The Japanese company’s U.S. headquarters is in New York City, and other plants are located in California, Georgia, Illinois and New Jersey. The Research Valley location provides proximity to the port of Houston and all points south, to the bottom of the globe. But the site selection came down to more than just geography. “It’s our core values,” says Todd McDaniel, president and CEO of The Research Valley Partnership, an economic development corporation serving the area. “We have a tradition of being very welcoming, very interested in diversity in business.” McDaniel notes that Japanese corporate culture tends to be conservative, focused on the family and community and interested in the personal as well as business. Its corporate philosophy promotes a “people-oriented management,” contributing to customer, employee and societal satisfaction. That philosophy is a good fit with The Research Valley. Bryan was one of 26 sites the company considered. McDaniel cites the “Spirit of Aggieland” as playing a role in
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business climate
tive giving Bryan the competitive edge. He says the same team spirit evidenced by the fabled “12th Man” – fans in the stands at Texas A&M football games who are considered part of the team – was in play to welcome Toyo. “We’re an open and friendly community,” he says. And a cooperative community. The city of Bryan and its business panel approved competitive incentives to help ink the deal with Toyo. The community provided 22 acres of land for the 55,000square-foot plant, as well as tax and infrastructure incentives. In exchange, Toyo invests the $20 million by May 2008 and agrees to hire 20 full-time, skilled employees by yearend 2008, with a gross annual payroll of $1 million. “I truly appreciate the support we’ve received from The Research Valley Partnership and Bryan officials in bringing this project to life,” says Fusao Ito, president of the Toyo Ink Group in America. “The outpouring of hospitality from the community was also a deciding factor in choosing Bryan for Toyo Ink’s next production site.” Toyo was founded in the 1890s and incorporated in 1907, now marking its 100th anniversary. “At a corporate level it’s a big deal to them,” McDaniel says. Toyo Ink manufactures inks and adhesives for printing and other uses. The company projects an annual output of 5,000 tons within three years of opening the new plant in the Bryan Business Park. And this may be just the beginning. “We’re optimistic for a second phase,” McDaniel says. “They don’t go into anything lightly.”
R E S E A R C H VA L L E Y
McDaniel anticipates more attention on Bryan-College Station from other Japanese companies. “Toyota put a major production facility in San Antonio several years ago and that put Texas on the radar screen for Japanese companies,” McDaniel says. “This opens the door for us to work with Toyo to promote The Research Valley to those firms.” The Partnership got some good practice enticing Toyo. It invited Japanese students from Texas A&M to the first meeting with the company, and has hosted other international dignitaries and executives in the past. “We did some homework,” McDaniel says. “And it paid off.” – Paul Hughes
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business climate
Intangible
RICHES in
Reserve
The Valley boasts a wealth of educated workers, quality schools, innovation
PHOTO COURTESY OF TEXAS A& M TURBOMACHINERY LABORATORY
T
Intellectual capital in the form of a highly educated labor pool strengthens The Research Valley.
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I M A G E S R E S E A R C H VA L L E Y. C O M
he Research Valley has oil and coal and land – but there’s more to economic wealth than natural assets. Intangible capital – raw labor, societal trust, institutions and human knowledge and skills – is a key factor in economic wealth, according to a recent World Bank study. The World Bank found wealthy countries get that way because of two factors: people’s skills and the excellence of institutions supporting them. This view of how economic wealth is achieved within communities and regions places The Research Valley ahead of the curve. Consider: • Money Magazine named College Station the most educated city in Texas in 2006 and the 11th most educated city in the country, based on the number of advanced degrees. • Bryan-College Station metropolitan statistical area (MSA) has the highest concentration of materials scientists, postsecondary engineering teachers, chemistry teachers and veterinary technologists and technicians of any of the 409 MSAs in the United States. • In 2005 alone, The Texas A&M University System researchers provided 118 new disclosures, received 38 U.S. patents, executed 43 licenses and options, and formed five start-up companies. “We probably have more than 70,000 two-year degree and up students here,” says Chuck Martinez, director of innovation services for The Research Valley Partnership. “That’s a good, strong student population, and companies want to locate near that.” “Intellectual capital means ideas,” says Dr. Eddie Coulson, superintendent of the College Station Independent School District. “This is a very well-educated community, so there are lots of ideas, lots of resources people can turn to if you bring a business to this area.” Coulson says in any field – business, engineering, veterinary science, medicine – The Research Valley has experts to help. “So many people associated with the university are on the cutting edge,” he says. “Business has access to workers, and workers have access to business. Both have access to ideas.” – Paul Hughes
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INNOVATOR
Biased Toward Business SUPPORT NETWORK HELPS BUSINESSES GET STARTED AND GROW The Research Valley doesn’t host poker games – that’s for regions along the Mississippi River – but it does lay its cards on the table. The Research Valley is biased toward business. “There is intense competition among areas, states and nations, to grow their economy,” says Chuck Martinez, director of innovation services for The Research Valley Partnership, the consortium of groups charged with attracting new business. “Most economic development corporations help companies locate, stay or expand in particular communities. Central to this is having someone looking out for you – like a mentor-protégée, but on a bigger scale. Now there’s a new flavor emerging.” Past efforts in traditional incubation are giving way to the concept of acceleration. Companies get the same access to support systems, but it all happens (like so much else these days) faster. The Innovation Center is just such an accelerator. Martinez describes the Innovation Center as a cultivator of homegrown entrepreneurship. Through its relationship with Texas A&M, the Innovation Center helps grow new companies, both commercial firms and nonprofits. “We want The Research Valley to be a hotbed for innovative companies,” he says. One such company is StarRotor Corp., which manufactures its signature engine. Co-founder Dr. Mark Holtzapple, a chemical engineering professor at Texas A&M who teaches thermodynamics, says the engine is three times more efficient than a car engine. For example, a car may get 30 miles to the gallon. A car with a StarRotor engine would get 90. The company currently sells compressors and expanders – the two parts of an engine equation – to drive cash flow. But the big deal is the engine. StarRotor got assistance from the Partnership. “We were discussing a joint venture with a Chinese company,” Holtzapple says. “The Research Valley Partnership lined up everyone they needed to meet, brought in the mayor and rolled out the red carpet for them.” The Partnership also helped them apply for state grants and has invested in the company. Not surprisingly, Holtzapple has praise for The Research Valley. “They’re signaling they want us to be in the community, so we can flourish here,” he says. “Our goal is to be the largest private employer in the region.” – Paul Hughes
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Minor League baseball draws fans in the Valley.
Bombers Away SUMMER JUST GOT MORE FUN IN THE BRAZOS VALLEY Uri Geva and Kfir Jackson don’t claim to be baseball moguls, but their summer collegiate team, the Brazos Valley Bombers, did make it to the playoffs. “Summer Just Got Fun,” was the team slogan for its inaugural season in 2007. The slogan held true as games drew an average of 1,000 fans enjoying hot dogs, burgers, funnel cake – and of course baseball. Game promotions included a regular “kid’s zone” at every game, where future players could test their pitching and hitting, as well as “race the mascot’” and thrill to fireworks. “It’s about having fun,” says Geva, who has lived in the community for 16 years. The games also bring business into the Brazos Valley at a time when thousands of students go to their respective hometowns for the summer. “We created a summer destination in The Research Valley,” says Geva. The games provide a venue for college athletes to show off their talents as they play in a Minor League environment. Geva says a New York Mets scout was at one of the games. Meanwhile, the team Web site feeds another business founded by Geva and Jackson. Infinity ProSports is a firm that designs and maintains Web sites for more than 400 companies, primarily in sports marketing (content, statistics, news, video, interactive games and online stores). Infinity ProSports has surpassed $1 million in sales, and has worked for clients such as the Harlem Globetrotters, Cal Ripken Jr. and rocker Jon Bon Jovi, who owns an Arena Football League team. They’ve also worked for lacrosse and minor league basketball teams. – Paul Hughes
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quality of life
Passion for
Education Texas A&M and Blinn College provide an education advantage
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200,000 square feet of modern, “green” classrooms, labs and offices. Both the Life Sciences building and the upcoming $100 million, 230,000-square-foot Emerging Technologies & Economic Development Interdisciplinary building are designed around the idea of col-
laboration among various colleges and departments. Among the most significant projects will be the Texas A&M Health Science Center in west Bryan. The $130 million project will include one building for medical research and a second for edu-
PHOTO COURTESY OF TEXAS A& M
he Research Valley has a Texassized passion for education. Proof resides inside the busy classrooms and labs of numerous public and private institutions – including the renowned Texas A&M University and Blinn College. Dr. Michael D. McKinney, chancellor of The Texas A&M University System, focuses on “what goes on inside of buildings.” With $700 million in new and future construction in College Station and Bryan, he has abundant space to keep him concentrating hard into the next decade. “These buildings entice additional, top-notch faculty to come here; that translates into the highest level of teaching, learning and research,” McKinney says. Meanwhile, the 46,000 students at Texas A&M are beneficiaries of 30 projects in various stages. For example, the $63 million Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy and the Mitchell Physics Building are under construction on the north side of campus. The joined buildings will provide 176,000 square feet. Expected to be completed in fall 2008, the $95 million Interdisciplinary Life Sciences building will contain more than
The Texas A&M campus in Bryan-College Station is growing and expanding, with 30 projects under way through 2008. Left: The Albritton Tower, named after 1943 graduate Ford D. Albritton Jr., rises above the campus. TODD BENNETT
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cational purposes and administration. The 200-acre site is in the planning stages “and will offer fantastic opportunities for discovery of medical treatments and cures,” says McKinney, who is also a medical doctor. On the cutting edge of genetic research will be the 105,000-square-foot Texas Institute for Genomic Medicine (TIGM) at College Station. Total cost of the project, which is in the design phase: $40 million. This public/private partnership “will result in the discovery of treat ments, cures and prevention of genetic diseases in humans and animals,” McKinney says. “This is an outstanding tie-in with our veterinary medicine program.”
Blinn College provides a strong start for students seeking four-year degrees.
BLINN COLLEGE Blinn College’s strong relationship with Texas A&M is among its greatest strengths, Blinn President Don Voelter says. Through the TEAM program, many of the community college students are
co-enrolled at both institutions. Voelter is particularly proud “because it demonstrates the confidence Texas A&M has in the quality of what we do. It’s a win-win situation for both colleges and for students.” Enrollment is now 14,000 at Blinn’s two Research Valley campuses in Brenham and Bryan. Smaller campuses are in Schulenburg and Sealy. The institution had the highest percentage of academic students who transfer to leading Texas four-year universities, with the majority transferring to Texas A&M. More impressive, Blinn has the state’s highest percentage of students who go on to earn their bachelor’s degrees from top Texas universities. “Convenience is a big advantage of two-year colleges,” Voelter says. “In our case, we are not only convenient for students from local high schools, but also for Texas A&M students who want to take classes at Blinn.” – Louise Gacioch
INNOVATOR
Pedal Pusher With traffic becoming an ever-increasing problem, and a large population of college students, College Station is a natural for bikeway and pedestrian trails. At least that’s the thinking of city council member John Crompton, who is pushing for completion and implementation of the city’s Bikeway and Pedestrian Master Plan. Some setbacks in funding have slowed down progress on the trail system, but Crompton is hopeful the program will begin gathering steam again soon. “We have a greenways plan that has gone into abeyance, and the coordinator’s position has been vacant,” Crompton says. “Plus the funding had been cut, so those things have crimped the whole deal for a while. But we have been working on our transportation plan, and our future roadways have hiking and biking trails on them, which is a major step forward.” Current and past proposals call for varying degrees of trailway systems to be integrated into the city’s overall transportation infrastructure, something that
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CITY COUNCILMAN ADVOCATES BETTER BIKING, WALKING ROUTES
Dr. John Crompton, a member of the College Station Council, is working to improve bike paths throughout the city.
will be vital for College Station as it continues to grow, Crompton says. “We have 50,000 young people here every day, and there’s no coordinated set of bike trails going to the campus,” Crompton says. “We have really got to try to do what we can in a remedial way, and then integrate this type of system into our streetscaping in the future. There are a number of dimensions to this, and one of our challenges as a council will be to reenergize this program so that it can be as vibrant as it needs to be.” – Joe Morris
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Prescription for Community Care Health-care centers expand services into rural areas
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variety of health-care treatment options usually can be found in an urban setting, but outlying areas often suffer from a lack of needed services. Four years ago, the Brazos Valley Health Partnership set out to change that. Acting in cooperation with the Center for Community Health Development, the Office of Rural and Community Affairs and several other partners, the organization used a $2 million, threeyear grant to fund community health centers in some of the more remote areas of the Brazos Valley. The goal, says Angela Alaniz, director of the BVHP, was to establish centers that would eventually be operated by community officials, and would integrate with services and providers in College Station, Bryan and other population centers. “The whole thing started in 2001 with the formation of the Center for Community Health Development,” Alaniz says. The center’s early goal was to assess the health needs of the Valley and begin addressing those needs through the communities themselves. “A key thing the assessment revealed was that there were a lot of resources available, but they weren’t necessarily coordinated very well,” Alaniz says. The first resource center was set up in Madison County in 2003. Since that time, four others have been added in
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Caldwell, Navasota, Centerville and Summerville. All are based on the same model, where the community itself becomes responsible for running the office, and various providers come in to offer services. In Madisonville, for example, 12 different organizations offer services including mental health services, childhood development, audiology, substance-abuse counseling, medication assistance, a physician’s assistant and case management. Each of the resource centers also has a minivan driven by volunteers, so the major issue of transportation for clients is handled, both in terms of getting people to and from the center itself, as well as to other facilities for care and treatment. In some areas, the Brazos Valley Community Action Agency has been able to expand offerings as its community health centers tie in with what’s going on at the resource centers. And with the local focus, which includes community health resource commissions to oversee the operations of the centers, the rural areas served have become much more proactive in identifying needs, Alaniz says. “The communities have begun to recognize these centers as a forum to discuss health issues and get input on how to develop services in that specific community,” she says. “Each is so unique, and they’re working with providers
directly to see what works best. “It’s been a great experience,” she says, “and to me the most rewarding part has been seeing the community folks come together and realize the impact they can have for their citizens.” – Joe Morris
Brazos Valley Health Partnership makes health care more accessible.
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quality of life
Liquid Assets Fill the Valley Area lakes invite fishing and boating
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he Research Valley has no shortage of outdoor recreation destinations, and folks can make a splash at any of these three east central Texas lakes. Lake Bryan offers year-round recreational opportunities in the extreme. Many people boat, fish and swim at the pristine 828-acre lake just minutes from Texas A&M University, while some go in
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for more adventurous activities such as wakeboarding, windsurfing and jet skiing. Mountain bikers rave about the 20 miles of mountain-biking trails surrounding the lake and maintained by the Brazos Valley Mountain Bike Association. The trails offer choices for all skill levels, from novice to expert. Park amenities include casual lake-
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Lake Somerville is an 11,460-acre impoundment with 85 miles of shoreline stretching through three counties.
side dining, a boat ramp and camping and picnic facilities. Lake Limestone, near Jewett, is “a hidden little secret in Texas,” says Ellie Engle, co-owner (with her husband John) of Lake Limestone Campground and Marina. It’s a place where you can get away from it all. “There’s no television here, and no Internet access except on our deck,” Engle says. What Lake Limestone does have are spectacular sunsets; lots of birds and wildlife; a 100-foot lighted fishing pier and plenty of bass, catfish and crappie fishing; cabins and campsites; and a family-oriented atmosphere. “It’s great to see kids tube and swim and chase bugs and play guitars around a bonfire and fish all night out on the pier,” Engle says. Lake Limestone also attracts anglers to seasonal bass-fishing tournaments. The largest lake in the region, Lake Somerville covers 11,460 acres and has 85 miles of shoreline. Numerous parks, picnic areas and campgrounds surround the lake, as do miles of hiking, mountain-biking and equestrian trails that pass through dense stands of trees and feature gorgeous scenic overlooks. Birds, wildlife and magnificent spring wildflowers attract photographers and nature-lovers to Lake Somerville’s banks. Water-sports enthusiasts come for the sailing, windsurfing, boating, jet skiing, swimming and fishing. – Carol Cowan
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SHAPE of
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Arts Council’s outdoor art program enhances public spaces
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rts organizations are always on the prowl for interesting gallery space. In College Station, the Arts Council of Brazos Valley took that search outside. Since 1999, the council has been placing sculptures around the city, and what began as a temporary program with six or seven sculptures now features more than 20 pieces of art that dot the area. “What we did originally was a loan type of deal, where the art was on loan from the sculptor,” says Craig Hollinger, program director for the council. “Then when the loan period was over, we bought a couple of them outright. It’s just grown from there.” The public has been very receptive of the program and gets input on a selection committee that narrows down the submitted artwork, with the council’s executive director, Padraic Fisher, making the final cut. But even with a broad range of input, beauty remains in the eye of the beholder.
In other words, while some people are drawn to soaring abstracts, others want to see definable shapes. “We have a representation of both types of sculpture, and it’s always been quite amazing to find people who cannot stand abstract, but they are all about children and animals. And then there are others who don’t want to see another general on a horse, but something that provokes them, makes them think. We have to work to keep a balance,” Hollinger says. As the program has grown, the city governments of College Station and Bryan have been brought into the process, and have been a part of some of the purchases. “We’ve been slowly adding them, and are buying about one a year now,” Hollinger says. “We don’t want to oversaturate the community, and there are other things that community funds are being redirected to, so the program is growing slowly for the moment.” – Joe Morris
Outdoor art in The Research Valley includes the Eternal Winds sculpture in College Station.
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transportation
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Planes, Trains High-speed rail to cut across the valley
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Automobiles
Union Pacific trains will be joined by high-speed rail to enhance transportation in the Valley.
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he T-bone is generally considered a good cut of meat, but if Research Valley leaders have their way, the Texas T-Bone high-speed rail route will cut its way from Houston to Dallas via College Station. Officials from the area have joined forces to form the Texas High Speed Rail and Transportation Corporation (THSPRC), a grassroots, action-oriented group working toward a comprehensive solution to traffic challenges. That solution includes adding to excellent transportation arteries already in place – Union Pacific rail and Easterwood Airport now serving The Research Valley. “We can’t rely on one system,” says John Happ, executive director of Research Valley’s Easterwood Airport and a member of THSPRC. “We’ve got to have a multi-modal approach of roads, air and rail to meet the needs of the future. This balance is critical to the success of The Research Valley and the two cities [Bryan and College Station].” Michael Parks, Brazos Valley Council of Governments assistant executive director, agrees. “When you look at the triangle of Dallas-Ft. Worth, San Antonio-Austin and Houston, The Research Valley is in the center,” he says. “With a regional airport, rail and an increased capacity on the highways, we will be in a position to accommodate growth and the resulting economic prosperity that comes with it.” The proposed “T-bone” rail route cuts through the center of the triangle formed by Houston, Dallas and San Antonio and goes from Houston through Bryan-College Station to Temple. Happ says it would serve larger numbers of the Texas population, while utilizing a route where approximately 60
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solutions,” Parks says. “I’m involved because I believe in local decision-making. This allows the region to determine how these pieces of infrastructure will look and where they will go.” – Betsy Williams
TODD BENNETT
percent of the rail right-of-way already has been acquired. Partners involved in the effort are providing services outlining costs, route finalization and changing technologies in the rapid-rail movement. Transportation along the I-69 corridor, known as the NAFTA Highway, is expected to grow by 30 percent over the next 20 years, while population in the region is projected to increase by some 50,000 residents in less than a decade. Work is well under way in expanding all of the major corridors serving The Research Valley, but, says Parks, even under the best circumstances, “it takes 10 to 15 years to get from planning to construction.” Thanks to strong local leadership, those pieces are coming together in Brazos Valley, not only through the high-speed rail initiative but also through the Brazos Valley Transportation Management Center, a think-tank operation that has secured $1 million in federal funds and has brought Brazos Valley governments, Texas A&M, Easterwood Airport and the Texas Department of Transportation together to look at future transportation infrastructure needs. “The essence of this partnership is to work together both legislatively and interagency-wise to develop transportation
With population on the rise, The Brazos Valley Transportation Management Center is planning ahead to keep traffic flowing.
INNOVATOR
Avoiding Road Hazards MOBILITY ANALYST HELPS REGION PLAN TRAFFIC FLOW Escaping traffic congestion by relocating seems like a good plan, until the plan is embraced by the masses. New residents bring their cars and their need to commute to work, school and children’s activities. The congestion they left behind is created anew. Enter Timothy Lomax, one of the nation’s foremost mobility experts, and his peers at the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University. They understand traffic woes, and they’re doing something about it. While traffic congestion might be inevitable, it does not, Lomax says, have to be paralyzing. “I think with a little more recognition of how commercial and residential growth affects congestion, many of the problems can be avoided,” he says. “We can slow
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down growth in traffic congestion if we invest and plan wisely.” Research Valley economic developers have taken to heart the advice of Lomax, who has been studying these issues for nearly 25 years. The area’s steady growth is a sure sign it’s paid off. “I think when a company shows an interest in an area, it goes up a notch when the leaders can say ‘Here’s what we expect over the next few years in terms of traffic flow, and here’s our plan to deal with it.’ I don’t think there’s any question that it helps generate economic growth.” Lomax’s work reaches well beyond the Research Valley. He has testified before subcommittees of the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate and Texas Senate on mobility issues. Lomax has been invited to make presentations on congestion,
mobility and performance measure issues to a variety of groups, including the Transportation Research Board, the Institute of Transportation Engineers and state and local governments in the U.S. – Danny McKenzie
Tim Lomax, mobility researcher
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Easterwood Airport is one of three Fixed Base Operations serving corporate jets in the Research Valley.
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Meeting the Need for Speed Regional airports critical to Research Valley
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here was a time when business travel meant long, lonely hours in a company car on the road – a fourlane highway if you were lucky. Air travel was a bonus for salesmen who exceeded their quotas, and corporate airplanes were a status symbol. Those days, however, are disappearing as rapidly as the eight-track tape deck in an Oldsmobile Cutlass. In today’s global economy, air travel is a way of life – and even that is moving at a steadily increasing pace. And that’s a good thing for The Research Valley. With three FBOs (Fixed Base Operations), including Easterwood Regional Airport in College Station, and a half-dozen more airfields, today’s Research Valley business travelers can be practically anywhere in the world in hours. The flip side is also true. “The regional airports are critical to our infrastructure,” says Todd McDaniel, president and chief executive officer of The Research Valley Partnership. “It really is an opportunity to connect to anywhere in the world. We have some major industrial projects going on, and we have executives that can fly, say, directly from Tokyo to Dallas or Houston and then here. Having to make only two stops is a key factor in bringing in corporate leadership to The Research Valley.” Coulter Field in Bryan and Brenham Municipal also offer
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FBOs, and there are airfields in Madisonville, Caldwell, Navasota, Huntsville and Hearne. John Happ, director of aviation at Easterwood Airport, says it’s not only foreign companies that depend on air service. “I can tell you that Sanderson Farms would not be [in Bryan] if the airfield weren’t here,” Happ says. “They’re in and out of here an average of four or five times a week. There are any number of companies that depend on us. In today’s business environment, it’s practically impossible to get anywhere fast in Texas, especially on I-35 or I-45. That’s driving the growth in business air travel.” McDaniel says that for a university as large as Texas A&M, facilities such as Easterwood and Coulter Field are vital. “We are constantly trying to connect higher education with private industry. Texas A&M is involved in several strategic projects, and being able to offer the air services we do is a big plus.” Jack Hess, who operates the down-home Brenham Municipal Airport, says regional airports and FBOs are often more economical for business travel. “Usually, fuel prices and other fees are better at smaller airports. When every little thing has to be calculated, it makes a big difference. If you need to travel to The Research Valley, we can take care of you wherever you go.” – Danny McKenzie
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health/life sciences
Health Sciences
TRIPLE PLAY Medical school expansion and new research centers score at Texas A&M
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PHOTO COURTESY OF TEXAS A& M HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER
hey say good things come in threes. It’s certainly true in Bryan-College Station as a trio of research centers is launching, expanding and generally causing good things to happen in The Research Valley. The Texas A&M University System is expanding its medical school program, has committed $6 million to a new medical research program and has established a new genome research facility.
The expansion of the medical school program means students can complete all aspects of their medical school education on one campus. “We’ve had a complete medical school for 30 years,” says Dr. Nancy Dickey, president of Texas A&M Health Science Center and vice chancellor of health affairs of the TAMU System. “What we didn’t have was all four years of the program in Bryan-College Station.” Prior to the expansion, students could do their classroom work here but did clinical training at Scott & White, a healthcare system (500 doctors and 350 hospital beds) in Temple, Texas. In fall 2007, some students began clinical training in Bryan-College Station. By 2008, the transition will be complete. “There is more curriculum flexibility,” Dickey notes. “If students want to work in a Level III nursery ICU, they can spend a month in Temple.” On the other hand, if students want a top-notch brain and spine institute, Dickey says, “We have a wonderful group of physicians, surgeons and therapists giving neurological care in Bryan-College Station.” The Texas A&M Health Science Center in College Station is also launching a College of Nursing in 2008 and is working to attract 250 nursing candidates in less than 10 years. Officials say they are responding to the nursing shortage gripping Texas and the nation, and heeding a state plan that calls for nursing schools to quadruple their output of registered nurses by 2020. Meanwhile, the Texas Institute of Pre-clinical Studies (TIPS) broke ground in fall 2007. The facility will train veterinarians, physicians, scientists, technicians and engineers to meet the needs of Texas’ biomedical industry, and it will serve as a key resource for training undergraduate and graduate students, and academic and industry personnel in regulatory issues. TIPS programs help develop devices to “get products from the bench to the bedside,” says Dr. Theresa Fossum, TIPS director. “Companies want to test devices and get FDA approval,”
Construction under way at The Texas A&M University System’s College Station campus will expand health science programs. Left: The medical school program continues to grow. TODD BENNETT
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Committed to Excellence. Creating the Future. When Dr. Mark Francis became the first dean of the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine in 1916, he had no idea of the global impact that future generations of veterinary medical practitioners and researchers would have on the health sciences. United by the common mission of creating new knowledge, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences clinicians and scientists work together developing solutions to todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health problems. From heart disease to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, advances in the treatment and diagnosis of both human and animal diseases continue to improve the quality of life for all of our worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s citizens.
Dr. Theresa W. Fossum, DVM, PhD (center) Director, Texas Institute for Preclinical Studies
Changing Lives.
INNOVATOR
See Change GLAUCOMA RESEARCHER FOCUSES ON MACULAR DEGENERATION
The Texas A&M Health Science Center in College Station launched a College of Nursing in 2008.
Fossum says. “We help them design the study and get that approval.” The 112,000-square-foot facility will have housing for 240 large animals, administrative and Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) space, 10,000 square feet for incubating commercial startups and 25,000 square feet of advanced imaging equipment. “This is a comprehensive building for doing work across disciplines,” Fossum says. Small businesses can put themselves in the incubator, work with Texas A&M’s OTC to develop intellectual property and be next door to the researchers designing and carrying out their study. The Research Valley Partnership is providing $2.5 million to support the incubator, Fossum says. Completing the trio of enhancements in the field of life sciences at Texas A&M University is the Texas Institute for Genomic Medicine. Established with a $50 million grant from the Texas Enterprise Fund and in collaboration with Lexicon Genetics and the university, TIGM utilizes advanced technologies to discover breakthroughs in science and medicine and accelerate the pace of medical discoveries. A primary goal of the institute is to create a “knockout mouse” with a specific gene turned off, so that scientists can learn the function of that gene and later develop treatments for human diseases and conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, birth defects and cancer. In announcing funding, Texas Governor Rick Perry, praised the goals of the institute. “The purpose of this institute is not to study mice, but to cure man,” Perry said. TIGM will also be a source of jobs for the region. Officials expect the facility to create 5,000 new jobs over the next decade and to draw biotech firms seeking to be near the world’s premier genetic research facility. – Paul Hughes
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Dr. George Chiou toiled in the lab for 30 years in his successful search to provide treatment options for glaucoma. Now Chiou is turning his attention to a new foe. “The most important eye disease today is macular degeneration,” he says. In age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the “wet” version of the disease is the advanced stage, and treatment involves painful, costly injections in the back of the eye at a cost of $3,000 every six weeks. Chiou’s new company, MacuClear, formed through the Texas A&M Office of Technology Commercialization, is taking aim at “dry” AMD. This early stage, constituting about 85 percent of all AMD cases, is when occlusion (deposits on the eye) has just begun. Some research in early stage AMD has focused on antioxidants because the eye occlusion may be the result of oxidation. This is promising, Chiou says, but borderline because it requires massive doses to stem the tide, and the results are limited. He wants more. “We want a more effective way to block it at the base, rather than at the peripheral,” he says. “So we’re seeking a way to do several things at once. Otherwise, you end up with 10 percent efficacy.” His research team of eight Ph.D.s will pursue several avenues, including widening blood vessels, stabilizing parts of the eye and reactivating cells. “It’s very difficult, and the disease is very complicated,” Chiou says. “We’re going to see if we can come up with a good drug.” Best of all, the result, if all goes well, will be administered via eye drops. Translation? No needles. – Paul Hughes
Dr. George Chiou is working to find treatment for macular degeneration. B R I A N M C C O R D
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energy
Bio-Ener on the
Front Burner Texas researchers look beyond ethanol to meet fuel needs
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Bill Rooney, a Texas Agricultural Experiment Station plant breeder, examines a sorghum variety for use as biofuel.
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y now you’ve heard of ethanol, but there’s more to meeting America’s desire for alternatives to fossil fuel than corn. “Ethanol is a starting point, not a finishing point,” says Bob Avant, biofuels program manager for the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station (TAES). “As we develop a biofuels industry in this country, we’ll be producing higher quality fuels than ethanol. It’s an important first step, but it’s not the last step or even the next step,” Avant says. “You can take every kernel of corn grown in the U.S. and you wouldn’t make a dent in our fuel consumption needs,” says Dr. Bill Rooney, a TAES plant breeder focusing on sorghum. Accordingly, TAES researchers are seeking other sources, investigating feedstocks for cellulose conversion to produce bio-energy, as well as mesquite and other wood products. Logistics – raising, producing, harvesting and transporting material – is also part of the work. “The U.S. Department of Energy says we need a billion tons of biomass to meet the national goals of producing 30 percent of this country’s energy supply by 2030,” Avant says. “We’re identifying the resources and figuring out how to convert it to energy.” To pursue such ventures, the Texas A&M System Board of Regents formed the BioEnergy Alliance, a partnership of TAES and the Texas Engineering Experiment Station. In a loose sense, it involves colleges of agriculture and engineering coordinating research to find the biofuels of tomorrow. “It combines the capabilities of ag research and engineering research at A&M in bio-energy,” Avant says. “Many of our researchers were already working on bio-energy anyway. This
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gy Lynntech Inc. has been awarded a $600,000 grant to further develop fuel-cell technology.
INNOVATOR focuses the research and represents a holistic approach to bio-energies research.” Meanwhile, the state Emerging Technology Fund recruits more researchers – enticing them to the world-class facilities in Texas. That effort is going well, but it’s going to take time, Rooney says. One aim of the research is to determine which type of sorghum grows best, so they can select one or two strains and move forward. TAES hopes to have first-phase material ready in five years. “It takes time to develop the lines, it takes time to test them and to learn their strengths and weaknesses, and it takes time for them to produce,” he says. “The plants are the plants. It just takes time.” First-phase material means having a high-producing strain of, in this case, sorghum, that will “do what we say it will do,” producing the seed to sell to people who will manufacture the cellulose. As with many research projects in Texas, the university researchers do the work, then license what they find to companies that will actually make the products. “We will work with a private partner to facilitate the development and distribution,” Rooney says. Until then, he’s in the lab – which is to say, all over the state. “We do development work in multiple locations in Texas,” Rooney says. “My lab is the field.” – Paul Hughes
Researchers are testing sorghum as a source of bio-energy.
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Fuel Cells of the Future LYNNTECH RESEARCH GAINS SUPPORT In the search for new sources of fuel, Lynntech Corp. is concentrating its efforts on generating electricity from hydrogen. Lynntech, building on its core area of expertise in electrochemistry, has developed innovative products in the markets of alternative energy, water treatment and life sciences. In the area of energy, Lynntech CEO John Clanton says, “We’re converting energy from chemical compounds to produce usable electricity.” The goal is to produce tiny fuel cells, such as might power a laptop, a wheelchair or airport support vehicles. The cells are already small enough, Clanton says. The challenge now is to make the cells less expensive and more easily manufactured. Lynntech’s work is getting noticed. The Texas Emerging Technology Fund granted the company $600,000 to further develop its hydrogen fuel cell research technology. The grant award signals confidence in Lynntech’s record, which includes patents for more than 100 of its inventions, related to areas such fuel-cell test systems, proton exchange membrane fuel cells and electrochemical ozone generation. The company serves government agencies such as NASA, the Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. Clanton says such fuel cells are technologically at a place where solar cells were 30 years ago. “Fuel cell technology is on the edge of being commercialized” on a wide scale, he says. – Paul Hughes
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energy
Powerful Forces at Play Research Valley is an ideal site for power plant construction
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om Wilkinson is justifiably energized about the power of Texas. “Texas is the largest producer of power in the United States,” he says. “It’s the largest consumer of coal, and the fourth-largest producer of coal.” The Research Valley is a big player in the Texas power equation. “We have coal, we have water, and you need both if you produce energy from coal-fired plants,” Wilkinson says. “Power is an important part of The Research Valley, and it’s important to Texas.” If The Research Valley has anything to say about it, the state’s about to get even more energized: • Luminant (formerly TXU Energy) is building a $2 billion power plant in Oak Grove. • NRG Energy wants to add a third power generator to the two it has just north of Jewett. Based on megawatts, it’s a greater than 50 percent increase. • A consortium called FutureGen may place a prototype power plant next door to NRG; the project represents the future of power plant generation. The third is an especially exciting project. A dozen power companies worldwide and four national governments – Japan, China, Australia, South Korea – back
FutureGen. And, in the spirit of friendly competition and its own future, NRG Energy is donating the 400 acres for the proposed new plant. The participants want to see if FutureGen technology works. Its goal is to trap the unwelcome byproducts of current coal-fired plants (sulfur, zinc, lead, carbon dioxide), for use in other industries. Carbon dioxide can be used to extract oil with less harm to the environment; sulfur is part of the sulfuric acid used to make, among other things, nylon carpets; ash is an ingredient in concrete. All of the effluence of the proposed FutureGen plant is already under contract. If the consortium chooses The Research Valley, the contracts fall into place like tumblers on a lock. “Virtually all the output is accounted for,” says Ken Jones, Buffalo Economic Development Corporation executive director. The proposed plant would locate seven miles west of Buffalo. In addition, he says, two railroads serve the area. Jones believes a FutureGen plant will mean 1,000 to 1,200 jobs over 24 to 36 months, including 300 to 400 permanent jobs at the plant. The choice for FutureGen is down to
Jewett, Odessa and two sites in Illinois. “If this goes through, expect a great expansion of power generation in the area,” Jones says. If not? “If it’s not successful, we’ll begin negotiating with another power company,” he says simply. Either way, both Jones and Wilkinson believe the stage is set for more power plants in the area. With all the preparation for FutureGen, the probable expansion at NRG Energy and $2 billion worth of new investment by Luminant, the structure is in place. “It’s an excellent position for us to be in, and the opportunity will still exist,” Wilkinson says. “I can’t imagine someone not building a power plant on this land.” – Paul Hughes
SEE MORE ONLINE The FutureGen project is expected to announce its site selection in December. For an update, visit imagesresearchvalley.com.
The coal-fired Twin Oaks power plant in Robertson County is one of several energy projects in The Research Valley.
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TODD BENNETT
Made in The Research Valley Top-line trailers, the best bees and disappearing ink are produced here BRAZOS COUNTY
A GANDER AT GOOSENECK From Black Hawk helicopters to submarines, Gooseneck Trailer Manufacturing Co. has accommodated a wide array of loads. Most of the units, however, are used for hauling hay or transporting livestock; and the occasional emu, deer or camel has received a Gooseneck ride. This Bryan trailer company now sells some 2,000 units annually, the kind that hitch over the rear axle of a pick-up – f latbeds to dump trailers, custom truck beds and custom hay haulers. The units initially measured from 12 to 20 feet and now are typically up to 40 feet long. The trailers still sport thick piping frames and standard Goodyear tires, but the metal construction has been infused largely with aluminum. “Our trailers probably are over-engineered for most uses,” says company
president David Carrabba, who strives to remain ahead of the nation’s roughly 300 trailer manufacturers. “We want our customers to know they can work with our trailers, instead of working on them.” Carrabba co-owns the company his dad created in 1965 with his brother, Mark. Gooseneck’s 120 to 150 employees receive in-house cross-training and rotate to learn additional duties. Many have worked there for 10 years or longer, and some have stayed more than 25 years. BURLESON COUNTY
GLOSSING OVER Maroon shower enclosures are common requests for Omega Marble, which processes cultured marble for bathroom vanities and showers. But a bigger seller as Jeff Chapman enters his 10th year of business is Meganite, an acrylic solid surface material used for countertops and other surfaces. Chapman calls Mega-
nite “an affordable solution for replacing granite,” and says it’s actually better than granite because it’s nonporous and easier to cut. Omega’s customer base is primarily contractors, though there are some sales to the general public. Chapman says his Caldwell business isn’t unique, but his work ethic is. “We are more about quality and promptness than about doing anything special with our products,” he says. “We’re just a stickler to detail, to getting it right, and I think that sets us apart.” Chapman says he and his four employees are always looking for ways to improve the company. For instance, they settled into an early workday to avoid much of the Texas heat. “We start early in the morning – before 7 – and quit early in the afternoon,” Chapman says. “We have found that works for us. It helps the materials set properly, to get that early start, and it also helps my employees have a life.”
Gooseneck Trailer Manufacturing Co. in Bryan sells some 2,000 units annually and employs up to 150 workers.
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WES ALDRIDGE
manufacturing
R. Weaver Aviary sells Weaver Italian bees throughout the country.
The Texas Department of Transportation recognized the Jewett plant for keeping a six-mile stretch of road clean through the state agency’s “Adopt-AHighway” program. “Each plant has its own personality, and I think ours is so admirable,” says General Manager Jim Darsey. “I just think there’s a lot of Texas pride here. I can see it in the team, in the way they do things and their involvement in things. That’s not something anyone can make them do; it’s instilled in them.” Employees voluntarily built a park and a courtyard, complete with a pavilion. The company, in return, awards $12,000 in scholarships to dependents of employees. Lay-offs for lack of work don’t exist in the company, which gives the employees a sense of security. MADISON COUNTY
HAULING HAVEN LEON COUNTY
BUSY AS A BEE
STEELING HOME
As bee wrangler Clint Weaver packs thousands of queen bees into 3-pound packages each spring, he rarely has time to reflect on R. Weaver Aviary’s success. The fourth-generation beekeeper says the company can’t keep up with the demand, so he just sends what he can. “We sell to a lot of queen producers, to people all over the country – even Hawaii,” Weaver says. The company raises non-aggressive Weaver Italian bees. The queens are what Weaver calls “the mother of each hive,” responsible for laying all the eggs. The worker bees produce the honey, care for the offspring, keep the hive clean and protect it from predators. The aviary also has a brisk retail business selling what Weaver calls “the best honey ever.” That, too, sells out before the demand diminishes. Packages range from 12-ounce bearshaped bottles to 55-gallon drums. One customer, whom he declined to name, uses 12 of the drums each time it produces its gourmet salad dressing. The bee farm has always been on the same property in Lynn Grove, outside Navasota. The company was created by Z.S. and Florence Weaver, who received 10 hives as a wedding present. Clint Weaver’s father, Richard, is now the sole owner.
Leon County’s leading employer in size also wants to lead in substance when it comes to giving back to its employees and its community. Nucor Steel has invested $300 million in the county through infrastructure and devel opment, and its 350 employees have invested time in supporting the American Cancer Society, raising more than $125,000 in the past five years for the Relay for Life awareness program. Employees also volunteer on behalf of United Way, local youth baseball and volunteer firefighters organizations.
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Truck owners trek to Madisonville from all over the country to buy factorydirect from Texas Pride Trailers, and the company delivers nationwide. A company e-Bay store is popular, and there are even dealers in Alaska and Hawaii for this 12-year-old manufacturer of lowboy, deckover, dump and roll-off trailers. “We are very competitive, that’s our thing,” says owner Jim Bray, citing annual sales of about 3,000. “We’re trying to provide a good product and good jobs for the community.” About 80 percent of the employees at the plant off I-45 in Madisonville are welders, and they earn about $50,000 a year. They have to be certified to start, then the company trains them on the
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GRIMES COUNTY
LEON COUNTY: The Nucor Bar Mill plant transforms scrap steel into new products.
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manufacturing WASHINGTON COUNTY
DISAPPEARING ACT
Robertson County’s Hearne Steel is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
specific products. Parts, service and repair add another dimension to the company, but they only make up a small portion. The key for profitability is in sales, Bray says. To make the transactions easier, the company offers an on-line credit application for financing. The Web site also contains a calculator for figuring driving distance. “We make and sell trailers, period, and we just try to do the best we can with that,” he says. “Lots of companies do what we do, we just try to do it better.” ROBERTSON COUNTY
SPANNING THE NATION Hearn Steel is in the security business. The company sells fencing hardware directly to the Texas Department of Corrections, and indirectly to companies constructing prison fences in Arizona, California and Washington.
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The company also has produced products used in the border security fence between Arizona and Mexico, says company treasurer Ray Amos. He described the project as an “unusually large order for that span of fencing.” Another high-profile project is the 105 Freeway in Los Angeles, known as the “Century Freeway” because it took a century to complete. Amos says it is also known as the “most expensive freeway in the U.S.,” due to the number of homes that were condemned, along with the resulting lawsuits filed in order to complete the construction. “We provided 34 miles of pipe fittings for the freeway, primarily as safety framing structures for the freeway,” Amos says. The 50-year-old company, which employs 60, sells metal and wood fence hardware nationwide. Clients include security fencing, commercial endeavors such as chemical and industrial plants, and airports and military bases. The company’s presence in the retail market is minimal.
Now you see it, now you don’t – thermal chromic security ink, a trick of the retail trade that RR Donnelley’s pressure sensitive label and receipt roll manufacturing facility in Brenham helps deliver. Words can be wiped off with a swipe of the finger, then they’ll reappear. Another product line features ink that prints in one color, then changes to another. “It’s something the stores use to make sure a receipt is really authentic, so people trying to get refunds can’t rip them off,” says Barry Etzel, vice president for operations. “You won’t even notice it unless you put the receipt on the dash of your car on a hot day, or try to rub off the ink.” The technology was created about 10 years ago. Customers for these rolls include many well-known retailers. The facility also processes and manufactures pressure-sensitive labels and paper rolls for cash registers and ATMs. The Brenham plant has been operating since 1974 and in its current location since 1993. Chicago-based RR Donnelley has owned the facility since 2004. The facility has about 100 employees, and as many as 40 temporary workers may be hired during busy periods. “We’re not the biggest facility, but what we do is very visible,” Etzel says. – Kelli Levey
RR Donnelley facility in Brenham
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technology
High-Tech’s
Happening Place The Research Valley nurtures innovation
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The Texas A&M Technology Commercialization Center nurtures innovation.
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he Research Valley is fertile ground for high-tech businesses, and The Research Valley Technology Alliance, The Research Valley Partnership, Texas A&M University’s Technology Commercialization Center and other organizations are planting and nurturing the seeds of innovation. “The future is technology. We are a technology economy,” says David Park, a member of the board of directors of The Research Valley Technology Alliance (RVTA), one of several organizations dedicated to promoting and supporting technology-oriented businesses in the seven counties known as The Research Valley – Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Leon, Madison, Robertson and Washington counties. The RVTA and other organizations are seeking to create a community of technology companies through collaboration, networking and education, Spark says. With the support of local businesses, government agencies and the Texas A&M system, the RVTA provides services and networking opportunities, including luncheons with guest speakers, a renewable database of technology-oriented members and seminars and workshops offering assistance with financial education, corporate planning, investor relations, media promotion and capital referral. That spirit of cooperation among Research Valley businesses sets the
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region apart, says RVTA board member Blake Petty. “There is a genuine effort to foster each other’s growth,” Petty says. “We know that a rising tide lifts all boats.” The cooperative effort is shared by The Research Valley Partnership (RVP), which is dedicated to promoting economic development in the seven-county region and the cities of College Station and Bryan, says President and CEO Todd McDaniel. Since its inception in 1990, the RVP and its partners have assisted more than 52 companies and organizations in selecting the region for new and expanding facilities. These companies have created more than 5,072 direct jobs and invested more than $250 million in new facilities and equipment. The RVP recently hired a general manager to oversee its Research Valley Innovation Center, a business incubation/accelerator service designed to help new enterprises get off the ground and become self-sustaining. The RVP’s marketing and regional branding initiatives are funded by The Research Valley
Alliance Partnership, which McDaniel says represents a unique collaboration between the public and private sectors. “We are creating a knowledgeworker environment. We’re building an innovation economy,” McDaniel says. “Twenty-first century economic development activities are all about technology and commercialization of intellectual capital.” “We share the same mission,” says Guy Diedrich, vice chancellor for technology commercialization at Texas A&M University. “To grow the economy and to foster the entrepreneurial spirit of The Research Valley. We know the innovations are there. Our mission is to turn those into companies that will get those innovations to market.” The Technology Commercialization Center is responsible for turning campus research into new products and businesses. Sponsored research has reached $600 million a year, creating more possibilities. Several businesses have found a home in Texas A&M Research Park, located along a stream next to the campus.
The Technology Commercialization Center’s efforts are made easier by the quality of life in The Research Valley. “This is a great place to raise a family and, with such a well-educated workforce, a great place to establish a business,” Diedrich says. Roby Fitzhenry, a member of the technology networking group refreshBCS, says the region’s low cost of living, highly educated workforce, no traffic and cooperative spirit are major advantages. “We’re not Houston or Dallas. We’re big enough to have everything we need and small enough to get things done,” he says. RefreshBCS brings local innovators together to exchange ideas as well as technology experts from outside the community. Representatives of Google made a presentation at one meeting. “We have amazing talent in this region. As people network and meet each other, it leads to huge things,” Fitzhenry says. “I tell every one to come to Research Valley. We have exciting things happening here.” – Bill Lewis
INNOVATOR
Keeping an Eye on the Sky OWNER OF STARVISION TECHNOLOGIES DOESN’T HAVE TO COME BACK DOWN TO EARTH Thanks to assistance from the Texas A&M Technology Commercialization Center, Michael Jacox is able to keep his vision on the stars instead of the earthly concerns of starting a business. Jacox, founder and president of StarVision Technologies, says the university’s support has been instrumental in the company’s early success. “I can’t overstate the value of having the support of the Technology Commercialization Center,” Jacox says. By providing business incubator support such as low-cost office space and telephone service, as well as contacts with established business experts, the Technology Commercialization Center allowed
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Jacox and his team of 23 employees to focus on developing “intelligent vision” technologies for NASA, national defense and the consumer market. StarVision Technologies has an exclusive agreement with the university to commercialize software that enables satellites to determine their orientation with only the stars as their guide. On earth, Star Tracker software allows anyone to identify a star or constellation simply by pointing a telescope at it. “You point at the star, and it tells you the name of the star,” Jacox says. “My kids think that is the best thing I do.” With space in Texas A&M
University’s Research Park, StarVision Technologies is able to make a better impression on potential aerospace customers such as the U.S. Air Force, Boeing and Lockheed Martin. “This gives us the look and feel of a bigger company,” Jacox says. “In addition to practical assistance, the Technology Commercialization Center gave us a lot of moral support early on. They were almost like cheerleaders.” – Bill Lewis
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technology
A Boost for Science Brazos BEST inspires students to pursue science-related careers
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uilding a remote-controlled robot and testing it in a competition with other students may not be an everyday assignment for middle and high school students, but supporters of Brazos BEST hope one day it will be. Each year, Brazos BEST (Boost Engineering Science and Technology) and similar competitions at hundreds of schools across the country help students learn about technical concepts and principles by giving them a real-world engineering challenge. Using only the materials provided, the students have
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just six weeks to build a remotecontrolled robot that accomplishes the assigned task. Teams then meet in sports-like competitions, says Brazos BEST volunteer Michael Wienan. Brazos BEST’s goal is to inspire students throughout The Research Valley to pursue careers in engineering, science and technology, he says. Donations underwrite expenses, so there is no cost for the participating students. “We’re an educational program disguised as a robotics competition,” Wienan says. “We’ve enjoyed wonderful success. Now, after 12 competitions, we
have students graduating from Texas A&M who are mentoring teams they started in high school.” Competitions are designed to capture the imaginations of the students. This year they will create a Mars Rover that will make a hypothetical journey to the Red Planet and gather rocks and other samples. Previously, students designed remote-controlled robots for an imaginary journey to repair the Hubble Space Telescope or to remove sticks of dynamite from an abandoned mine or to collect imagined toxic waste. When the robots meet on a specially designed playing field, the result is good fun with a serious purpose, says Brazos BEST volunteer Paul Bilke. “We’re looking at 60,000 American engineers coming out of school today,” Bilke says. “That’s about a fifth of those graduating in Japan. Kids are the future of our country. It’s our responsibility to educate them.” – Bill Lewis
Above left: Students make final preparations before a match. Above right: Student-designed robots simulate a repair to the Hubble Space Telescope.
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The Research Valley features many successful wineries. PHOTO BY ANTONY BOSHIER
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ANTONY BOS HIE R
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agribusiness
Winemakers UncorkTexas
Vintages Vineyards are becoming a growing agribusiness
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lantersville entrepreneur Jerry Bernhardt has a knack for turning wild berries into delicious concoctions. “I grew up making jellies and jams from wild berries with my mother, and I thought I’d do it again someday when I retired,” Bernhardt says. Instead, Bernhardt and his wife, Jerri (yes, they have the same name), retired from teaching school and started making homemade wines from wild fruit. Two years ago, the couple opened Bernhardt Winery in Plantersville and began sharing their wines with the world. “We had a great time making wine, and we met other pioneers in the Texas wine industry,” Bernhardt recalls. “There weren’t any wineries in our area, and we thought it would be a nice addition.” Bernhardt honed his winemaking skills by doing a three-year apprenticeship with a winemaker in Texas Hill Country. Meanwhile, the couple built the winery and tasting room over a
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Pleasant Hill Winery in Washington County produces a wide variety of award-winning white, red and rose vintages.
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INNOVATOR
Staving Off Starvation BORLAUG’S WORK INCREASED WORLD FOOD PRODUCTION
With a lengthy growing season, Texas is becoming a leader in wine production.
two-year period. Today, their winery produces about 4,000 gallons of wine each year. “We’re a small mom-and-pop winery producing classic varietals and unique blends,” Bernhardt says. “Our Tuscanstyle tasting room sits on top of a hill overlooking hills and valleys, much like Tuscany.” Some of Bernhardt Winery’s most popular wines include Shrock, a white German variety; Blanco Dulce, a white made from muscadine grapes; and Port, a red that incorporates plum, berries and black cherry. Purple Possum Winery in Navasota specializes in a different type of wine called mead. Made from honey instead of grapes, mead is said to be one of the oldest alcoholic beverages known to man. “Mead was made as far back as the B.C. era, and that’s where we get the term ‘honeymoon’,” Galloway explains. Folklore says in parts of historic Europe it was traditional to supply newlyweds with enough mead for a month to ensure happiness and fertility. “A lot of my job is to educate people about mead,” Galloway says. Galloway, who also makes homemade soaps, first learned about the honey wine at the Texas Renaissance Festival. “I was selling soaps at the Renaissance Festival, and people were passing around mead,” he says. “I had made cherry and wild plum wine with my father in South Dakota when I was
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young, and I thought I could make mead better than that. So I did, and people started telling me to go into business.” The result was Purple Possum Winery, which got its name from a funny incident that happened around the time the winery opened. “We had a bucket of crushed purple muscadine grapes on the porch one day, and we heard a loud crash,” Galloway recalls. “A little possum had gotten into it and knocked it over, and it turned him purple. We saw him around the property for a few months after that, and he stayed purple. So that’s where we got our name.” Assisted by family and friends, Galloway makes more than a dozen varieties of mead and sells them to customers as far away as Alaska and Hawaii. Some of his most popular varieties are vanilla and cranberry meads. Bernhardt and Purple Possum wineries are both open Saturdays and Sundays for tastings. Additional wineries in The Research Valley include Messina Hof Wine Cellars in Bryan and Pleasant Hill Winery and Windy Hill Winery in Brenham. “Texas is now the fifth-largest wine producing state in the country, and the wine industry is rapidly growing here,” Bernhardt says. “It’s very rewarding because folks still value the educational aspect of winemaking, and wine creates a great social atmosphere. It’s an absolute blast.” – Jessica Mozo
Dr. Norman Borlaug has spent his life not helping feed the world, but helping the world feed itself. Described as the “father of the green revolution” (when that meant worldwide expansion in food production), Borlaug taught nations how to grow more rice and beans and wheat. He began his quest at age 19 upon seeing the Great Depression. “Hunger and poverty and hundreds of people with their hands out begging for a nickel to buy bread,” he says. “This was in our USA. I saw all this misery and hunger, and decided to do something about it.” A Nobel Prize winner, he has been hailed as the man who saved a billion people, but Borlaug maintains his focus of 75 years: the world’s youth. He worked with young scientists in Mexico in the 1940s and 1950s to develop disease-resistant plants and two crop-growing seasons that made the country self-sufficient in wheat production. He turned his attentions to India, Pakistan and the rest of Asia in the 1960s and 1970s, and wheat yields doubled in both countries. Most recently his methods have been applied in Africa. All the while, Borlaug continued to work with the young scientists. His focus is unchanged. At 93, he reaches out to college students as a visiting professor at Texas A&M, lecturing on food and agriculture issues to various departments and disciplines. – Paul Hughes
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agribusiness
World Equine Services, which breeds American Quarter Horses, has customers throughout the world.
S TA F F P H OTO
Not Just Horsing Around World Equine Services sets standard in breeding
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f anywhere in North America is better for horses than Texas, the horses haven’t found it yet. The state of the “Great Cattle Drives” has seen everything from Spanish vaqueros and Mexican cavalry to Comanche Indians and the fabled Texas Rangers, not to mention ranchers and U.S. soldiers. All rode horses. “Without the horse, it would have been impossible to do what has been done here,” says Tom Lanza, whose family has raised horses for 44 years. “We raise working horses for ranches and people who do pleasure riding,” he says. The Lanzas raise the American Quarter Horse through World Equine Services, a division of L Circle 5 Ranches, for worldwide sale. It was the first American breeder to sell to some countries, such as Thailand. WES dominance extends to being a go-to facility when state officials want to show off their horsebreeding assets. Lanza runs 300 horses on several hundred acres. Along
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with overseas customers, WES also sells to cattle ranchers, to personal owners and weekend riders. Raising horses contributes to the strength of the overall economy. “The vast income derived from the horse industry is significant,” he says. “Not just the horses, but all the related aspects.” “The horse industry trickles down to everything,” says Martha Vogelsang, Ph.D., a senior lecturer and animal science researcher at Texas A&M. Vogelsang researches equine longevity, muscular and limb strength, nutrient combinations and reproductive efficiency. Work includes advancements in nutrition and feed additives, embryo transfer and cloning, and helping horses thrive in the Texas heat. “Healthier animals will be more productive, and happier,” she says. For horse breeders like Lanza, Vogelsang and her fellow researchers want to cut costs, and help produce more foals. – Paul Hughes
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agribusiness
PHOTOS BY BRIAN M C CORD
The Navasota area has the state’s largest concentration of alpaca herds.
Shear Profit Alpaca ranching is a growing business in The Research Valley
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areful – they kiss. When Laurence and Donna Binder decided to raise alpacas 20 years ago, they went to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, a massive event spanning three weeks with millions of attendees. And alpacas. Browsing the pens, Donna says, an
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alpaca pulled its head out of a hay bag and “planted its lips on mine.” Donna figured she’d been chosen, though it wasn’t really a kiss. “If they want to know about you, they take in your breath; it means they trust you,” she says. Both were employed full-time with the Cypress-Fairbanks School District
and looking for a place and way to begin planning their retirement. They decided to stay close to home and get started with alpacas. The family chose Navasota – within driving distance of their home, far enough out where land was priced right, and “it gave our boys something to do on the weekends.” The Binders were among the first to have an alpaca ranch in Texas. Laurence Binder is still assistant superintendent, but Donna has gone part-time. Meanwhile, the value of their 18 acres has exploded, and the alpaca business has grown nicely. Their land is home to about 80 alpacas, including crias (babies). About 45 belong to the Binders, while the others are boarded at their ranch, for $2 a day. An alpaca generally sells for $15,000 to $30,000. A rare alpaca might go for $140,000, and Binder knows one that sold for $450,000. The Binders started with three females. “You can’t buy just one – they’re herd animals, and need the companionship,” she says. That first beast – the one who kissed her – wasn’t pretty. But she was valuable. “We bred her to top-rated males,” Binder says. “She had a baby every year, never had a runny nose or a parasite, and her babies sold for top-dollar.” Binder says looks don’t matter; fiber – their coat – matters. It’s R-90 on the insulation scale. “This is a fiber industry,” Donna says. “If it gives fiber, it’s a good animal.” – Paul Hughes
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history
History Has Its
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history Left: The Carnegie Library in Bryan was founded in 1902 with a $10,000 gift from nationally recognized philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Today, the renovated library houses the Carnegie Center of Brazos Valley History. Bryanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is the oldest existing Carnegie Library in Texas. P H OTO B Y S T E P H E N C H E R R Y
Above: Construction began on the Calvert Courthouse in 1875, but before the building was completed, Franklin was named the Robertson County seat. The building was purchased by a merchant and converted into a private home before becoming a museum in 1966. P H OTO B Y M I C H A E L W. B U N C H
Left: A sculpture of a cyclist is featured in front of a pottery gallery and studio in Robertson County. Mud Creek Pottery is located a in a circa 1878 building in historic downtown Calvert. PHOTO BY TODD BENNETT
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Above: The moon shines through the Barbara Bush Rose Garden and Pavilion at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station. PHOTO BY TODD BENNETT
Right: Catalena Hatters stays true to tradition by continuing to make hats by hand from its Bryan-based home. The company helps preserve history as a leader in the restoration of felt hats. P H OTO B Y S T E P H E N C H E R R Y
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history
Left: This steel sculpture is displayed in front of Cowboy Up, a store located in Calvert. Owned by Sandra Hulsey, Cowboy Up is an example of the many small businesses that thrive in this region. PHOTO BY TODD BENNETT
Opposite: This is a replica of Independence Hall at Washington-on-the-Brazos, where the declaration of Texas independence was signed on March 2, 1836. The town of Washington served as Texas’ capital from 1842-45. P H OTO B Y STEPHEN CHERRY
Below: Barrington Living History Farm at Washingtonon-the-Brazos allows visitors a chance to step into the lives of Barrington Farm’s earliest residents and experience the sights, smells and sounds of the 19th century. The scene is complete with heritage breeds of livestock. P H OTO B Y S T E P H E N C H E R R Y
Left: Tribute is paid to philanthropist Andrew Carnegie by a life-size bronze created by artist Lynn Haste and displayed in Bryan. Treasured Moment depicts Carnegie reading the Robert Louis Stevenson classic, Treasure Island, to two children – a symbol of Carnegie’s commitment to the power of knowledge. PHOTO BY TODD BENNETT
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history
Above: Downtown Bryan continues to treasure its historic architecture while also investing in the future by revitalizing its commercial district. Bryan has greeted the 21st century with a vital and robust economy, safe neighborhoods and a history that is reflected in the buildings and pride of its residents. PHOTO BY S T E P H E N C H E R R Y
Left: A visitor walks through the Barbara Bush Rose Garden and Pavilion at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station. The Library and Museum reopened in 2007 after major renovations and includes replicas of the Oval Office and the presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office at Camp David. PHOTO BY TODD BENNETT
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ECONOMIC PROFILE BUSINESS CLIMATE
BRAZOS COUNTY CONTACT The Research Valley Partnership 1500 Research Parkway, Ste. 270 B College Station, TX 77845 Phone: (979) 260-1755 (800) 449-4012 Fax: (979) 260-5252 Web: www.researchvalley.org Brazos Valley Council of Governments 3991 E. 29th St. Bryan, TX 77803 Phone: (979) 595-2800 Fax: (979) 595-2810 Web: www.bvcog.org
POPULATION (2005 ESTIMATE) Brazos County, 156,305
The Research Valley is located in the heart of Texas within a triangle of Texas’ largest metropolitan areas: Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston and Austin/San Antonio.
BURLESON COUNTY
GRIMES COUNTY
CONTACT
CONTACT
Burleson County Chamber of Commerce
Grimes County Chamber of Commerce 117 S. LaSalle, P.O. Box 530 Navasota, TX 77868 Phone: (936) 825-6600, (800) 252-6642 Fax: (936) 825-3699 E-mail: gcchamber@mssblue.net Web: www.navasotagrimes chamber.org
Caldwell Office 301 N. Main St. P.O. Box 87 Caldwell, TX 77836 Phone: (979) 567-0000 Fax: (979) 567-0818 Somerville Office 131 Seventh St. Somerville, TX 77879 Main: (979) 596-2383 E-mail: info@burlesoncountytx.com Web: www.burlesoncountytx.com
MAJOR EMPLOYERS
POPULATION (2005 ESTIMATE) Grimes County, 25,192
MAJOR EMPLOYERS Company, Product/ Service, No. of Employees
Company, Product/Service, No. of Employees
POPULATION (2005 ESTIMATE)
Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Correctional facility, 671
Texas A&M University Education, 12,000
Burleson County, 17,238
Grant Prideco, Manufactures steel pipe & tubes, 600
Bryan ISD, Post-secondary education, 2,061
MAJOR EMPLOYERS
Navasota ISD, Education, 405
Company, Product/Service, No. of Employees
Citation Interstate Forge Manufacturers and exports die forgings, 300
St. Joseph’s Health Center Health services, 1,560 Sanderson Farms, Poultry processing, 1,500 College Station ISD Education, 1,046 City of College Station Government, 840
Caldwell ISD, Education, 329
Grimes County, Government, 150 Somerville ISD, Education, 135 Burleson St. Joseph Health care, 123 Burleson County Government, 95
City of Bryan, Government, 771
Koppers Industries, Railroad products & services, 75
Universal Computer Systems Computers, 750
Wal-Mart, Retail, 71
Brazos County, Government, 700
Halliburton, Oilfield services, 60
Blinn College, Education, 609
Brookshire Brothers Grocery, 54
Other employers include: Alenco, BVCAA, Scott & White, Wal-Mart, West Corp. Young Contractors
Other employers include: Citizens State Bank, City of Caldwell, Evers & Sons, Exxon/Mobil, Snook ISD
COMMUNITIES Bryan, College Station, Kurten Millican, Wixon Valley
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COMMUNITIES Caldwell, Snook, Somerville
Texas Municipal Power Agency Electricity provider, 126 ErgoGenisis, Seat manufacturer, 117 Texas Pipe Works, Manufactures valves & pipe fittings, 110 Wal-Mart, Retail, 103 City of Navasota Government, 90 Grimes St. Joseph Health care, 90 Other employers include: Anderson-Shiro ISD, Canterbury Villa of Navasota, Iola ISD
COMMUNITIES Anderson, Bedias, Navasota, Todd Mission, Iola, Richards, Plantersville, Shiro
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economic profile LEON COUNTY CONTACTS Buffalo Area Chamber of Commerce 941 N. Hill St. P.O. Box 207 Buffalo, TX 75831 Phone: (903) 322-5810 Web: www.buffalotex.com/ business/chamber Centerville Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 422 Centerville, TX 75833 Phone: (903) 536-7261 or (903) 536-2015
E-mail: info@centervilletexas.com Web: www.centervilletexas.com Jewett Area Chamber of Commerce 111 N. Robinson Road P.O. Box 220 Jewett, TX 75846-0220 Phone (903) 626-4202 Fax (903) 626-6599 E-mail: jewettchamber@ sbcglobal.net Web: www.jewetttexas.com/ jewettchamber
MAJOR EMPLOYERS Company, Product/ Service, No. of Employees Nucor Steel, Angle & channel iron, 460 Westmoreland Coal Co., Lignite (coal), 375 Leon ISD, Education, 110 Other employers include: A.L. Helmcamp Inc., Brookshire Brothers, Normangee ISD, Omni Corp.
COMMUNITIES POPULATION (2005 ESTIMATE) Leon County, 16,344
KELLY BURT DOZER, INC. Serving the Brazos Valley since 1978
EXCAVATING CONTRACTOR Commercial • Residential Roads • Site Preparation Lot & Land Clearing Sand • Topsoil & Other Materials
FREE ESTIMATES Dozer • Loaders • Maintainers Dump Trucks • Backhoes
Buffalo, Centerville, Hilltop Lakes, Jewett, Leona, Marquez, Normangee, Oakwood
MADISON COUNTY CONTACT Madison County Chamber of Commerce 113 W. Trinity Madisonville, TX 77864 Phone: (936) 348-3591 Fax: (936) 348-2212 Web: www.madisonville chamber.com
POPULATION (2005 ESTIMATE) Madison County, 13,167
MAJOR EMPLOYERS Company, Product/ Service, No. of Employees Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Correctional facility, 772 Monterey Mushrooms Inc. Mushrooms, 540 Madisonville CISD Education, 285 Madison St. Joseph, Medical care, 140
778-1902 Office • 778-3802 Fax 759-3101 Mobile “Your Down to Earth Company” Kelly Burt – Owner 6217 E. Hwy. 21 Bryan, TX
Madison Care Center, Nursing Care, 105 Henson Family Dealership Auto dealership, 90 Wal-Mart, Retail sales, 87 Riverwood Healthcare Nursing Care, 60 DaSilveira Southwest Inc. Dairy equipment, 28 Madisonville Auto Mall Auto dealership, 25 Other employers include: Atkinson Toyota Madisonville,
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economic profile Brookshire Brothers, Madison Livestock Commission
COMMUNITIES Madisonville, Midway, North Zulch
ROBERTSON COUNTY CONTACT Bremond Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 487 Bremond, TX 76629 Phone: (254) 746-7636, (254) 746-7421 E-mail: jaw7252@aol.com Web: www.cityofbremond.com Calvert Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 132 Calvert, TX 77837 Phone: (979) 364-2559 E-mail: calverttx@calverttx.com Web: www.calverttx.com Franklin Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 126 Franklin, TX 77856 Phone: (979) 828-3276 Fax: (979) 828-1816 E-mail: franklincc@valornet.com Web: www.franklintexas.com
Providing Service for Homes & Businesses Commercial • Residential • Security • Fire CCTV • Access Control
3256 Bluehaven Hill • Brenham, TX 77833 (979) 830-0303 • (800) 750-6789 License #B6505
ACR 1347
Hearne Chamber of Commerce 304 S. Market St. Hearne, TX 77859 Phone: (979) 279-2351 Fax: (979) 279-2559 E-mail: chamber@hearne texas.info Web: www.rtis.com/reg/hearne
POPULATION (2005 ESTIMATE) Robertson County, 16,192
MAJOR EMPLOYERS* Bremond ISD Crane Plumbing Franklin ISD Franklin Nursing Home GATX Rail Corp. City of Hearne Hearne ISD Lodging Enterprises Inc. Walnut Creek Mining Co. *Employers are listed alphabetically with no ranking intended.
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Other employers include: Brookshire Brothers, Derek Scottâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Autopark, Hearne Healthcare, Lifetime Doors, Ultimate Genetics
COMMUNITIES Bremond, Calvert, Franklin, Hearne, Mumford
WASHINGTON COUNTY CONTACT
MEDICAL FACILITIES Burleson St. Joseph Health Center (979) 567-3245 College Station Medical Center (979) 764-5100
POPULATION (2005 ESTIMATE)
St. Joseph Regional Health Center (979) 776-3777
MAJOR EMPLOYERS Company, Product/ Service, No. of Employees Blinn College, Education, 900 Brenham State School Education, 880 Blue Bell Creameries, Ice cream manufacturer, 786 Brenham ISD, Education, 719
Grimes St. Joseph Health Center (936) 825-6585 Madison St. Joseph Health Center (936) 348-2631
Scott & White in College Station (979) 691-3300 Trinity Community Medical Center (979) 836-6173
PER CAPITA INCOME (2003) Brazos County, $21,741
Wal-Mart SuperCenter Retail, 380
Burleson County, $22,116
Germania Farm Mutual Insurance, Insurance, 324
Leon County, $22,850
Mount Vernon Mills, Textiles, 305 Trinity Medical Center Health care, 285 City of Brenham Government, 235 Valmont Industries, Steel lighting standards, 203 Other employers include: Del Sol Food Co., MK Group
COMMUNITIES Brenham, Burton, Chappell Hill, Independence, Washington-on-the-Brazos
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Austin, 90 miles Dallas, 180 miles Houston, 77 miles San Antonio, 160 miles
Washington County Chamber of Commerce 314 S. Austin St. Brenham, TX 77833 Phone: (979) 836-3695, (888) BRENHAM Fax: (979) 836-2540 E-mail: info@brenhamtexas.com Web: www.brenhamtexas.com
Washington County, 31,521
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DISTANCE FROM BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION
Grimes County, $18,712
Madison County, $21,322 Robertson County, $22,778 Washington County, $28,747
THE RESEARCH VALLEY LARGEST EMPLOYERS Research Valley employers reap the benefits of living in a worldclass community and operating in a business environment that fosters growth, expansion and results. Here are some of the companies that call the Research Valley home:
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economic profile Company, Produce/ Service, No. of Employees Texas A&M University System Education, 16,248 Bryan Independent School District, Education, 1,949 St. Joseph Regional Hospital Health care, 1,590 Sanderson Farms Food processing, 1,539 College Station Independent School District, Education, 1,400 Reynolds & Reynolds, Computer hardware/software, 959
Construction, 7,000, 9,500, 35.7%
government, 4,000, 4,850, 21.3%
Educational services, 28,550, 35,950, 25.9%
Professional, scientific, & technical services, 3,500, 4,250, 21.4%
Finance & insurance, 3,200, 3,800, 18.8% Health care & social assistance, 11,150, 14,050, 26.0% Information, 1,300, 1,450, 11.5% Management of companies & enterprises, 100, 150, 50.0% Manufacturing, 10,300, 12,150, 18.0% Mining, 2,000, 2,200, 10.0% Other services except
Real estate & rental & leasing, 1,550, 2,050, 32.3% Retail trade, 12,750, 14,600, 14.5% Transportation & warehousing, 1,950, 2,200, 18.2% Utilities, 700, 800, 14.3% Wholesale trade, 2,650, 3,050, 15.1% Source: Texas Industry Profiles, 2007
City of Bryan, Government, 889 City of College Station Government, 865 Brazos County, Government, 751 Wal-Mart, Retail, 650 New Alenco Windows Windows, 611 HEB Grocery, Retail, 590 West Corp. Telecommunications, 550 Scott & White Clinic Health care, 500 College Station Medical Center Health care, 420 Kent Moore Cabinets Cabinets, 400 Source: Internal 2007 Survey
INDUSTRY EMPLOYMENT & PROJECTED GROWTH The Research Valley 7-County Region Industry, Employment 2004, Employment 2014, Growth Rate Accommodation & food services, 9,900, 12,150, 22.7% Administrative, support, waste management & remediation services, 2,550, 3,250, 27.5% Agriculture, forestry, fishing & hunting, 1,750, 1,900, 8.6%
Why risk getting your office furniture anywhere but Office Furniture USA? With more than 5,000 items, guaranteed low prices and on-time delivery … the sky’s the limit. Wilton’s OfficeWorks 181 N. Earl Rudder Frwy. Bryan, TX 77802 (979) 268-0062 www.wiltons.com
Arts, entertainment & recreation, 900, 1,200, 33.3%
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Visit Our Advertisers Allen Academy www.allenacademy.org
John R. Clark & Associates www.johnclark.com
Allen Honda www.allenhonda.com
Kelly Burt Dozer
Blinn College www.blinn.edu Bluebonnet Alarm Brazos Valley COG www.bvcog.org Brenham Economic Development Foundation www.brenhamtexas.com/economic Brenham Winnelson Company www.winwholesale.com
Leon County Government www.co.leon.tx.us Madison County Chamber of Commerce www.madisonvillechamber.com Madison County Economic Development www.ci.madisonville.tx.us Mid-South Synergy www.midsouthsynergy.com Navasota EDC www.navasotatx.gov
Bryan College Station Convention and Visitors Bureau www.bcscvb.org
Research Valley Partnership www.researchvalley.org
Buffalo Jewett EDC www.buffalotex.com
St. Joseph Regional Health Center www.st-joseph.org
Burleson County Chamber of Commerce www.burlesoncountytx.com
Tamu College of Veterinary Medicine www.cvm.tamu.edu
Centerville Chamber of Commerce www.centervilletexas.com
Texas A&M Agriculture http://agriculture.tamu.edu
Century 21 Beal, Inc. www.century21bcs.com
Texas A&M University System www.tamus.edu
City of Caldwell www.caldwelltx.gov City of College Station www.cstx.gov City of Somerville www.burlesoncountytx.com/somerville Comfort Suites www.choicehotels.com/tx761 Coufal-Prater Equipment www.cpequipment.com FedStar Credit Union www.fedstarcu.com Grimes County Chamber of Commerce www.navasotagrimeschamber.com Hodde Real Estate Company www.hodderealty.com
Texas Engineering Extension Service www.teex.org University Title Company www.utitle.com Vineyard Court Designer Suites Hotel www.vineyardcourt.com Washington County Chamber of Commerce www.brenhamtexas.com Washington County Government www.co.washington.tx.us/ips/cms Wells Fargo Brazos Valley www.wellsfargo.com West Corporation www.west.com
Hoelscher, Lipsey & Elmore, PC
Wilton’s OfficeWorks www.wiltons.com
Jewett Area Chamber of Commerce www.jewetttexas.com
World Equine Services www.worldequineservices.com
Comfort Suites
907 E. University Dr. College Station, TX 77840 (979) 268-5500 (979) 268-5501 Fax www.choicehotels.com/hotel/tx761
We’ll See You There!
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economic profile
RECENTLY ANNOUNCED LOCATIONS & EXPANSIONS 2006-07 Company
Type of Operation
Jobs
Action
Valtech
Technology
110
New business
Dominion Laser Com
Technology
21
Expansion
RBC Technologies
Technology
15
Expansion
Manufacturing
32
Expansion
Weatherford
Energy
90
New business
StarRotor
Energy
19
Expansion
Technology
450 retain & 165 new
Expansion
Manufacturing
20
New business
Technology
250
Expansion
ARQ Electronics
Reynolds & Reynolds Toyo Ink West Corp/American Express
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economic profile
RESIDENTIAL PERMITS 2006 Total, Single-Family Units, Multiunits CSB MSA, 1,547, 882, 665 Bryan/College Station, 1,547, 882, 665 The Research Valley, 3,329, 1,050, 705 Source: TAMU Real Estate Center
FOR MORE INFORMATION Brazos Valley Council of Governments 3991 E. 29th St. Bryan, TX 77803 Phone: (979) 595-2800 Fax: (979) 595-2810 Web: www.bvcog.org
SOURCES: Texas Economic Development
LABOR FORCE (2004)
www.bcschamber.org www.researchvalley.org www.bvcog.org
Region,Labor Force, Employment, Number Unemployed, Unemployment Rate Bryan, 40,440, 39,660, 780, 1.9% College Station, 33,928, 33,249, 679, 2.0% Brazos County, 85,195, 83,575, 1,620, 1.9% Research Valley, 136,092, 132,012, 4,080, 3.0%
www.burlesoncountytx.com/ industrialfoundation www.navasotagrimes chamber.org www.centervilletexas.com www.jewetttexas.com/ jewettchamber www.madisonvillechamber.com www.brenhamtexas.com www.yahoo.com
“Your Personal Law Firm” 1021 University Drive East College Station (979) 846-4726
The Research Valley is a place of tradition. For over half a century, the attorneys at Hoelscher, Lipsey & Elmore, P.C., have carried on our firm’s tradition of excellence in real estate, business, estate planning and probate, commercial, litigation and family law. Please visit us on the Web at www.hle.com.
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Bryan THE GOOD LIFE, TEX AS ST YLE
Red Meat & Red Wine Reading, Writing and Roofs Special Advertising Section
B r y an, Te x a s
Red e Meat
& Red Wine TEX AS REDS STEAK & GR APE FESTIVAL BECOMES AN ANNUAL EVENT
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t was such a successful one-day event in 2007 that it will be stretched to two days in 2008. The Texas Reds Steak & Grape Festival took a bow in June 2007 to celebrate the state’s cattle and winemaking industries and their impact on the City of Bryan. The 2007 festival, which drew 8,000 people, took place downtown along Main and South Bryan streets. Texas Reds will be held June 20-21, 2008. A sponsorship party Friday night will have free, live entertainment for the public on the main stage, and the following day will be devoted to festivities for the public. The inaugural event was award winning on a statewide level. In 2007, it was awarded the Best Promotional Event by the Texas Downtown Association and the Texas Main Street Program. “City employees have wanted to organize a festival for several years, so we started thinking about what would best represent Bryan,” says Ashley Bennett, Recreation Manager for the City of Bryan Parks and Recreation department. “The cattle industry fueled Bryan’s original growth, and there is a wonderful winery in town, so what do those two aspects have in common? Well, it’s the color red – for red meat and red wine – so that’s where the name Texas Reds is derived.” Bennett explains that up until the 1870s, wild longhorn cattle were herded in Brazos County and then driven to markets in Houston and Galveston. “As for wine, the Messina Hof Winery & Resort in Bryan has been a thriving company here since 1977,” Bennett says. “Many people don’t actually know that Texas is the fifthlargest wine producer in the nation, currently with more than 100 wineries.” Bennett says first-year attendance at the inaugural Texas Reds festival far exceeded everyone’s expectations. “Now, we are hoping for 15,000 people in 2008 with the addition of a Friday-night live entertainment on the Texas Reds Steak & Grape Festival is a celebration of the beef and wine industries in Bryan, Texas. Special Advertising Section
T h e G o o d Life, Te x a s St yle
main stage,” she says, “plus, we are adding more live concert entertainment to the Saturday lineup.” Highlights of the Texas Reds celebration include the beef cook-off competition and wine-tasting. A total of 21 state cook-off teams traveled to Bryan for the 2007 festival, while 11 Texas wineries were in attendance. “We awarded prize money to the top three cook-off teams,” says Gwynne Shillings, Special Events Marketing Coordinator with the City of Bryan Parks and Recreation. “With the winetasting, we expect quite a few more wineries to be represented at the festival. “We are reviewing over 140 wineries from around Texas to double our wineries in 2008,” she adds, “and our local Messina Hof winery is playing a big part in attracting them to Bryan for the celebration.” Other activities at Texas Reds include agricultural displays, a Kids Zone area and headliner entertainment on Saturday night. The 2007 festival featured concerts by Bonnie Bishop and the Bellamy Brothers, and the 2008 acts will be announced as the June event draws nearer. “Our city slogan is ‘The Good Life, Texas Style,’ and Bryan knows how to put together a successful festival,” Shillings says. “It takes a lot of effort from all the city departments. In fact, the first festival had 400 volunteers who helped pull off the event, and 230 of those volunteers were city employees.”
J. Cody’s catering grilled steaks during the Texas Reds Steak & Grape Festival. Top Left: Main Street is where the action is during the festival. Bottom Left: Live entertainment included this strolling mariachi band.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY OF BRYAN
This special section was created for the City of Bryan, Texas by Journal Communications Inc.
For more information, contact: City of Bryan 300 S. Texas Ave. • Bryan, TX 77803 Phone: (979) 209-5115 • Fax: (979) 209-5003 www.bryantx.gov ©Copyright 2007 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved. No portion of this special advertising section may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent.
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B r y an, Te x a s
From
Eyesore to
Eye Candy CIT Y CONTINUES TO RENOVATE DOWNTOWN BRYAN
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or a shining example of a successful downtown turnaround, look no further than Bryan. It was 20 years ago when the city’s downtown area was beginning to look run-down. People were moving away, and the few businesses that remained in downtown Bryan were not as busy as they might be. It got so bad that some of the abandoned buildings actually collapsed due to decay and neglect. “We became a Main Street program in the 1990s but only experienced limited success,” says Julie Fulgham, Downtown Staff Planner with the City of Bryan. “A downtown historic district was then created, but it still didn’t bring that much interest to the area.” So in 2000, the city adopted a fivephase Downtown Bryan Master Plan to guide rejuvenation and renewed interest in the district. Today, city planners are happy to say that in 2008, the former lifeless portion of town has come back to life. “Things are a thousand times better downtown than they were two decades and even one decade ago,” Fulgham says. “The big buildings and hotels have been renovated, and the district has become interesting. Bryan is still the only city in Brazos County that actually has a downtown.” Phase I of the city’s master plan included façade improvement to 85 buildings, plus a major streetscaping
effort along a four-block stretch of Main Street and Carnegie Alley. The streetscaping endeavor included new underground utilities, street paving, side walks, historic lighting and landscaping – all at a cost of $3.5 million. “As for Phase II, it features upgrades along Bryan Avenue, which is the other primary road in downtown,” says Paul Kaspar, Bryan City Engineer. “Revitalizing Bryan Avenue is being done at a cost of $7.5 million and will be completed in early 2008.” Bryan city officials hope that downtown’s charm and interesting businesses will be enticing to tourists.
“If you are a visitor coming to BryanCollege Station and want a unique dining or shopping experience, you come to downtown Bryan,” Kaspar says. “There are a lot of unusual businesses in downtown Bryan that you may not find in a typical strip-mall setting.” Fulgham adds that the city is now looking to attract more office workers to the district, and there are future plans to increase residential occupancy. “We also want to add more boutiquetype stores and restaurants to give downtown its own distinct, local flavor,” she says. “Downtown Bryan is certainly a shining star that is on the rise.”
Downtown Bryan’s renovation has been good for business. Special Advertising Section
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Street
Smarts
THREE ROAD PROJEC TS ARE MAKING TR AVELING AROUND BRYAN A LOT EASIER
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Road work on major thoroughfares will make traveling in Bryan a lot easier for both residents and visitors.
allow traffic to proceed under the railroad tracks without any delays. “That particular project is also set for completion in early 2008,” Kaspar says. “By the spring of 2008, we will have three major traffic initiatives completed in Bryan. We are eagerly anticipating that time.”
PHOTOS BY BRIAN M C CORD
he City of Bryan has three concrete plans in place for helping traffic flow around town. One road project under way is the widening of 29th Street to ease traffic congestion around Blinn College. “There are about 15,000 students attending that campus, so 29th Street gets congested every school day,” says Paul Kaspar, Bryan City Engineer. “In addition, some of the people entering St. Joseph’s [Regional Health Center] also use 29th Street. So to alleviate some of that congestion, we are taking a roadway that was four lanes wide – two lanes in each direction – and are making it as wide as seven lanes between Joseph Drive and Villa Maria.” The 29th Street upgrade will be completed in early 2008. Another key road project set for completion in 2008 is along Beck Street. The street was actually earmarked for improvement in the 1980s, thanks to a bond election, but the economy turned sour and the bonds were never issued. “Since around 2000, interest has started up again for establishing another east-west corridor into our downtown area,” Kaspar says. “Work is now taking place on extending Beck Street to the west, ultimately giving motorists easier access to downtown Bryan if they are driving from FM 2818 on the west side of town.” Then there is the granddaddy of all road projects in Bryan – completion of the Villa Maria Road Underpass. Villa Maria is a major traffic corridor for Bryan, stretching east to west and running through the city’s central business corridor. However, two Union Pacific railroad tracks are situated along Villa Maria Road on the west side of town, and the trains stop car traffic at the busy intersection (sometimes for as long as 10 minutes) where Wellborn and Finfeather roads meet, near the Bryan Golf Course. “This issue has actually hampered residential and commercial growth on the west side of Bryan because there were concerns about the trains potentially stopping ambulances and fire trucks that might be needed in emergency situations,” Kaspar says. “And, of course, there was just the nail-biting inconvenience for motorists having to wait for the trains to pass. So enter the Villa Maria Road Underpass solution.” The underpass is an $11.3 million TXDOT project that will
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B r y an, Te x a s
A Healthy Choice
BRIAN M C CORD
A&M UNIVERSIT Y PICKS BRYAN FOR NEW HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER
The Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health in College Station is one of the HSCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s six components. Special Advertising Section
T h e G o o d Life, Te x a s St yle
The Texas A&M Health Science Center is planning to build a new campus on approximately 200 acres in Bryan.
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t’s just what the doctor ordered. The Texas A&M Health Science Center is constructing a new campus in west Bryan, with the first three buildings of the spacious academic complex scheduled to open in 2010. The HSC will be constructed on about 200 acres along State Highway 47, adjacent to Traditions Club Golf Course. The future Bryan campus will ultimately allow the HSC to consolidate its academic programs and administration currently located throughout Bryan and College Station onto a single campus. “Since the inception of the College of Medicine 30 years ago, the campus of Texas A&M University has been the home of the College Station-based components of the Health Science Center,” said Nancy W. Dickey, M.D., President of the Texas A&M Health Science Center and Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs for the Texas A&M University System. “This has allowed us the opportunity to craft wonderful collaborative relationships with Texas A&M, to share faculty and to jointly invest in facilities. However, it has also made it more difficult to establish the difference between the two universities – Texas A&M University and the Texas A&M Health Science Center.” “In a time when philanthropy is important, it is vital that we can tell donors who we are and who we are not,” Dr. Dickey continues. “It is also important for student recruitment since we have some crossover of programs, and students need to know what university it is that they are evaluating. Having property upon which to develop our own campus will give us a home base that differentiates us, while being close to the Texas A&M campus will allow us to continue to build collaborations, use joint faculty and continue to share many expensive infrastructures.” The HSC is part of the Texas A&M University System, and the new facility will be the first with a permanent physical presence in Bryan in the System’s history. HSC officials said there are four phases of construction with this project, with the entire campus scheduled for completion around 2020.
A groundbreaking is scheduled for January 2008, and construction is slated to begin in the spring or summer of 2008, with the first buildings to open within 18 to 24 months. HSC officials add there are plans for the HSC complex to house clinical facilities. “Actually, some plans about whether or not we will include a teaching hospital in the Health Science Center campus have always been tied to the growth in the population and medical care needs of the Brazos Valley,” Dr. Dickey says. “We currently are well served by two community hospitals, which are eager and willing to partner with the Health Science Center to provide clinical teaching sites,” Dr. Dickey continues. “However, should the need for more hospital beds arise as the population grows, the possibility of having a teaching hospital on the Health Science Center campus is one that might facilitate cutting-edge research, recruitment of yet another level of expertise in terms of medical subspecialties and certainly would lend itself to innovative opportunities for interdisciplinary education.” Bryan Mayor Mark Conlee says the Health Science Center will provide an incredible economic benefit to the city – to the tune of an amazing $1 billion by 2010. “We project that $1 billion is just for 2010 alone,” Conlee says. “Plus, the new growth on Bryan’s west side will also increase the city’s tax base, so the potential job creation is massive within and near the new campus.” Conlee adds that having such a top-notch Health Science Center will also attract related industries to Bryan, such as research/development, assisted-living and biomedicalrelated retail. “This new campus, while located in Bryan, should advance overall health care for the entire Bryan-College Station community as new professionals and researchers relocate here,” he says. “Also, while Bryan gifted the 200 acres to the Health Science Center, our citizen’s property taxes will not increase. The long-term benefits for Bryan citizens are almost too numerous to mention, and we are very excited to welcome the HSC to Bryan.”
www.bryantx.gov
B r y an, Te x a s
The
Route to
RETAIL EXCITEMENT BUILDS FOR BRYAN TOWNE CENTER
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ill that be cash, check, credit or debit card? Those words will be uttered quite often when the Bryan Towne Center opens for retail business in the summer of 2008. The 400,000-square-foot development will be located at the intersection of Briarcrest Road (FM 1179) and State Highway 6 (Earl Rudder Freeway), just five minutes from Texas A&M University and its 45,000 students.
The large shopping complex will be anchored by Target, which will occupy 127,000 square feet of the overall space. “The reason for such a large, new retail center is because the residential population of Bryan is continuing to grow steadily, so we need a major shopping destination such as this one,” says Kevin Russell, Director of Planning and Development Services for the City of Bryan. “Secondly, with Texas A&M being so close, retail and restaurant
tenants will be excited to have those 45,000 students spend some of their money at Bryan Towne Center.” But besides the A&M students, Russell says there is plenty of anticipation in Bryan about new retail growth. “It will become a true destination for many of the 70,000 people who call Bryan home,” he says. “Right now, there is a Target in College Station, but it really isn’t convenient for Bryan residents.” As for accessing the new Bryan
The Bryan Towne Center will be a new, 400,000-square-foot retail development on the city’s east side. Special Advertising Section
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property, shoppers will be able to enter and exit Target from State Highway 6 and Wildflower Drive, which is being extended. “The Wildflower extension will allow traffic to be back-fed into the shopping complex, instead of everyone accessing the center from the front of Target,” Russell says. “Motorists traveling south along Highway 6 will have the option of enter ing and exiting from Wildflower Drive.” Besides Target, the shopping center will include five junior anchor spaces, eight outparcels and 100,000 square feet of small shop space in a villagestyle format.
“This is a huge retail project, with pad sites that are each about an acre or larger in size,” Russell says. “The development company doesn’t want to make announcements until deals are finalized, but regional and national chains have expressed great interest in the property for both retail and restaurant occupancy.” The construction effort is being overseen by Lauth Property Group of Indianapolis. The company is known for constructing retail centers that feature architecture and landscaping that provide an inviting atmosphere for shoppers. Meanwhile, the architects of the
new project are Carter-Burgess of Ft. Worth, who are known for using regional materials and colors that bring a contemporary Texas feel to their designs. “Besides the Bryan Towne Center, our city has a lot of exciting projects going – we have worked very hard in the last couple of years to get our name out there and our image enhanced,” says Lindsey Guindi, planning manager for the City of Bryan. “A lot of positive planning and action has been occurring that has sparked interest in Bryan,” she adds. “We look for that interest to continue for a long time to come.”
Developers of the Bryan Towne Center expect some of Texas A&M University’s 45,000 students to shop there. PHOTO BY MICHAEL W. BUNCH
www.bryantx.gov MICHAEL W. BUNCH
B r y an, Te x a s
Reading, Writing and
Roofs
BONHAM ELEMENTARY OPENS, T WO OTHER SCHOOLS DEBUT IN 2008
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ing the bell: A new school is in session, and two more will open in August 2008. An all-new Bonham Elementary School opened for the 2007-08 school year, and now the attention turns to Davila Middle School and Rudder High School. The Bryan Independent School District has been constructing these three new schools ever since voters passed a $104.25 million bond referendum in February 2005. Nine other schools in the Bryan ISD have been renovated as a result of the bond passage. Bonham Elementary was the first of the three major projects completed, with the K-5 school opening its new 86,000-square-foot facility directly adjacent to the former Bonham Elementary building. “The old Bonham school was built in 1961 and had just worn out its usefulness, so it will eventually be demolished,” says Grady Slaydon, executive director of planning and operations for the Bryan ISD. “The brand-new Bonham Elementary is now conveniently located next door so that parents don’t have to alter their travel routes when dropping
off and picking up their kids.” Bonham opened in 2007 with 650 students, and its capacity is 750. “An ideal total of 675 students would allow Bonham to function at top efficiency, but it could handle up to 750 kids if the situation called for that,” Slaydon says. “The building has well-designed classrooms, multimedia technology in every classroom and the entire campus is wireless. It is quite a facility.” The school library is situated in a central core in the front of the building and is 50 percent larger than the library at the old school. “We had a technology consultant help us with the design of the school,” Slaydon says. “Other amenities include a cafeteria and a multipurpose room that are separated by a removable wall, so the wall can be pulled back for a large, auditorium-type setting.” The colors throughout the school are an eye-pleasing green, yellow and burgundy. Meanwhile, Davila Middle School is currently under construction at the intersection of North Texas Avenue and the Earl Rudder Freeway, adjacent to
the Bryan Regional Athletic Complex. Rudder High School is being built on Old Reliance Road, just east of the Earl Rudder Freeway. Both schools are on schedule to open in time for the 200809 school year. Rudder High will help alleviate overcrowding problems at Bryan High School, which currently has an enrollment of 3,700 students. About 800 students will leave Bryan High to enroll at Rudder in August 2008. Rudder will open with grades 9 and 10 in 2008, then add 11th grade in 2009 and 12th grade in 2010. As for future needs after these three schools open, Slaydon says the 14,000student Bryan ISD is growing by about 300 students each year. “Adding 300 students over two years equals 600 students, which is basically another new school needed,” he says. “The demand for additional space sneaks up on us pretty fast, so the Bryan ISD is already discussing another bond referendum for the spring of 2008. Parents want their kids to attend our schools. We just need to add schools to accom modate all the kids.”
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Bonham Elementary is the newest school to open in Bryan. Two more schools will be ready in 2008-09. www.bryantx.gov
B r y an, Te x a s
Professors in
High School?
BRYAN COLLEGIATE HIGH SCHOOL OPENS WITH COLLEGE PREPAR ATORY FOCUS
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tudents attending the newly opened Bryan Collegiate High School can earn up to 60 college credits – before they ever set foot on a college campus. “We are designated as an early-college high school by the Texas Education Agency, and yes, our students can earn up to 60 college credits in addition to their high school diploma,” says Christina Richardson, BCHS principal. “Those 60 credits earned would save their parents about $15,000 or more in college tuition costs.” BCHS opened in August 2007 with 100 ninth-grade students. An additional 100 students will be enrolled each year until the campus reaches 400 students in
grades 9-12 by the 2010-11 school year. “Our school is housed in one of the existing facilities in the Bryan Independent School District, specif ically the Lamar campus on Villa Maria Road,” Richardson says. “We occupy part of the building, while the Lamar Alternative High School is in the other part.” Bryan Collegiate is a partnership between the Bryan Independent School District, Texas A&M University and Blinn College. Preparing students for college is the sole focus of the high school. Students who want to attend Bryan Collegiate must apply in eighth grade. Approximately 225 students wanted to enroll at BCHS for the 2007-08 school year, with 100 finally chosen.
Students work on a class assignment at the Bryan Collegiate High School.
“This school is also designed to ultimately increase the number of lowincome and first-generation college-bound students who want to pursue advanced studies,” Richardson says. In ninth grade, students take all high school classes with the exception of physical education, which is a dualcredit kinesiology course offered by Blinn College. “The kinesiology class is their first dual-credit class. Then as sophomores, they will take dual-credit speech, art or Spanish,” Richardson says. “Once the students become juniors and seniors, their dual-credit course load increases. They start taking core courses in subjects such as math, science, English and history.” All dual-course credits that students earn at BCHS are transferable to any college in Texas. BCHS does not offer organized sports but does have intramural sports as well as a student council, yearbook staff, speech and debate team, chess club, Spanish club and other extracurricular activities. Richardson adds that teachers at Bryan Collegiate went through extensive professional development during the summer of 2007, and there were many applicants for every teaching position. “This school allows kids to experience a college culture versus a traditional high school setting,” Richardson says. “It is a great opportunity for young students. I wish something like this was around when I was in high school.”
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Ready, TODD BENNETT
Set,
READ
BRYAN PUBLIC LIBR ARY LINKS CHILDREN WITH BOOKS AT AN EARLY AGE
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esearch shows that the brain cells of young children between the ages of 0-5 develop more rapidly than at any other time of their lives. For this reason, Bryan Public Library offers early-literacy programs that link children with books at a young age. The programs are geared toward equipping young children with the early-literacy skills needed for school success. Bobbee Pennington, Youth Services Librarian at Bryan Public Library, says that one of the library’s major goals is to provide young children with the foundation of the six earlyliteracy skills. Those skills are phonological awareness, print awareness, book motivation, vocabulary/concept development, narrative concepts and letter knowledge. The library presents this important information to parents and caregivers of young children with the workshop, Ready to Read @ Your Library. The library also has weekly storytime programs for toddlers (ages 1-2) and preschoolers (ages 3-6). Each fun storytime program consists of stories, music, puppets and simple rhymes, all of which are used to foster early literacy and a love of books in young children. Pennington says that children need to be reached primarily through their parents and caregivers. Since 47 percent of young children in Bryan are in some form of child care, the library connects with children in daycare by working with local early-educator training organizations in providing trainings in early literacy.
The library also maintains a professional development collection for local child-care providers to use. The library’s latest offering, Storytime Literacy Kits, are classroom kits that include a beloved children’s picture book in “big book” format, a companion book and story props (puppets and/or felt board items), as well as a booklet with information on the six early-literacy skills. “The city of Bryan supports families with young children and Bryan Public Library’s family literacy program is just one of the ways the city accomplishes that goal,” Pennington says. “Let me share the story of a pregnant mother in Bryan whom we encouraged to read to her baby in the womb for a few minutes each day. Today, that baby is 2 years old, recognizes letters and is looking at books on his own and has been an active participant in our toddler storytime program. That is a perfect example of how early literacy works.” The library continues to support reading achievement once children are in school by collaborating with Bryan ISD elementary schools through the annual Summer Reading Program. The purpose of this program is to prevent “summer reading loss” and help students maintain and even exceed the reading levels they had at the end of the school semester. Prizes and fun events (many of which are underwritten with a grant from the Texas Commission of the Arts) are among the many wonderful things provided by the Summer Reading Program. Teens also have a Teen Summer Reading Program, as well as year-round volunteer opportunities at the library.
Librarian Bobbee Pennington helps children learn to read during storytime at the Bryan Public Library. www.bryantx.gov
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All
Kidding Aside
BRYAN OFFERS A WEALTH OF RECREATIONAL AC TIVITIES FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES
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ecreation officials in Bryan are good sports about providing plenty of recreational opportunities for youngsters. For example, a Pee Wee sports program is in place to teach children ages 3-5 the fundamentals of baseball, basketball, football, golf and soccer. These clinic-based programs get young children interested in organized sports at an early age. “The Pee Wee initiative gives little kids some basic background so that they will be somewhat prepared to advance into league play when they get a bit older,” says Ashley Bennett, Recreation Manager for the City of Bryan Parks and Recreation department. “In addition, our program encourages parents to be involved with their kids in these sports. In many cases, parents are learning about the sports right along with their children.” In baseball alone, there are seven separate baseball leagues serving youngsters in Bryan. There are five individual Little Leagues along with a Challenger League and a Spring Pony & Bronco League. “In soccer, we have an excellent Bryan Soccer Club that has been around for many years. In addition to the five core sports, there are also archery clubs available to young people, and the Bryan Parks and Rec department also oversees a summer league swim team.” On the other end of the age spectrum, senior citizens can now take advantage of aquatics programs that are offered by the Parks and Recreation Department.
Organized sessions take place throughout the year at the Bryan Aquatic Center. “We have just expanded our water aerobics curriculum by adding aquatic classes for arthritis relief,” Bennett says. “We also have water aerobics classes for mothers with infants or preschoolers, along with water-certification courses to train people who want to become nationally certified water aerobics instructors. All of the water aerobic instructors we have on staff here in Bryan are nationally certified.”
Bennett also wants Bryan citizens to know that the Parks and Recreation department has recently updated its link on the city’s www.bryantx.gov Web site. “We have everything right up to date in all areas of recreation programs that are offered by the department,” she says. “Residents can easily find out dates, times and schedules. It is a very user-friendly Web site that provides a lot of good photos and information about all the great activities found here in Bryan.”
Children can participate in a variety of organized sports in Bryan.
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Calling All
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Citizens BRYAN JUSTICE CENTER BECOMES NEW HOME FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
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or the first time in its history, the City of Bryan is constructing a building specifically to house the police department. A new Bryan Justice Center will open in the spring of 2008 at the intersection of 29th Street and Texas Avenue. The twostory building will be located kitty-cornered to the current facility that the police department is using. “Right now, we are in a former bank building that was converted for police use,” says Peter Scheets, Deputy Chief for the Bryan Police Department. “Prior to that, we had been housed in other buildings that had been modified for us to utilize. So we are really looking forward to moving into the modern new justice center.” Besides serving as the police headquarters, the center will also feature courtrooms and judges’ quarters. “The building will make interaction between the police and the courts much easier,” Scheets says. “It is also designed to expand via construction if the situation should warrant that in the future.” The Bryan Police Department has another reason to celebrate these days. It recently became nationally accredited after a rigorous inspection process conducted by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. The commission was founded in 1979 to implement standards
of excellence that all public safety agencies can adhere to. “The commission advised us what to do in order to become nationally accredited, and then it inspected our department to decide whether to award or deny accreditation,” Scheets says. “In August 2006, we traveled to Reno for a final commission hearing and received accreditation. It is a tremendous accomplishment for a police department. We will carry this honor for three years before having to apply again for re-accreditation.” Other news at the Bryan Police Department includes the hiring of a new police chief. Tyrone Morrow was sworn in Sept. 10, 2007, to lead the 121 officers and 35 civilians who make up the department. Morrow, a native of Chicago, joined the U.S. Army and was stationed in Fairfax, Va. When he finished his tour of duty, he entered civilian law enforcement in Fairfax County and ultimately became Academy Director for the Fairfax County Police Department. “We conducted a national search and got an outstanding candidate for Chief in Tyrone Morrow,” Sheets says. “He is leading a department that has quality people in place, with police officers and staff who have put the Bryan Police Department at the highest level of professionalism and community service.”
City of Bryan Police Chief Tyrone Morrow leads the 121 officers and 35 civilians who make up the department. www.bryantx.gov
FRANKLIN, TEXAS Cowboys & Computers A City on the Move
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Fr anklin, Te x a s
A City on
the Move
FRANKLIN ENJOYS RAPID GROWTH WHILE MAINTAINING SMALL-TOWN FEEL
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riendly faces, great schools and a rapidly growing economy make for a winning combination in Franklin, where businesses and neighborhoods are growing every day. “You can walk out your front door and see the hustle and bustle of change,” says Jerry Baxter, immediate past president of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce. “Businesses are busier, restaurants are full – hardly a week goes by that the chamber doesn’t welcome someone new to the community.” A large part of the recent growth in Franklin is a result of natural gas exploration in the area. Hundreds of gas wells have been drilled over the past few years, and hundreds more are expected over the next several years. Growth is also occurring as a result of the construction of a power plant and lignite coal mine operation, expected to bring between 2,000 and 2,500 construction jobs and 650 permanent jobs to the area. In an effort to meet the growing area’s needs, a Best Western Inn & Suites was recently built in Franklin. The hotel is busier than ever these days, thanks in part to the oil and gas industry and the expanding economy. Other new businesses include First Star Bank, a ConocoPhillips field office, Merryman Home Health, new shopping and restaurant options and The Dragon Fly Creative Learning Center. “We have solicited and succeeded in attracting several large employers over the past few years,” says Franklin Mayor Charles Ellison. “The local government is perceived as friendly
and willing to help anyone who can benefit Franklin.” Ellison expects the influx of business to bring more than 1,000 permanent jobs to the quaint Texas community, located about 90 miles from Austin. The economic boost is, of course, accompanied by a wave of new residents. Franklin’s population has grown from 1,500 to 1,800 in eight years, creating a demand for additional housing options. In an effort to accommodate growth, the city recently annexed 100 acres of land on the west side of Franklin for both commercial and residential use. While city planners work to meet the community’s physical needs, area churches are stepping up to meet the spiritual needs of their growing congregations. A new, 10,500-square-foot activity center was recently added to First Baptist Church, while the Franklin Worship Center welcomed a 7,200-square-foot addition. St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church will break ground on a new education building to accommodate its growth. Another new service organization – the Lucress and Dick Watson Children’s Foundation – provides immunizations and essential medicines to more than 300,000 children in Third-World countries. Franklin shows no signs of slowing down either, but locals here don’t seem to mind. “We’re a better community for that,” Baxter says of the town’s continued growth. “We spend a tremendous amount of time trying to figure out how to grow while keeping our family values and our small-town feel.”
The Best Western Franklin Inn & Suites was built to accommodate all the growth in the Franklin area. Special Advertising Section
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A Force for Growth CHAMBER IS COMMITTED TO THE FRANKLIN BUSINESS COMMUNITY
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he Franklin Chamber of Commerce is on a mission. With 260 members and growing, the organization is committed to identifying and meeting the needs of the town’s increasing population. Loren Helton, president of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce, says an active and visionary chamber board can be credited for the group’s unprecedented growth. “Board members are progressive in thinking out-of-the-box,” he says. “They’re really proactive about the future of Franklin.” In an effort to promote teamwork and encourage communication among Franklin’s leaders, the chamber began periodic community leadership meetings in which the city council, the chamber board, the school board and other elected officials come together to exchange ideas. “We want to talk about the community’s needs so everyone agrees with where we’re going,” says Jerry Baxter, board member and immediate past president of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce. Oftentimes, those needs become topics of discussion in the state capital of Austin, where chamber and other community leaders campaign for the issues pertinent to the Franklin community. The organization also works closely with officials from the Texas Department
of Transportation to address the community’s road needs. As a result, Franklin soon will welcome a new red light and reduced speed limits through parts of town, while a new turning lane to the schools will help keep students safe. The chamber is also working closely with the city to get funding for sidewalks to the schools, and a wider road leading into them. The chamber is equally dedicated to fulfilling the community’s business needs. “Each year, the board has a planning session for new projects we want to tackle,” Helton says. “Many of these
projects come from ideas we get at the chamber’s annual meeting and tailgate party. We look for several big ideas that we’ll work on or at least get the ball rolling on.” One of these ideas was the need for a new hotel. Less than two years after the chamber had a feasibility study completed, a local group opened the Best Western Franklin Inn & Suites. Now, the chamber has begun looking for ways to bring a 24-hour medical center to Franklin. “We believe in the philosophy that if you say it often enough, it’ll happen,” Baxter says.
This special section was created for the City of Franklin and the Franklin Chamber of Commerce by Journal Communications Inc.
For more information, contact: Franklin Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 126 Franklin, TN 77856 (979) 828-3276 Fax: (979) 828-1816 www.franklintexas.com ©Copyright 2007 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080.
TODD BENNETT
All rights reserved. No portion of this special advertising section may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent. On the cover: A statue of Lucress Watson by artist Dan Pogue stands outside the Lucress and Dick Watson Children’s Foundation. Photograph by Todd Bennett
The Pridgeon Community Center houses the chamber’s offices. www.franklintexas.com
Fr anklin, Te x a s
Cowboys& Computers TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING THE FACE OF THE OLD WEST
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tories of cattle ranching and farming are as plentiful in Texas as the stars in the night sky. Today, the combination of sprawling ranches, smart business and cuttingedge science still offer a glimpse into legendary cowboy country – but with a modern twist. “Technology has become a huge part of agriculture in our area, partly because Texas A&M is only 40 miles away,” says Loren Helton, president of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce and manager and vice president of M&M Farm Supply. The store has been a Franklin mainstay for more than 50 years, providing local producers with every thing from feed and fertilizer to boots and clothes. Helton says Robertson County’s position as one of the largest cowpopulated counties in Texas means ranchers rely heavily on technology for the everyday care and feeding of their stock. One of the region’s most prominent cattle businesses is Camp Cooley Ranch – the fourth largest seedstock producer in the nation. The Franklin operation specializes in the production of Brangus, Angus and Charolais bulls for the commercial and registered cattle industry and was recently named the nation’s seedstock producer of the year. Using innovation and technology, the Camp Cooley team offers customers profit-driven systems for genetic selection, herd health, nutrition, ranch resource management and aggressive marketing options. President Mark Cowan says there are many reasons Camp Cooley Ranch calls Robertson County home. “An agreeable climate, friendly folks
and soils perfectly suited to growing hybrid Bermuda grasses are the mainstay of many of the ranching operations in the area,” he says, referring to the region’s large hay producers. Located nearby, Camp Cooley Ranch’s sister company, Ultimate Genetics, is a full-service embryo transfer and bull stud company with clients throughout the United States. As the nation’s second-largest embryotransfer company, Ultimate Genetics is recognized as the leader in embryo transfer and sire-collection technology. “The most important asset in our drive to succeed is our customers,” Cowan says. “Our service must be impeccable, our expertise great and our genetics above reproach.” Another local ranch, the DeShazer
Cattle Co., offers bulls to local, national and international commercial beef producers. According to manager Tim Lockhart, DeShazer’s elite acquisitions and aggressive genetics matching produce one-of-a-kind, high-growth, low-maintenance cattle. But unlike ranchers of the Old West, DeShazer uses innovative Web-based marketing to keep customers informed of cattle sales and special events, and allows prospective buyers to browse photos and bios on individual bulls. Franklin’s stronghold as one of the most celebrated agricultural regions in Texas means the area undoubtedly will continue to evolve, producing high-tech – but still as memorable – ranching tales for generations to come.
Franklin’s farming and ranching industries have gone high-tech.
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Fr anklin, Te x a s
A Lesson in Local History FRANKLIN’S STORIED PAST REMAINS A VITAL PART OF ITS FUTURE GROWTH
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TODD BENNETT
ranklin is growing more colorful and vibrant every day, but it’s a place that certainly treasures its history. While records show the once vast vicinity was first populated under the Republic of Texas in 1838, the railroad town was officially settled as Morgan, Texas, in 1872 and in 1879 became the county seat of Robertson County. It was renamed Franklin in 1880 after locals discovered another Texas town by the same name. The following year, the town celebrated the opening of what is now one of Franklin’s most recognizable structures – the Robertson County Courthouse. Today, the majestic limestone building remains at the heart of Franklin’s evolving downtown district, where horse-drawn wagons and rowdy saloons have given way to modern shops and bustling businesses. “People enjoy the convenience of downtown because they can park and walk to several of the area’s shops, restaurants and businesses,” says Franklin Mayor Charles Ellison. The historic downtown offers guests easy access to a variety of retail and service businesses, including Lone Star Burger Bar & Trading Co., Radio Shack, Horseshoe Café, Guaranty
Title, Country Flowers and Smith’s Cleaners. Downtown is also home to two businesses that have served Robertson County residents for generations – Love Title and Abstract Co., which opened its doors in 1912, and Duffey Drug Co., established in 1894. Proximity to the courthouse also makes the district ideal for county offices and law practices. Ellison says many downtown buildings have undergone significant renovations, including a recently opened office complex that once housed his western wear store. “Every building downtown is occupied now, whereas 15 years ago there were several vacant spots,” he says of the town’s rapid progress. While history runs deep in this district, Franklin’s ties to the past extend far beyond the quaint shops and covered sidewalks of downtown. In Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, a Texas Historic Landmark marks the grave of Gen. Walter Washington Williams, thought to have been the last surviving soldier of the Civil War. In the Franklin Cemetery, established in 1880, visitors can pay tribute to six more Civil War veterans and two from the Spanish American War. It also is the final resting place of “Cattle Call” songwriter Tex Owens and several members of his musical family. Another familiar site to generations of Texans is the Carnegie Library. Built in 1913, the historic landmark is one of four Carnegie libraries in Texas still used for its original purpose. Today, the community is pulling together to restore the library to its original condition. Located along Highway 79, the scenic Greenbelt provides another reminder of Franklin residents paying it forward. This landscaped area now includes an impressive display of trees, flowers and more than 100 rose bushes.
The Robertson County Courthouse, which was built in 1882, is one of Franklin’s most recognizable structures. www.franklintexas.com
TODD BENNETT
Fr anklin, Te x a s
A New Degree of Learning FISD EXPANDS ITS FACILITIES TO ACCOMMODATE GROWTH
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s families discover new reasons to call the Franklin area home, the Franklin Independent School District is finding new and innovative ways to meet the educational needs of the next generation of Texans. The district, which has averaged an 8 percent increase in enrollment over the past five years, now welcomes approximately 1,000 students, says superintendent Bret Lowry. In an effort to accommodate the steadily growing student population, schools at FISD are undergoing a major transformation, including the addition of a new high school. “The existing high school campus was not built to accommodate the growth Franklin has experienced in regards to the core facilities,” Lowry says of the previous Franklin High School campus. Franklin’s new high school more than doubles the capacity of its predecessor and provides ample space for the district’s 300 high school students to thrive.
Core facilities, including the gym, auditorium, cafeteria, library and administrative area, will now be able to accommodate 600 students, while instructional wings can now hold 450 students with expansion capabilities. The school includes an auditorium, a science lab wing, art facilities, distancelearning lab and technology upgrades. Lowry says the additional space also will enable the school to offer more fine arts and vocational pro grams. Nearby, Lion fans will be able to gather on Friday nights at the district’s new football stadium. “We are trying to stay ahead of the growth by offering upgraded facilities and programs,” Lowry says. “Providing additional staff and educational resources is a priority.” The district’s upperclassmen aren’t the only students navigating new hallways this year. Elementary students recently made the move to the former Franklin Middle
School campus, which was expanded and renovated. Middle school students will move to the former high school, which will undergo a complete renovation. The old elementary school will house support positions and special district programs, including a staff development lab for the district’s 170 teachers. “The buildings are undergoing complete renovations to bring existing facilities up to current standards and to provide an excellent education in today’s world,” Lowry says. The schools’ technology, libraries, fine arts and co-curricular spaces were also upgraded. FISD’s commitment to providing students with quality education is evident by more than spick-and-span hallways and tech-savvy classrooms. “Learning is No. 1 at FISD,” Lowry says. “We try to improve instruction for all levels of kids each day. This is not an overnight accomplishment but is our priority, and we are always looking for ways to improve.”
Franklin’s new high school provides ample space for the district’s 300 high school students to thrive. Special Advertising Section
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A True Community Center FACILITY BECOMES GATHERING PLACE FOR FRANKLIN AREA
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emories are made every day at Franklin’s Pridgeon Community Center. Since opening in 2000, the 12,500-square-foot facility has hosted countless family reunions, wedding receptions, corporate events, trade shows and community gatherings. “Everyone who walks in wants to know how we have a large, beautiful facility like this,” says Peggy Baxter, business manager for the Franklin Chamber of Commerce. The center’s spacious main hall seats 800, while three smaller meeting rooms seat 12 to 48 guests each. Outside, a covered patio provides a comfortable place to gather and enjoy Franklin’s warm climate. While the center is a popular site for private and corporate events, it also provides the perfect spot for public gatherings, including Santa’s annual Christmas party. Every December, Franklin families gather for great food, entertainment and a much anticipated truck raffle, the annual fundraiser of the chamber of commerce. The story of the Pridgeon Community Center began in 1998, when the Franklin Chamber of Commerce was gifted the entire estate of late Franklin residents Lewis and Nayrue Pridgeon. Following their retirement, the Pridgeons relocated from Houston to Franklin, where they became active and much-
loved members of the community. Lewis also was instrumental in incorporating the Franklin Chamber of Commerce, says local attorney Ken Robison. Following months of public meetings, planning and construction, the Pridgeon Community Center opened on Cooks Lane in 2000, surpassing all expectations. Today, the popular center is booked constantly, thanks to affordable rental fees that are a fraction of those charged by other facilities. Maintenance and rental services are managed by the Franklin Chamber of Commerce, which also is housed there at the request of the Pridgeons. “We could never have done it without them,” Baxter says of the generous couple, who won’t soon be forgotten by the city’s grateful residents. Some of the Pridgeons’ personal belongings and antiques are displayed in the Pridgeon Room and the chamber office. Outside, the center’s obelisk and flower garden were erected as a memorial to Nayrue, who was an active member of the Franklin Garden Club. “The Pridgeon Community Center has been a godsend because we now have a place to hold celebrations and special events,” Robison says. “It fulfills their intentions of having a place for the community to gather, and I think they’d be very pleased.”
A Great Place To Raise a Family FRANKLIN OFFERS A VARIETY OF KID-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES
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The Little Diggers volleyball league is for girls in elementary school.
ports are an especially popular pastime in Texas, and Franklin is no exception. Each year, Franklin’s baseball and softball leagues welcome more than 200 boys and girls. Another favorite activity is basketball. More than 160 boys and girls play in the Little Dribblers’ Basketball league. Franklin’s soccer association and Pee Wee football program also provide fun for kids. The Little Diggers program helps girls in elementary school develop volleyball skills and has more than 120 girls participating. Franklin also offers art classes, piano and dance l essons, as well as Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts. For older kids, activities such
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as football, basketball, volleyball, track, cross country, tennis, oneact plays and band concerts keep kids busy. Off the field, many kids take advantage of the learning opportunities offered by 4-H, sponsored by the Robertson County Extension Office. “4-H gives kids a sense of responsibility and a chance to interface with adults and gain experience and knowledge,” says Steve Cox, president of the Robertson County Fair Association. And each year, the county’s 4-H and FFA clubs participate in the highly anticipated county fair by showing and selling animals and preparing projects for the fair’s many exhibits.
Fr anklin, Te x a s
A Literary Link BOOKS BRIDGE THE CITY’S PAST AND FUTURE
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n Franklin, the Carnegie Library is as synonymous with local history as the Carnegie name is with education. Built in 1913 with a grant of $7,500, the library is one of four Carnegie Libraries in Texas still used for its original purpose, although it has served many roles over the past century. “Franklin doesn’t have many buildings untouched from the town’s early railroad period, so the library is really our one tie with the past,” says Maureen Winn, board member of the Friends of the Carnegie Library of Robertson County and member of the county’s historical commission. In an effort to preserve the library as a vital link between Franklin’s past and future, the community has come together to help transform the historic site yet again – this time as a modern educational facility to be utilized by generations to come. “We’ve had tremendous support from the community and the city of Franklin,” says Mary Cole, president of the Friends of the Carnegie Library of Robertson County. She says membership drives
and the library’s annual art show have allowed the community to help raise funds for the historic library. Today, more than $200,000 has been raised to finance the library’s new roof, approved by the Texas Historical Commission, and a renovated, flood-resistant exterior. The building’s two-story interior renovation will cost an additional $150,000 and includes a full-time librarian, new computer equipment and children’s programming. The library’s lower level will soon be transformed into the Franklin/Robertson County museum, with exhibits, photographs and genealogy resources.
Franklin’s Carnegie Library was built in 1913.
Hooping It Up in Franklin LITTLE DRIBBLERS’ BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT BOUNCES INTO TOWN
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he squeaking of tennis shoes and the steady thump of a basketball on a polished gym floor are familiar sounds in Franklin. That’s because more than 160 boys and girls ages 9-14 participate in the Little Dribblers’ Basketball league each year. In 2008, the entire community
will be a part of the hoops action when Franklin hosts 96 championship boys’ and girls’ teams in the Little Dribblers’ annual Continental National Tournament. “The tournament is a huge economic boost for our community and nearby towns,” says Jerry Paceley, tournament director and president of Franklin’s Little Dribblers’ league. He expects the games to bring an estimated 2,500 players, family members and friends from across the United States to Robertson County. The April 9-13, 2008, doubleelimination tournament will take place in Franklin’s three gyms, as well as gyms in neighboring towns. Paceley, who applied to host the tournament two years ago, says Franklin is an ideal
place for such an event. “People here support youth organizations, whether it’s high school sports or Little League,” he says. That community spirit is especially evident at the Dribblers’ five-day tournament, where volunteers operate everything from the scoreboard to the concession and souvenir stands. The town is no stranger to the championship tournament – three of Franklin’s Little Dribblers’ leagues participated and placed in the 2007 nationals. “A lot of kids here have played at that level at one time or another, so they know what the national tournament is and they get excited,” Paceley says. “We know that this community will make this tournament a success.”
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