Greater Waco Business Magazine - Winter 2020

WINTER 2020

A GREATER WACO CHAMBER PUBLICATION

WACOCHAMBER.COM

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FROM THE PRESIDENT

2020 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN

VICE CHAIR

Capstone Mechanical

Lalani Lodging, Inc.

CHAIR-ELECT

PAST CHAIR

Pattillo Brown & Hill, LLP

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management

VICE CHAIR

PRESIDENT & CEO

Insurors of Texas

Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce

Rick Tullis

Jennifer Manning

George Chase

CHAMBER STAFF

Jessica Attas Jennifer Branch Kris Collins Gabriella Colurciello Leigh Davis Nancy Gupton Keith Kusler

EDITOR

Leigh Davis

Kary Lalani

Loren Schwartz

Matt Meadors

Rachel Martinez Debbie McCutchen Matt Meadors Seth Morris Jason Powers Lexy Reil Michelle Williams

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Gabriella Colurciello

ART DIRECTOR Keith Kusler

For advertising, contact Gabriella Colurciello (254) 757-5618 • gcolurciello@wacochamber.com

ON THE COVER Greater Waco’s location is ideal for a thriving supply chain and logistics industry. This issue gives an overview of the importance of the industry to our community and beyond as well as highlights some of the businesses in the industry.

Imagine for a moment you are part of a team tasked with finding the perfect location in Texas to locate a state-of-theart manufacturing or distribution facility. Your team has a checklist that reads as follows: • Access to available, reliable, and skilled workers; • An education system that helps create capable people and will allow you to continually upskill your workforce; • A proven location of choice for advanced manufacturers; • A proven location of choice for advanced distribution facilities; • A location that is close to the major metros; • Access to an excellent transportation infrastructure; • A community with shovel-ready sites; • A community that enjoys an abundance of water; • An affinity community – a cool place that people want to call home; • An affordable community; • A community that works in a collaborative manner and is business friendly.

A team member hands you this edition of Greater Waco Business magazine.

Search over.

Admittedly this may be a bit of an oversimplification, but it really does illustrate the strong position Greater Waco enjoys in the hyper-competitive world of economy building. Just as there is a reason why Waco is a center for advanced manufacturing, there is also a reason why Waco is home to many excellent distribution facilities. Many of these facilities are highlighted in the “Waco’s Supply Chain Network” section in this magazine. Others continue to choose us.

As indicated in our “Market Report” section, Amazon recently selected Waco for a new robotic fulfillment center slated to come on-line in the fall of 2021. If your company is looking for that perfect location, Waco is the place for you.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my warmest thanks to Chamber Board Chairman Rick Tullis of Capstone Mechanical for his leadership of the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce over the past year. We started 2020 with a roaring economy and an eye on continuing to grow our economy and organization. Little did we know at the time what 2020 had in store for us.

The coming impacts of the pandemic started to become clear in March, and soon we found ourselves in crisis management mode for our organization, as well as our community. Rick – as well as the balance of the Chamber’s Executive Committee – never flinched. We pressed forward during very difficult times, determined to work tirelessly on behalf of our investors and community. I am immensely proud of Rick, our Executive Committee, the Chamber’s Board of Directors, our professional team, and the Waco community. We stood together and stood strong. We showed the world the Waco way.

Thank you for your continued support of your Chamber of Commerce.

Greater Waco Business is published and distributed to Chamber members and economic development prospects. Digital copies are available online at WacoChamber.com.

With appreciation,

This publication is printed on FSC-certified paper. © 2020 Greater Waco Chamber 101 S. Third St. Waco TX 76701 • (254) 757-5600 The Greater Waco Chamber reserves the right to reject editorial or advertising content in the Greater Waco Business publication, and via the organization’s full range of communications | WINTER 2020platforms, at its sole discretion.

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Matthew T. Meadors President & CEO

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CONTENTS

WINTER 2020

SUPPLY CHAIN AND LOGISTICS EDITION 8 ABOUT SUPPLY CHAINS & LOGISTICS

10

GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS ARE EVERYWHERE, INCLUDING WACO, TEXAS

18

26

WACO’S SUPPLY CHAIN NETWORK

30

SUPPLY CHAIN AND LOGISTICS TRAINING IN CENTRAL TEXAS

33

WACO UNDER 40

42

LEGAL MINUTE: LEGAL TIPS FOR MANAGING YOUR BUSINESS’S ONLINE PRESENCE

46

PUBLIC POLICY: YOUR CHAMBER’S POLICY PRIORITIES FOR THE 87TH SESSION

48

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MARKET REPORT

TEJAS: TRIED AND TRUE

22 A LOOK AT AN INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEM TO SUPPORT GROWTH AND RECOVERY 6 | WINTER 2020

ON THE MARKET ECONOMY IN FOCUS

54

CHAMBER NEWS

58

MEMBER NEWS

64

RIBBON CUTTINGS

66

NEW MEMBERS

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ABOUT

SUPPLY CHAIN AND LOGISTICS T

he movement of products from the manufacturer to the store is a process that can easily be taken for granted by the consumer. But for the logistics and trade industry, warehousing and transporting goods is about being cost-effective and time-efficient. An effective supply chain network is critical to profitability for businesses across all sectors because just-in-time inventory strategies are now commonplace among most national retailers, manufacturers and service providers.

Location and the workforce are vital to keeping products flowing smoothly through the system, and that is Waco’s strategic advantage.

Waco’s central location, within two-days’

8 | WINTER 2020

travel of most of the United States and in the center of Texas’ largest metropolitan areas, is ideal for growing this sector.

Greater Waco’s central location in Texas, the United States and North America offers companies an advantage in getting products to and from markets in a timely manner.

Proximity to Interstate 35, rail and airports have given Waco a competitive edge. Ongoing economic development efforts continue to recruit distribution centers to the Texas Central Industrial Park and other areas. Interstate 35 is a key link in the national transportation network of highways. Greater Waco is also connected by two Class 1 railroads (Union Pacific and BNSF) and three airports.

INFRASTRUCTURE 30

Fort Worth

Dallas

20

Waco 35

6

Austin San Antonio

45

Houston 10

WACO

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by

Tim Feemster CEO & Managing Principal Foremost Quality Logistics Honored as a Top 500 CEOs in Dallas, 2019 & 2020,

by D CEO Magazine

You may wonder why there is an article about global supply chains in this quarterly magazine from the Greater Waco Chamber. After the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone knows the words logistics and supply chain as they have been very widely discussed in the press over the past six months, mostly because the supply chains for personal protective equipment (PPE), toilet paper, sanitizers, etc. have been broken by the pandemic and impacted every person reading this article. Your Greater Waco Chamber recognizes the importance of understanding global supply chains to the future growth of Waco. Almost every manufacturing or distribution firm that opens or expands an existing site in this area will likely be connected to a global supply chain.

Every item you purchase in a store or online has a supply chain attached to it and most of them have a global element.

Currently, the Greater Waco region has manufacturing facilities in the following industries: aerospace, food and beverage, health care, auto parts, meat processing, construction materials, construction equipment, packaging materials, HVAC, steel, recycling, lawn and garden, furniture, electric motors, chemical storage devices, and housing materials. Around 12,000 people

10 | WINTER 2020

are employed in the 51 largest manufacturing sites, depending on the season. It is highly likely that you know someone who works at one of these companies or that you purchase products produced by these companies.

Most of the non-manufacturing distribution sites in the area are food & beverage, retail, industrial supplies, and ecommerce. More than 4,000 people are employed in the 24 largest commercial distribution locations. Again, you may purchase products handled by these companies for use in your home or the business where you work. The bottom line is that consumers “participate” in the global supply chain as endusers of items that are partially or totally produced or grown overseas and imported from another country. One interesting factoid is that all food purchased in the grocery store, and many nonfood items you buy, are required to show the country of origin. Next time you unload your bags from a shopping spree, note how many countries are represented in your purchases.

Now for some facts that will explain why we suffered from extensive product shortages during

March, April, May and even some shortages still linger today. Remember that every item has two different supply chains: one designed for consumers and one designed for the food service or hospitality industry. Examples of these items are toilet paper, hand or surface sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, steak, fish, canned soup, etc.

Many times, there is a separate supplier, packager and producer or farmer, who may be under contract with a foodservice supplier, supplying the “raw material” for items that are packaged for schools, restaurants, hotels, country clubs, fast food outlets, etc. These two manufacturing and supply chains produce similar items, but they are packaged on different equipment and in different sized containers.

As an example, toilet paper and Clorox products sold to food service suppliers is manufactured on different equipment than the retail counterparts.

So, when the schools, hotels, restaurants, etc. were shut down and we ran out of toilet paper and Clorox products, the manufacturers idled the food service equipment because it could not produce and package the retail items.

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The same is true for meat, produce, milk, fresh fruit & vegetables. How would you like to buy a 40-pound box of tenderloin steak, chicken breasts, or pork chops at your local grocery store? Many retail stores do not have the proper equipment or the skilled workers available to pack, weigh, and price individual retail packages from a 40-pound box efficiently. Plus, remember that Sysco Foods and other food service suppliers have this inventory, not H-E-B, Kroger, Walmart or other retail grocery stores. During the pandemic, you may have wondered why the food service suppliers were sending product to food banks while retailers were not. Food banks use volunteer labor to break down a giant box of toilet paper into bags and/or small boxes to give to the people in need. Access to this kind of manpower is not something retail operators could do efficiently.

MANUFACTURER INLAND TRANSPORTATION

Additionally, it didn’t make sense because most products designed for use in food service do not have individual barcodes making inventory and checkout a problem.

Given all the above complexity, let’s outline what a global supply chain looks like, who are the players, how it has and is changing, what is driving changes, the look and feel of today’s manufacturing and distribution facilities, what new hurdles have been identified by COVID-19, what this means for the recruitment of new businesses to the Waco area, and what are the main site selection criteria and the drive site selection in manufacturing and distribution facilities.

As you can see from the global supply chain chart shown below, there are many interactions between partners in this chain. For the U.S., this would be a good representation for all import/ export activity to every country in the world except Canada and Mexico. The ocean link showing would be via truck, train, or air from Mexico and Canada to and from the U.S.

OCEAN GOODS TERMINAL

HEAD OFFICE

VENDOR WAREHOUSE/ IMPORT CENTER

ORDER PROCESSING PHYSICAL MOVEMENT TRACK & TRACE

RETAIL DISTRIBUTION CENTER

STORE

12 | WINTER 2020

The supply chain begins when someone orders a product, like masks for healthcare workers. The purchase order is cut, which may have multiple different items from the same source. If there is a U.S. warehouse for the supplier, it arrives at the hospital or clinic in as little as four hours (but it can take up to several days). The supplier periodically replenishes items with a direct shipment from China; it may take up to 110 days to receive the items at the supplier’s facility in the U.S. This continues for years with some ups and downs, based on demand.

In our example, the demand for masks increases during flu season and the supplier takes longer to deliver the masks but offers the healthcare facilities the option for airfreight shipping from the international source. The consumer, the hospital administrator in our example, then makes the decision to incur these additional costs. In theory, this only happens occasionally because demand for masks is fairly predictable based on the level of staffing and patients served daily.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, consumption of goods increased dramatically. The consumption of masks in the Waco area went from a few per healthcare worker per shift to 100 due to new regulations requiring a mask change between each patient with whom a healthcare worker interacted and the demand outstripped available inventory at hospitals in days, not weeks, and their suppliers’ facilities as well. Now the hospital staff is consuming 10,000 masks a day for 100 workers versus the 300 prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. Next, a hospital supplier reorders from the factory in China. However, there is no inventory because the pandemic in China has utilized all the masks there and the plant has been closed by government order or by the lack of healthy workers to keep it running.

Every time a container hits the port of Los Angeles or Long Beach carrying masks made two months ago, it is immediately dispatched on a team truck to the supplier warehouse, Dallas-Fort Worth for example, and arrives in between three and four days. The inventory is not enough to fulfill the giant orders suddenly pouring in. This example illustrates the breakdown caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

You now know how supply chains do and don’t work from time to time. Let us approach the opportunities and reasons for the Greater Waco area to be successful in growing and attracting manufacturing and distribution companies.

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OUTBOUND VIEW

20

20 35

6

45

10

TRANSIT DAYS 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY

10

35 37

SOURCE DATE: 9/1/20

First, Waco’s location is a big key to success.

Several elements of great supply chains exist in the Waco area, including a great highway system linking Mexico to Waco and the DFW metroplex and beyond: North and South via I-35 & I-45 and East and West via I-10, I-20, & I-30. The highways allow imports from Mexico of anything destined for delivery to a manufacturing or distribution facility in Waco. The same applies to imports coming from the Houston seaport from around the world.

PERCENTAGE OF LOGISTICS COST

Second, Waco is situated between the major metros of Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth and more. These are mega populations that have driven the explosion that has happened with e-commerce over the last few years and especially through the pandemic. There is no doubt that this trend will continue well into the future as retailers focus on expanding their e-commerce capabilities, since population drives e-commerce deliveries.

Last year, almost 58 percent of total supply chain costs were transportation related. Having a lower cost of transportation to deliver e-commerce goods this way gives the facility an advantage of a single facility in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, or Austin to cover this single day parcel delivery zone via UPS. The explosion of e-commerce has driven major increases in industrial real estate development over the last 10 years. While the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the U.S. economy at the start of the second quarter 2020, the demand for industrial space managed to increase throughout this unique time.

CSCMP STATE OF LOGISTICS REPORT 2019 I COST SUMMARY 60.00%

57.5 %

50.00% 40.00%

24.7 %

30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 0.00%

14 | WINTER 2020

Waco’s location in the middle of these population nodes means that small package deliveries of e-commerce shipments in the cheapest cost category of ground delivery can deliver next-day to all of these mega population centers and more (over 23 million in population estimated in 2019) from Waco, Texas as exhibited in the outbound view map.

TRANSPORTATION

INVENTORY EST.

7.2 %

4.3%

6.3 %

WAREHOUSE LABOR EST.

WAREHOUSE NON LABOR EST.

ADMINISTRATION

The accelerated growth of industrial industries in the U.S. maintained momentum throughout the pandemic, as industrial product, and big-box space in particular, remained in high demand. Vacancy, transaction volume and product under construction remained relatively flat across the country, while asking rents and net occupancy surged in the first half of 2020, according to the latest data from Colliers International.

The pandemic induced growing reliance on e-commerce retailers for basic goods, fueled demand for industrial big-box product as supply chains continued to be right-sized, shifted away from “lean” inventory strategies that proved sound in the past. As evidence of the need for warehouse and distribution space, despite the global pandemic slowdown, net occupancy gains for bulk industrial space totaled nearly 79.8 million square feet at mid-year, up 51 percent over the 52.8 million square feet transacted at mid-year 2019. A total of 96.5 million square feet of new supply was added to the market, and an additional 170.7 million square feet of big-box space remains under construction.

Third, Waco is blessed with multiple target industries in the manufacturing and distribution space that rely on good supply chains to make them efficient and are expected to continue to grow in the future. These target industries are aerospace and defense, advanced manufacturing, supply chain management, and healthcare.

Now, the challenge will be to recruit both new firms in this space, as well as existing suppliers of the manufacturing operations already there.

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that avoiding disruptions are critical for a business to not suffer service interruptions. Shutting down a production line in a manufacturing operation for lack of parts is risky. It has happened all over the U.S. during this pandemic though, as we explained before and it was not the fault of the purchasing agent. Supplier manufacturing operations in Asia, China, Mexico, Canada, and Europe have shut down from time to time and consequently ceased shipping parts to the U.S. for use at local manufacturing sites. In many cases, these parts were sole-sourced and, once the U.S. manufacturer ran out of parts inventory, they could not start or complete production of an item.

Since the pandemic has run so long globally and

BUILDING INVENTORY 200,000 - 499,999 SF

3,962

257

FULLY VACANT

BIG-BOX BUILDINGS

63

FULLY VACANT

BIG-BOX BUILDINGS

45

FULLY VACANT

BIG-BOX BUILDINGS

500,000 - 749,999 SF

922 > 750,000 SF

801

is now threatening to start a “second wave,” many manufacturing operations in the U.S. have suffered slowdowns or shutdowns causing layoffs of workers.

Fourth, Waco is blessed with large tracts of industrial sites already serviced by utilities and roads that can be built on quickly. The Greater Waco Chamber economic development team assists the local commercial real estate community by keeping an ongoing database (WacoProspector.com) of available buildings and sites and marketing the properties.

The team leads the asset development and management of the Waco Industrial Foundation’s 1,800-acre portfolio at the Texas Central Park and the Waco International Aviation Park at Texas State Technical College Airport.

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Fifth, Waco has adequate funding for incentives.

These incentives are seldom cash grants; typically, they are structured to be a deferment of taxes that are not being currently collected. For example, think of the conversion of a farmer’s property being taxed as agricultural land versus an industrial/ manufacturing facility being taxed as an improved industrial property with the added value of the building as well. In most cases, the workers come from local household/communities and do not put additional burdens on schools, roads, or traffic.

Even if they do move to the community, they will now be paying taxes on a home or through rent in an apartment. This benefits the community long-term because only growing communities will survive in the long-term. If a community’s population declines, the wealth in the community declines and the slow downward spiral of the community starts.

Also, grants for skills training allow workers to “move up the scale” and get better paying jobs that reward their newly acquired skills. Think of fast food, restaurant or hospitality workers being able to move up to distribution center workers, warehouse workers being hired as supervisors in the new company, or even current supervisory personnel becoming managerial staff. This upward mobility is all because the local economic development group teamed up with and funded a local educational system to offer skills training for new hires. This becomes a progression of new skills and even raises the wealth of the community, multiple workers at a time. With better paying jobs and more skills, the community is more attractive to company expansion and/or new companies that see this community partnership in place with specific examples of successes. Also, increased income usually means consumers buy more and local establishments gain in revenue and tax receipts.

Sixth, you might ask about reshoring existing

manufacturing from other countries rather than having factories and distribution centers move from another state or expand here. Again, you must understand the entire supply chain to pull this off.

Reshoring is a daunting task. As an example, let us examine electronics, like 5G wireless equipment, cell phones, TVs, laptops, etc. First, we must find

16 | WINTER 2020

somewhere to source the availability of raw materials (rare earth minerals) since most are not mined in the U.S. at this time. Second, the semiconductor and other component production as well as the raw material flows have moved to Asia. Without these three items, base raw materials, semiconductors and component parts, no cell phones, 5G equipment, TVs, etc. can be made in the U.S. without a global supply chain. Take the mining of heavy metals, a company, community and state will have to approve a site to mine and make the parts that use heavy metals, rare earth minerals. Mining heavy metals is a challenge because it requires power and water for manufacturing and cleaning the parts, disposing of wastewater, can cause air quality issues, etc. and does not require hiring very many people since automation will do most of the work.

Additionally, building a facility is an exceptionally large investment, costing billions of dollars. In contrast, China is a world leader in the production of electronic components and finished goods and can capture a greater global share of revenue before the factory is built.

The same is true in the apparel business. Fabric production has moved to Asia, Mexico, and South American countries. The U.S. is no longer the largest cotton producer in the world. India is first, the U.S. is in second place and China is a close third.

The U.S. could utilize the cotton grown here to make fabric, but that would require companies to build factories that are highly automated, cost a lot of money, and do not employ anywhere near the number of workers that our old fabric production facilities employed.

Overall, the more the community, the local economic development organization, the city workers, elected officials and the public understand how global and domestic supply chains work in support of local businesses, the better they will understand and support the addition of new companies to the area and the expansion requirements of the existing businesses in the community. Wacoans are fortunate that

Waco has a wonderful quality of life, good schools, plenty of shopping options, access to higher education, excellent interstate infrastructure, good weather, and a professional economic development organization that works hard every day to assist local companies with their needs and recruit nationally and globally to attract companies to the Greater Waco area. They have been successful in the past and given the continuing momentum of companies interested in moving to Texas in general, Waco should have a bright future for industrial facility and jobs expansion.

Seventh, the top players in the logistics space are identified in chart shown here. They are a mix of global and U.S. based companies.

The overall list is in the thousands but here are the top firms according to Transport Topics a leading supply chain trade magazine.

RANK 2020 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

RANK 2019 1 2 3 4 6 7 5 8 10 12 13 14 21 17 11 15 20 16 18 19

COMPANY

NET REVENUE

XPO LOGISTICS UPS SUPPLY CHAIN SOLUTIONS DHL SUPLY CHAIN J.B. HUNT TRANSPORT SERVICES RYDER SUPPLY CHAIN SOLUTIONS EXPEDITITORS INTERNATIONAL OF WASHINGTON C.H. ROBINSON WORLDWIDE PENSKE LOGISTICS NFI KUEHNE + NAGEL AMERICAS INGRAM MICRO COMMERCE & LIFECYCLE SERVICES GEODIS LINEAGE LOGISTICS AMERICOLD LOGISTICS FEDEX LOGISTICS CEVA LOGISTICS WERNER LOGISTICS SCHNEIDER RADIAL SYNCREON HOLDINGS

$6,157 EST $4,690 EST $4,315 EST $3,410 EST $2,853 $2,636 $2,586 $2,040 EST $1,830 $1,798 $1,630 $1,510 $1,440 EST $1,407 $1,185 $1,155 $1,112 $1,085 EST $1,082 EST $1,080 EST

Source: Transport Topics

Lastly, I’d like to request that next time you see a trucker tell them “thank you.” Without them, we would not have survived the past six months. Their ability to keep delivering critical PPE equipment, food, medicine, clothing, gasoline, e-commerce products and more has allowed us to have no panic around surviving. They, along with millions of our medical and grocery store workers, are an amazing frontline of essential workers putting their lives on the line every day moving freight and saving lives. Together, they are a critical part of our economic and pandemic survival and recovery. n

Over 40 years of experience has provided Tim Feemster, CEO & Managing Principal of Foremost Quality Logistics, with a variety of hands-on problem-solving situations in logistics, distribution, economic development, real estate, transportation, and marketing.

Tim is quoted frequently on economic development, supply chain, real estate and makes many keynote and expert panel presentations a year to professional organizations.

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by Leigh Davis, Director of Marketing and Communications, Greater Waco Chamber

T

ejas Logistics System is a full-service, third-party logistics company headquartered in Waco, Texas offering approximately one million square feet of space across its three Texas locations in Waco, Hillsboro and Waxahachie for storing products including, construction materials, lumber, paper and pharmaceuticals. The company attributes its success to listening to customer requests and responding to customer needs.

In October, I visited with Tom Greene, President, and Matt Reynolds, Vice President, from Tejas Logistics to gain their insight into the local logistics and supply chain industry, and to discuss the company’s history, as well as its current business condition. Sitting strategically distanced in Tom’s office, Greene and Reynolds painted the picture of a company with deep roots in Waco and a fervent commitment to its employees and customers.

18 | WINTER 2020

Tejas Logistics is a part of Waco’s rich history, opening as a cotton compress and commercial and agricultural warehouse in 1902 under the name Exporters & Traders Compress & Warehouse Co. in its current location on Pleasant Street. “In the early 1900s, cotton compresses were located in the downtown areas of towns, in close proximity to their rail systems. Waco was unique because we had four rails coming into this location, outside of the downtown area,” stated Greene. The Waco location progressed into primarily warehouse space under the name Tejas Warehouse in the 80s touting 562,000 square feet to offer customers for storage, while the Hillsboro location of the company continued pressing cotton into the 90s. “A lot of people had not seen a bale of cotton in their life, much less pressed,” said Greene. He reverently noted the cultural aspect of the pressing process, specifically the songs sung, which, Greene added, created a “unique rhythm” to the process and aided in its success.

Commitment to the Industry & Evolution of the Company In 1980, Tom Greene came to Waco for a part-time, summer job and never left. “I’ve been in warehousing my entire life. I studied at Texas State Technical Institute (now known as TSTC) for it. I came for a part-time job, which became full-time, and then part-time again 40 years later, due to the pandemic,” stated Greene. Citing the city’s location as “the best place to be for a Texas product“ with close vicinity to Austin, Dallas, and Houston, he also remarked on the Greater Waco area’s changes over the last 40 years, “When I got here, this area was unrecognizable to what it looks like today. Waco has seen incredible growth over the last several years.”

The company also experienced growth and evolved to its current iteration in 1993 as a third-party logistics provider under the name Tejas Logistics and exemplified its commitment to its employees by becoming an employeeowned company, providing its employees a solid stake in its future. Concerning the expansion of the company’s scope of business, Greene noted, “People get warehousing and logistics confused. Logistics will store, repack, and unload a product. We do everything and anything that needs to be done, including trucking and shipping. We are a one-stop shop.”

Although they explained that their customer base is confidential, Greene and Reynolds did note that it has comprised dignitaries and federal agencies, in addition to local and global clients. “We don’t share the names of our customers; however, we’ve had major ones from right here in Waco and from around the world. We store anything and everything and have stored some very interesting things in the warehouse,” Greene said, but understandably would not elaborate on the curious items. Greene remarked on his tenure working in logistics and warehousing, “I’ve seen the industry change from pencil and paper to all computerized.

It used to be important to have a weak mind and strong back. Now, you need a strong mind and weak back.”

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The Effects of the Pandemic According to Greene and Reynolds, their day-to-day business practices did not change due to the pandemic since they were identified as an essential business, rather

to restock their inventory. They are finding out it is hard because they’ve sold down to the bare walls and they are struggling to produce enough to keep up with their sales and add back to storage so they have merchandise available at all times. We are actually seeing quite a bit of this in quite a few of our customers.”

Forecasting the Future and Current Trends

they adjusted their approach to conducting business.

Greene commented on their implementation of a socialdistancing plan in response to the virus, “We took that 562,000 square feet at our Waco location, and spread out our people to combat the virus, which, knock on wood, we’ve had no cases here.” Greene added, “As far as our customer base, we saw a lot of changes. Corporate offices from up north cut back and we saw less movement of goods coming in. We actually lost a few customers, due to the pandemic. Now, some of the companies are trying 20 | WINTER 2020

On the future of Tejas Logistics, I asked Tom and Matt if it was possible to forecast the next six months to five years and Tom candidly responded, “With our nation right now, you cannot go five years out. I am thinking 12 to 18 months is as far as you can go. I am seeing that being in a political year with the vote for a new president and the pandemic we thought was getting better, we’ve actually had quite a few new people approach us and got new customers, whereas, it is usually right after the first of the year following a presidential election.

I think it is starting earlier than ever before that people are getting back out and doing stuff. We are hearing from small companies to major corporations that are asking for quotes and bids.”

Reynolds elaborated stating, “A few of our customers out here see the things that could happen if there was a political change, so they are ordering heavy from certain countries throughout the world and are stocking up on that stuff just in case tariffs or other things start going south and they wouldn’t get the supply of that product

in as quickly as they normally would. The tariffs from China put a whammy on our customers” Greene added, “Everything affects the supply chain. A lot of customers do commodity buys.

When the commodity buy drops in value, customers buy a product and get it shipped over here and then sit on it until the price goes up. We see it weekly over here.

And, if longshore men go on strike, you cannot get your products in at all.”

Industry Predictors I touched on industry predictors and Greene responded that they are not getting into a lot of secrets.

However, he did share that he has several contacts from different industry associations and that Matt is beginning to get into that part of the business. Greene stated, “We talk about what is moving and what isn’t moving. The market is going up in this and going down in that. The cardboard industry is a good example. The economy is bad if cardboard isn’t in demand.”

The Next Chapter of Tejas Logistics System As we concluded the interview, Tom Greene mused that people probably wonder when he is retiring and said that he plans to stay around for a while. “Waco is a beautiful town and has a lot going for it. I think the zoo is a hidden gem,” he said. We reminisced about former businesses in the community and Greene again lauded the economic growth that he has witnessed over the past 40 years. As he looked over at Matt Reynolds, the future president of Tejas Logistics, he said, “I think Waco has a great future in front of it. We’ve got a lot of young people coming up that will make us proud, just like the ones in the past.” n

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A LOOK AT AN

Infrastructure System TO SUPPORT Growth and Recovery

by Jessica Attas, Vice President Public Policy, Greater Waco Chamber

A

strong supply chain comprises many components, and strong trade agreements, and a robust infrastructure system to facilitate logistics and keep goods and services moving, are key among them. Texas leads the nation with infrastructure, one of just many factors that makes Texas such an attractive location for business. With 313,200 miles of public roads, and 10,506 miles of rail, Texas has more miles, in either modality, than any other state in the nation. These and other of our state’s infrastructure assets are highlighted in the accompanying infographic from the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism. With such a comprehensive system across the state, it is worth noting that almost 20 percent of the lane miles in the Texas interstate system are contained in I-35. Waco sits comfortably in the middle of it all.

I-35 has been identified as a corridor of national significance by the U.S. Department of Transportation, and indeed, it has local, state, national, and international significance as the key trade corridor for both passengers and freight, connecting all three North American countries, border to border. In fact, I-35 carries a greater percentage of trade between USMCA partners

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than any other U.S. Interstate Highway.

The significance of this corridor will only continue to grow in importance.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) notes in its “I-35 Statewide Corridor Plan: A Path to 2040” that population and employment along I-35 are projected to increase 82 percent and 77percent respectively by 2040.

Trade is similarly projected to continue to increase and will be an important part of our economic recovery. According to TxDOT, in 2017, the U.S. traded $3.9 trillion, and Texas’ trade represented almost 14 percent of that, at $527 billion. In 2017, three times more trucks entered the U.S. at Texas ports of entry than California ports. Fifteen times more loaded rail containers were processed in Texas than Arizona.

Texas airports processed 10 billion pounds of weight and Texas marine ports processed 537 million short tons of cargo. Half of Texas’ manufacturing exports, produced by one of the 4,419 Texas manufacturing companies, 79 percent of which are small and medium sized businesses, are purchased by Canada and Mexico, according to the National Association

of Manufacturers. Texas leads the nation in export value, exporting $264 billion in 2017.

Trade is important for jobs, as well.

Trade with Canada and Mexico alone supports nearly 14 million American jobs, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The October 2020 Business Roundtable report, “Trade and American Jobs, The Impact of Trade on U.S. and State-Level Employment: 2020 Update,” notes that one in every five U.S. jobs was linked to trade. Prior to NAFTA (now the USMCA), the same research group found that just one in 10 U.S. jobs was supported by trade. The increase in trade made possible in part by such trade agreements has led to the concomitant growth in jobs to support the trade growth. Indeed, the report indicates that trade-dependent U.S. jobs grew four times as fast as U.S. jobs generally over the last two decades.

Tariff-free trade, ensured by strong trade agreements and facilitated by Texas’ multimodal transportation system, is key to maintaining our economic strength, supporting manufacturing and exports, and supporting well-paying jobs in Texas and beyond.

The impact of trade and supply chain distribution to support that is certainly economic, but the effects of disruptions are not only felt in economic terms. A recent headline by the Associated Press read: “Medical supply chains failed, and COVID deaths followed.” It is vitally important that we have strong supply chains and logistics that can adequately and efficiently move materials and goods through a robust infrastructure system to where they are needed most.

There are several policy priorities our elected and appointed officials can embrace to help ensure we have the infrastructure network to support a strong supply chain and logistics. The TxDOT Freight Advisory Committee, together with the Texas Freight Mobility Plan, outline several of those policy recommendations.

They note: Texas must focus on rural connectivity, addressing freight transportation critical to rural areas, with a special focus on transporting agricultural

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Photo courtesy of Baylor University

and energy sector equipment and products. In urban areas, the state must address freight movement to support mobility and growth. The state should also invest in international border crossings, specifically with strategies to improve freight mobility. The vision of our state for economic growth and global competitiveness should align with investments in our transportation system. Texas should invest in strategic solutions to ensure we are the leader in North American trade, a top international trade gateway, and a national logistics hub. These are some of the policy priorities suggested by the Freight Advisory Committee as guidance for Texas’ continued investments in our transportation network.

Texas certainly has and continues to invest in infrastructure to support trade, and in Waco, we see those dollars with the expansion of I-35. Of the 1,536 miles of I-35 stretching from Laredo to Minnesota, Waco’s little segment was one of the last in Texas to be expanded. While sometimes bothersome, the

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work is critically important, and is progressing well.

Jake Smith, Waco District Public Information Officer, observed that nearly 50 percent of the allocated dollars have been spent, and the project is on track to be entirely completed in 2023. Stan Swiatek, TxDOT, district engineer observed, “the daily changes travelers see is indicative of the quick progress being made in the I-35 expansion. TxDOT and Webber have formed a strong working relationship that will benefit the Waco community for decades to come.”

The investment in I-35 is an investment to support trade, a strong supply chain, and logistics.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a decrease in trade, resulting in lost American jobs, and slowed economic growth. As Business Roundtable correctly notes in their aforementioned report on trade and jobs, restoring free and easy trade practices, and strengthening the infrastructure system to support trade, can help Americans get back to work and accelerate our economic recovery. n

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WACO’S

SUPPLY CHAIN NETWORK

Greater Waco currently has 31 motor freight and overnight carriers.

More than 2.3 million pounds of freight is transported annually into Waco via air through the Waco Regional and Texas State Technical College Waco airports. Waco is home to more than 20 distribution centers totaling nearly 7 million square feet and more than 3,000 employees at companies such as Caterpillar Logistics, Army and Air Force Exchange Service, Ben E. Keith, Romark Logistics, Sherwin Williams, Tractor Supply and Wal-Mart.

Waco already is home to numerous distribution centers and logistic sites for companies across America.

Tractor Supply Distribution Center

420 Location: 2801 Corporation Pkwy, Waco, TX Website: tractorsupply.com Employees:

Tractor Supply Company, the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the United States, has been passionate about serving its unique niche, as a one-stop shop for recreational farmers, ranchers and all those who enjoy living the rural lifestyle, for more than 80 years.

Tractor Supply offers an extensive mix of products necessary to care for home, land, pets and animals with a focus on product localization, exclusive brands and legendary customer service that addresses the needs of the Out Here lifestyle.

With more than 38,000 Team Members, the Company leverages its physical store assets with digital capabilities to offer customers the convenience of purchasing products they need anytime, anywhere and any way they choose at the everyday low prices they deserve. As of June 2020, Tractor Supply operated 1,881 stores in 49 states.

The Exchange (Army and Air Force Exchange Service) 399 Location: 1801 Exchange Pkwy, Waco, TX Website: aafes.com Employees:

Since 1895, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service has gone where Warfighters and their families go to provide quality, tax-free merchandise and competitive, military-exclusive pricing on the goods and services military communities need—regardless of location, risk or challenge. Exchange earnings provide dividends to military Quality-of-Life programs.

The Exchange delivers Service-specific support and is fully nested with installation commands to ensure alignment with the Army and Air Force missions. A force multiplier for Soldiers, Airmen and military communities, the Exchange improves military readiness, recruiting and retention.

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Wal-Mart Return Center

372 Location: 2301 Corporation Pkwy, Waco, TX Website: walmart.com Employees:

What started small, with a single discount store and the simple idea of selling more for less, has grown over the last 50 years into the largest retailer in the world. Each week, nearly 265 million customers and members visit approximately 11,500 stores under 56 banners in 27 countries and eCommerce websites. With fiscal year 2020 revenue of $524 billion, Walmart employs over 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. It’s all part of their unwavering commitment to creating opportunities and bringing value to customers and communities around the world.

Sherwin-Williams

313 Location: 1300 Aviation Pkwy, Waco, TX Website: sherwin-williams.com Employees:

For more than 150 years, Sherwin-Williams has been an industry leader in the development of technologically advanced paint and coatings. As the nation’s largest specialty retailer of paint and painting supplies, Sherwin-Williams is dedicated to supporting both do-ityourselfers and painting professionals with exceptional and exclusive products, resources to make confident color selections and expert, personalized service at its more than 4,300 neighborhood stores across North America.

Caterpillar Logistics

300 Location: 2901 Gateway Blvd., Waco, TX Website: caterpillar.com Employees:

Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. Services offered throughout the product life cycle, cutting-edge technology and decades of product expertise set Caterpillar apart, providing exceptional value to help their customers succeed. The Waco location specifically provides parts to the dealer network locally and beyond.

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Central Freight Lines

188 Location: 5601 W Waco Dr, Waco, TX Website: centralfreight.com Employees:

Central Freight Lines has sustainability, financial strength and an infrastructure designed to intelligently support the logistical needs of North America’s largest manufacturing, retail and distribution enterprises. Central Freight Lines continues to invest in transportation technology that provides customers with real-time data on their shipments and allows the customer to access customized reports at their convenience. Central Freight now provides coast to coast service in the southern portion of the country with their new 80-terminal network.

Coca-Cola Southwest Beverage

149 Location: 2701 Texas Central Pkwy, Waco, TX Website: cocacolaswb.com Employees:

Dallas-based Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages (CCSWB), a company of Arca Continental, is one of the largest Coca-Cola bottlers in the United States. CCSWB produces, markets and distributes Coca-Cola brands in Texas and parts of New Mexico, Oklahoma and Arkansas. They employ 8,100 associates who operate 7 production plants and 37 sales and distribution facilities, serving more than 31 million consumers. Headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico, Arca Continental is one of the largest Coca-Cola bottlers in the world with an outstanding history spanning more than 91 years.

Ferguson Enterprises Inc. 474

121 Location: 1915 South Main St., McGregor, TX Website: ferguson.com Employees:

Ferguson is the largest distributor of residential and commercial plumbing products, offering water heaters, pumps, pipe, valves, fittings, equipment, faucets, fixtures and accessories. Over 1,300 Ferguson plumbing locations are sure to provide the right products and services for your plumbing project, from plumbing fixtures for a home or commercial pipe valves and fittings. We provide the right residential and commercial plumbing supplies for plumbing contractors, remodelers and more. Ferguson continually strives to stay a plumbing industry leader. However, our expertise goes beyond plumbing. We are a diverse distributor that spans multiple businesses including HVAC/R, waterworks and industrial. In the past 65 years, we’ve grown from a local distributor to a $18.4 billion dollar company with more than 1,400 locations and over 27,000 associates nationwide.

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Haulmark of Texas

100 Location: 600 Texas Central Pkwy, Waco, TX Website: haulmark.com Employees:

Haulmark Trailers, a division of American Cargo Group, is 100 percent committed to building value-driven, top-quality enclosed trailers for specialty applications and for hauling cargo, motorcycles, snowmobiles, ATVs, show and antique cars as well as race cars. Customer driven innovation, smart product designs and a focus on value fuel steady growth. With corporate headquarters in Elkhart, Indiana, they have produced enclosed trailers for more than 40 years.

Do it Best Corp.

91 Location: 801 Hewitt Dr, Waco, TX Website: doitbestonline.com Employees:

Based in Fort Wayne, Ind., Do it Best Corp. is the only U.S.-based, member-owned comprehensive and fully integrated hardware, lumber and building materials buying cooperative in the home improvement industry.

With annual sales nearing $4 billion, Do it Best Corp. serves thousands of member-owned locations across the United States and in more than 50 other countries.

Keurig Dr Pepper

90 Location: 100 Aviation Pkwy, Waco, TX Website: keurigdrpepper.com Employees:

Keurig Dr Pepper is a leading beverage company in North America and the first to bring hot and cold beverages together at scale. Formed in 2018 with the merger of Keurig Green Mountain and Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Keurig Dr Pepper has annual revenue in excess of $11 billion and nearly 26,000 employees. Our wide range of 125+ hot and cold beverages are designed to satisfy virtually any consumer need, any time, while our powerful sales and distribution network enables them to deliver to nearly every point of purchase for consumers. n

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McLennan Community College (MCC) is embracing the logistics industry in McLennan County and surrounding areas by providing skilled talent for Waco’s part of the global supply chain.

MCC’s education experiences come at all levels. Starting with a foundation level Certified Logistics Associate® Certificate students will develop an understanding of the various roles in the global supply chain logistics life cycle. Students will also learn the basics of safety, quality control and relevant computer applications.

The mid-level Certified Logistics Technician® is a nationally portable, industry-led program that prepares individuals for front-line material handling and supply chain logistics jobs in fulfillment centers, warehouses, distribution centers, and factories.

The Supply Chain & Operations, Management program prepares graduates to perform in supervisory roles in operations and services industries. Graduates of this twoyear program earn an Associate of Applied Science degree. The curriculum focuses on improving quality in organizations of all types using the Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma approach. Courses are taught in production, quality assurance, inventory, supply change management (logistics), purchasing, scheduling and safety. The program culminates with a Six Sigma project, which allows students to receive handson, real-world experience. n

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The field of supply chain management (SCM) continues to have career opportunities in purchasing/ procurement, materials management, production & inventory management, demand planning, supply chain & operations planning and fulfillment, logistics management, supply chain analysis, and consulting.

The three required core classes within the SCM major are Distribution Management, Procurement & Materials Management, and Global Supply Chain Management. Other SCM related classes include Project Management and Introduction to Enterprise Systems using SAP. No two global supply chains are the same as different industries will operate their global supply chains in a similar and at the same time in a different way.

Regardless of the industry, Baylor University’s SCM major curriculum is designed to prepare our students as an operations & supply chain management professional.

These past few years, hot topics of interest has extended to Industry 4.0 in global supply chains and the combination of technologies that include the use RFID, the Internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence and machine learning, and blockchain. n

Texas State Technical College (TSTC) in Waco focuses on building a skilled workforce to support the robust growth of Greater Waco. Its career cluster offerings in Transportation, Distribution, & Logistics successfully address the local supply chain industry’s scope of needs. At TSTC in Waco, the Transportation, Distribution, & Logistics career cluster comprises technology programs including, Auto Collision & Management, Automotive, Diesel Equipment, Aircraft Airframe, Aircraft Pilot Training, Aircraft Powerplant, and Avionics Technology and helps ensure that “everyone and everything gets to the right place on time and at the lowest possible cost.” Locally, TSTC has agreements with several high schools which allow students the opportunity to pursue a college degree in a Transportation, Distribution, & Logistics occupation by earning college credit while attending high school. Programs such as dual credit and one and two-year certificate programs guarantee that students become highlyskilled and are ready to work upon graduation. From directing the transport of goods to the maintenance of equipment and vehicles, the TSTC career cluster programs provide training in important components of the supply chain ensuring further advancement of the local industry. n

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Greater Waco is a special place. A community where words like “collaboration,” “working together,” and “helping each other” are far more than words. They define who we are and how we act. We are so proud of our community.

There are heroes among us. Ordinary people working through extraordinary and challenging times for the betterment of all. As we move to reopen our economy, let’s continue to show the world the Waco way.

Take care of each other and support our local businesses and their employees.

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PRESENTING SPONSOR

Waco Under 40 celebrates dynamic young leaders under the age of 40, from McLennan County.

Waco Under 40, with presenting sponsor Bird-Kultgen Ford, is a rare opportunity for the best and brightest from a diverse group of professions to receive much-deserved recognition.

Nominees represent not only the young leaders who demonstrate a tremendous positive impact in their respective industries, but who

also go beyond the call of duty by volunteering their personal time to give back to the community and strive to make Waco a better place to live.

Honorees are selected by the Review and Recommendation committee because they stand out among all those nominated.

We are proud to present 14 individuals who are making great impacts to the Greater Waco community!

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Dr. Kelsey Baas earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from UT Southwestern Medical Center in 2012 and currently owns Compleo Physical Therapy and Wellness, LLC. Kelsey uses her practice to make a difference in the Greater Waco community by offering programs and screenings to support participants. She hopes to lead by example and “show the Greater Waco community that whether you grew up in Waco or moved here as an adult, we are all Wacoans looking to grow together.”

Insurors of Texas is proud to support the 2020 Waco Under 40 Honorees! Thank you for all you do for our community.

Dr. Brooke Blevins holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Texas. She is the Conwell G. Strickland Endowed Chair of Education in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction in the School of Education at Baylor University and has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals.

Baylor University’s faculty, staff, and students would like to congratulate Dr. Brooke Blevins for being selected as a Waco Under 40 Honoree this year due in no small part to her leadership in the classroom, community, and across campus!

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Josh Caballero graduated from Wayland Baptist University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in religious education and is currently the Community Organizer at Grassroots Community Development.

In this role, Josh works with neighborhood associations to help establish partnerships with schools and develop watch groups. Josh believes that “Waco already has all the necessary tools to create positive change in our community and hopes to be a part of the process.”

Insurors of Texas is proud to support the 2020 Waco Under 40 Honorees! Thank you for all you do for our community.

Kyle DeBeer holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colorado College and currently serves as the Chief of Staff for Waco Independent School District where he leads an 11-person communications department.

Through his work, he hopes “to support and empower the next generation of leaders in the Greater Waco community - especially those future leaders who are a voice for segments of the community that have been historically underrepresented.”

Congratulations to our Chief of Staff, Kyle DeBeer, for being selected as a Waco Under 40 Honoree. This honor is a tribute to the steady and confident leadership you provide to our campuses. We are thankful for your leadership during these unprecedented and challenging times.

PRESENTING SPONSOR

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Anna Futral holds a Master of Taxation degree from Baylor University and currently serves as the Executive Director of CASA of McLennan County.

Anna’s career began with skills-based guidance toward business but evolved so she could focus on her passion and mission, which resulted in her pivot to the nonprofit realm. She believes that “leadership is using one’s skills, knowledge and passion, while setting self aside for the purpose of serving or guiding others.”

The First National Bank of Central Texas

Congratulations on being named one of the Waco Under 40 Honorees. You are making a big difference in the lives of countless children in our community. From all of us at The First National Bank of Central Texas, thank you.

Karisa Garner earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University in 2015. Currently, Karisa is a PATH Program Supervisor at the Heart of Texas Region MHMR. Karisa provides outreach and engagement services for the homeless community in McLennan County and the surrounding social service agencies.

Karisa’s hope is to “inspire other young people to be confident in their abilities to do the work that they are passionate about, and to be unapologetic in their efforts to make change.”

Insurors of Texas is proud to support the 2020 Waco Under 40 Honorees! Thank you for all you do for our community.

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Clinton Glaesmann, Ed.D., graduated in May 2020 with a Doctor of Education degree from Baylor University. He currently works as an Assistant Principal at Midway Middle School. This year, he was also selected as the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP) Region 12 Assistant Principal of the Year. He believes that “leadership is the process of empowering others to maximize their efforts towards achieving a goal and leveraging one’s social influence and the vested authority that others have given them to effect meaningful change.”

Clinton Glaesmann, Ed.D. Midway ISD

Capstone Mechanical is pleased to sponsor Dr. Clint Glaesmann on being honored by Waco Under 40 and we want to personally thank him for serving the students and families of Midway Middle School. It is a high calling and few do it so well. Thank you Clint!

Becky Kramm earned her Bachelor of Arts degrees in both advertising and psychology from Southern Methodist University. Currently, she works in business development at L3Harris and was recently selected by the senior management team as one of the High Potential Employees for the 2020 year. In her free time, Becky volunteers with her church and other local community organizations. She believes that “a good leader fully understands that making an impact and positive change comes from not just one person but from working together with many people and listening to their ideas.”

Ms. Becky Kramm has made a positive impact both at L3Harris and in our local community. She leads our employee community efforts, which has inspired and increased employee engagement within the greater Waco area. We are both fortunate and excited to have Ms. Kramm as part of our team.

PRESENTING SPONSOR

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Amine Qourzal graduated from Baylor University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and earned his Master of Business Administration degree in 2013. Currently, he works at Baylor University as the Assistant Director of the Career Center and serves as a councilmember for the City of Woodway. He enjoys collaborating with students and helping them realize their full potential to pursue their professional goals.

To him, “strong leaders know how to inspire their people through listening to them, caring for them and helping them reach a collective goal.”

Congratulations to City of Woodway’s Councilman Amine Qourzal on being selected as a 2020 Waco Under 40 Honoree! Mr. Qourzal has continued to have a tremendous positive impact in our city. Thank you Councilman Qourzal for being a dynamic leader!

Brian Remson holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Baylor University and completed the CFP© Certification Education Program from Rice University’s Glasscock School of Continuing Studies in 2013.

Currently, he works at Credent Wealth Management as a Wealth Partner and Certified Financial Planner (CFP).

Brian is dedicated to the local community and hopes to impact it “by showcasing Waco and cultivating new leaders or attracting leaders from other cities.”

Insurors of Texas is proud to support the 2020 Waco Under 40 Honorees! Thank you for all you do for our community.

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Caitlyn Remson graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Business Administration, Finance and Management degree. Currently, she works at Central National Bank as the Assistant Vice President, Real Estate & Commercial Lending. Caitlyn is also the president-elect of the Junior League of Waco and is thankful to all the women who encouraged her to say yes to new opportunities. She wants to remind the community that “real change only happens when we link arms.”

Congratulations, Caitlyn! Thank you for being an example and inspiration to many.

Joseph Scaramucci is a detective with the McLennan County Sherriff’s Office. He began his law enforcement career in 2004 and initiated investigations in human trafficking in 2014. In addition to his work in McLennan County, Joseph is also employed as a consultant for the Polaris Project, Collective Liberty, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, among others. “Leadership to me is teamwork. Leading is not about management, but identifying the strengths of the team, and the weaknesses of the team, and using each other’s strengths and weaknesses to empower each other, making the team stronger.“

We’re so proud of Joe, he’s received statewide and national recognition for his efforts in fighting human trafficking, and he has trained many officers from other counties and states to join the fight. I would call him simply ‘the best of the best.

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Shelly Spinks earned her Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Accountancy degrees from Baylor University in 2005. She has worked at Pattillo, Brown and Hill, LLP since 2000 and has risen to the level of Tax Partner, since earning her degrees. Shelly has chosen to share her skills and commitment to her community by serving on several boards and committees in the Waco area throughout her career. To her, leadership means “helping a group of individuals use their current skillsets and strengths to achieve a common goal together.”

With an extensive list of accolades, volunteerism and years of hard work, there is no question as to why Shelly Spinks was nominated for the 2020 Greater Waco Chamber’s Under 40 award. The entire PBH team is grateful to be able to work alongside Shelly each and every day!

Dominic Villa graduated in 2020 from McLennan Community College with a major in education and plans to become a middle school teacher in South Waco. Dominic is deeply committed to the community and serves on the board of NeighborWorks and has created and organized events and movements to bring the community together. He believes that “good leaders use their influence to make positive change and speak up for those that are not heard.” He plans to use his platform and influence to listen, learn and lead, in order to build more bridges in the Waco community.

The City is proud to recognize Dominic’s hard work and dedication to the Waco community. In his four years with the City he has consistently demonstrated a level of leadership, respect, and empathy far beyond his years.

Congratulations, Dominic, and very well-deserved!

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PRESENTING SPONSOR

Bird-Kultgen Ford is pleased to be the presenting sponsor for Waco Under 40. We congratulate the 2020 honorees on this achievement and are so proud of the positive impact that these young leaders have made, and will continue to make, Claire Kultgen McDonald on our Greater Waco community.

Vice President

Mark Stewart General Manager

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LEGAL MINUTE

by Teresa Schiller, Beard Kultgen Brophy Bostwick & Dickson, PLLC

T

hanks to the Internet, many businesses increasingly attract customers that are geographically distant. As a result, though, these businesses may need to focus more on increasingly complex logistics and distribution.

But before turning to supply-chain issues, business leaders should consider the following e-commerce issues: (a) multiple jurisdictions’ legal requirements and guidelines, and (b) human-resource policies that may help to protect the business. Here is some basic information.

1. What are some legal requirements and guidelines that may apply to businesses with an online presence?

A business with brick and mortar in Waco is subject to certain local, county, state, and national requirements and guidelines relating, for example, to deceptive trade practices, sales tax, and contracts. If it sells to customers in cyberspace, the business additionally may be subject to other states’ and countries’ legal requirements and guidelines. Although a guideline may not carry the same weight as a legal requirement, courts may consider guidelines as a potential “industry standard” when considering a dispute, particularly in the absence of a legal requirement on point. In general, here are some types of requirements and guidelines about which business leaders should be aware.

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a) Advertising Businesses in Texas are subject to certain “truth in advertising” requirements. For example, the Deceptive Trade Practices Act prohibits a “laundry list” of trade practices deemed to be false, misleading, or deceptive – such as passing off goods or services as those of another. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission has issued detailed guidelines in “.com Disclosures: How to Make Effective Disclosures in Digital Advertising.” Other jurisdictions’ requirements and guidelines may apply to your business as well.

b) Terms of service Just as a business enters into an agreement with a customer for an in-store sale, the business should publish “terms of service” on its website and require customers to agree to the terms for online sales. What is the price of each item? When is payment due? What is the refund policy?

Businesses should be aware of any rules affecting online terms of service. For example, the Federal Trade Commission has a Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule – known as the “30-Day Rule” -- that governs business representations (or omissions”) about shipping within a certain amount of time.

c) Web host’s requirements Business leaders may want to review the business’s agreement with its web host. When launching a website, a business usually is required to agree to its web host’s requirements relating to (i) terms of service and (ii) acceptable uses. The terms of service may cover payments, due dates, length of service, termination, and resolution of disputes. An acceptable use agreement may call for the business to use the website only in ways that

are lawful and non-malicious, and that do not infringe on the intellectual property rights of others. This agreement also may describe the web host’s mechanisms for receiving complaints from the public and for enforcing its requirements.

d) Consumer privacy Customers have certain legal protections regarding the data that a business collects through its website, and the safety of that data, once collected. Businesses should consider (i) publishing policies on their websites that describe information collection practices and limit liability for data breaches, (ii) taking appropriate security measures when storing data, (iii) providing a way in which consumers can report problems, and (iv) establishing a system for resolving any disputes.

e) Anti-spam Customers also are protected from unsolicited commercial emails. In the U.S., the Controlling the Assault of NonSolicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003 (aka, the “CANSPAM Act”) governs spam. Canada and the European Union have tougher anti-spam laws, so businesses with cross-border customers should be aware of these requirements as well.

f) Intellectual property Businesses need to protect their own intellectual property (“IP”) and to minimize the risk of claims that they are infringing on others’ IP. The laws governing trademarks, copyrights, patents, and trade secrets are complex, even outside the digital world, so it is particularly necessary for legal counsel to be involved.

In terms of protecting intellectual property online, business leaders should consider (i) the distinctiveness and value of any IP (e.g., logo, design, or invention), (ii) the extent to which the IP is vulnerable to misappropriation via the Internet, (iii) whether the business should apply for a trademark, copyright, and/or patent for the IP, or take steps to substantiate the “trade-secret” nature of the IP, and (iv) the enforcement of any IP rights in the event of infringement.

In terms of minimizing the risk of defending against infringement claims, business leaders should consider

(i) whether infringement searches run by legal counsel reveal any potential claims, (ii) the feasibility of taking down potentially-infringing IP from the business’s website or modifying it, (iii) what entity(ies) currently bear the risk of liability for infringement (e.g., the business, the web host, or customers who provide information via the site), and (iv) what steps can be taken to limit this risk (e.g., negotiating a license or other settlement with the holder of IP rights, requiring website users to agree to accept liability for information they provide, renegotiating the allocation of risk with the web host, and/or purchasing an IP insurance policy).

g) Accessibility Businesses may have legal exposure if their websites are not sufficiently accessible to people with disabilities -- in light of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended (the “ADA”), and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (the “Rehabilitation Act”).

Does your business’s web developer follow certain “industry standard” guidelines relating to accessibility?

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (“WCAG”) – developed in 1999 and periodically updated – are a set of technical standards for making web content more accessible.

Is your business a federal contractor, or does it receive federal funds? If so, certain aspects of its electronic and information technology may be subject to certain WCAG standards now required pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act.

2. What are some human-resource policies that may help businesses to protect their online presence?

A business has a bottom-line incentive to protect its online presence, an asset that significantly affects its goodwill. Certain human resource policies that promote loyalty, collegiality, and compliance with the law may be beneficial: (i) non-disaparagement, (ii) non-harassment, (iii) misuse of company property, (iv) social media, (v) confidentiality, (vi) non-competition, (vii) compliance with the law, and (viii) pre-employment background checks.

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a) Non-disparagement What if an employee posts messages online that disparage the quality of your business’s products? A non-disparagement policy prohibits employees from communicating negatively about the business, its employees, and other stakeholders, and it states that employees will be subject to discipline for violating the policy.

b) Non-harassment What if a supervisor makes unwelcome sexual advances to an employee via email, and the employee posts a copy of the email online? A non-harassment policy bans harassing or offensive conduct against employees that is sexually oriented or discriminatory, and it describes procedures for dealing with complaints and disciplinary actions that may be taken.

c) Misuse of company property What if an employee with access to the back end of the business’s website posts unapproved information? A policy prohibiting misuse of company property requires employees to use business equipment and technology (i) only for business purposes, (ii) in accordance with certain procedures, (iii) with an understanding that they have no expectation of privacy, and (iv) with an understanding that violators are subject to disciplinary action.

d) Social media What if an employee posts information on social media about a law that it believes is harmful to the business, and encourages followers to contact their congressmen to object? A social media policy prohibits employees from posting information relating to the business without authorization, and it states that disciplinary action may be taken.

e) Confidentiality What if a salesman emails information to a customer about the business’s profit structure? A confidentiality policy bans employees’ disclosure of confidential business or trade-secret information to third parties, and it describes penalties for any disclosures.

f) Non-competition What if an employee with access to proprietary technology concerning the business’s online sales gives two-weeks’ notice, with the intent to go to work for a competitor? A general non-competition policy may require employees who have access to sensitive information to enter into individual non-competition agreements with the business. An agreement would (i) 44 | WINTER 2020

prohibit the disclosure of proprietary information to any competitor, (ii) describe the business’s rights and remedies under the agreement, and (iii) specify some benefit – such as a monetary payment – provided to the employee in return.

g) Compliance with laws What if business leaders learn from an online news story (and then independently confirm) that an employee recently was convicted of a serious, violent offense? A policy regarding compliance with laws specifies that (i) the business complies with all applicable laws, (ii) employees are expected to do the same, and (iii) employees who violate this policy are subject to discipline, up to and including termination.

h) Pre-employment background checks What if a business wants to avoid hiring employees for its accounting department who have fraud-related convictions – both to minimize the risk of negative publicity that could harm its online presence, and to comply with the law? A policy relating to pre-employment background checks (i) states that background checks are non-discriminatory (e.g., they are required for all job candidates, or for all job candidates to whom a conditional offer of employment is extended), and (ii) describes procedures for conducting background checks -- and for making employment decisions based on them -- that are compliant with applicable law, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act and certain financial regulations.

In conclusion, business leaders should be mindful of these Internet-related legal requirements and strategic human-resource policies – and should consult with legal counsel for advice -- when managing their businesses’ online presence. n

Teresa Schiller is a business and employment lawyer at Beard Kultgen in Waco and Dallas. Teresa can be reached at schiller@thetexasfirm.com.

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PUBLIC POLICY

by Jessica Attas, Vice President Public Policy, Greater Waco Chamber

T

he 87th Texas Legislative Session, set to begin in January, will be unlike any we’ve ever experienced.

The normal hallmarks of session like tightly packed hearing rooms, the congregations of people lingering in the hallways, dining room tables with groups of people huddled over papers, strategizing and planning, and even the standard length of 140 days for the session are likely to be evaluated with a critical eye as to whether and what is in the best interest of our elected officials, all the staff who work to support the members and keep the Capitol open, and the public at large. While the beautiful pink granite building is often called “The People’s House,” how will the public be able to attend hearings at the Capitol, closed since March, to offer input to legislators as they deliberate? Will legislators meet in person and have testimony via video streaming? While, the Senate can comfortably social distance within their chambers, the House does not have the space. Both the House and the Senate are working on plans for carrying out their work, but if one thing is certain, it is the uncertainty they face as we move into 2021.

While many logistical questions remain regarding how our legislators will do the work of the state, there will be much work that needs to be done, and in a more difficult budget environment than most will have experienced. Prior to each legislative session, the State Comptroller releases a Biennial Revenue Estimate (BRE) that projects the available revenue legislators will have to appropriate in the two-year budget cycle. When the session concludes, the Comptroller may then offer revisions, as economic conditions change or warrant. To be sure, we have experienced change like never before.

The uncertainty that we’re facing regarding the health outlook and logistics similarly extend to the budget. The current situation called for a revision, and the Comptroller recently released his revised revenue forecast. The revised Certified Revenue Estimate (CRE) paints a stark picture. While the economy and employment levels are already picking back up, and in Texas more quickly than the rest of the nation, it will likely be some time before we return to the record levels of economic activity and employment Texas experienced before the pandemic and subsequent recession.

Weighing economic, health, and even psychological factors 46 | WINTER 2020

regarding human behavior (for example, will people again feel comfortable gathering at the kind of large events that tend to generate substantial indirect economic impacts?), the Comptroller’s estimates for the current biennium predict a budget shortfall of $4.6 billion.

It stands to reason the legislators will face similar projections for available revenue for the coming biennium when they convene in January. While the legislature may evaluate and vote on thousands of bills, there is only one thing they are constitutionally bound to do, and that is pass the budget.

Facing more challenges, and less revenue, than last session, there is sure to be much debate about how the state spends its dollars in making that biannual budget. As a starting point, top state leaders have asked each agency to cut their budgets by 5 percent. Legislators will certainly be searching for ways to either raise revenues, or decrease spending, both of which will be contentious as we continue to face the health and economic crisis brought by COVID-19. It is imperative our elected officials are judicious in their spending decisions, balancing the needs of a state in recovery with the constitutional mandate to pass a balanced budget.

Beyond the one “must-pass” piece of legislation, there is talk also of limiting the number of bills debated, or even reducing the number of days spent at the Capitol, and instead returning to deal with top priority issues in special sessions convened by the Governor and lasting no more than 30 days to address previously determined issues. Recognizing this will be a streamlined session, with significant budget challenges, we, as the business community and as advocates for a strong and prosperous Greater Waco, must be both focused and realistic in our asks of the legislature. There are several priorities which will top our legislative agenda.

While there has been a good deal of inconsistency at the federal level on when states will receive their 2020 Census numbers, it will happen in 2021, and when it does, our state legislature will begin the task of redistricting. Redistricting in Texas happens every ten years based on the decennial census, and while the Census serves many purposes, the January issue of the Comptroller’s Fiscal Notes observes there

is likely none more significant or far-reaching than the basis it provides for redistricting. District lines must be redrawn every ten years to reflect population growth or decline and other demographic changes. The purpose of redistricting is to guarantee equal voter representation to all Texans.

The process for updating district maps for federal and state redistricting was already underway, and hearings being held, prior to the pandemic. As legislators turn back to that work, our hope will be to maintain unified McLennan County districts at the state and federal levels.

Another top priority will be the expansion of broadband.

While this could be a federal initiative, as a part of our federal infrastructure, much like other public utilities or infrastructure, there is also room for state policy to support broadband expansion. The coronavirus pandemic certainly has made clear how vitally important broadband is to success in the 21st century world. Access to reliable internet is the lifeline for education, making possible remote teaching and learning; for healthcare, increasing access through telehealth visits; and for commerce, as businesses adapted to allow for remote work, when possible, and for increased presence in online marketplaces.

While some communities have both a chamber of commerce and an economic development corporation, Waco is unique in having a chamber that also serves as the lead economic development organization, working collaboratively with the City of Waco and McLennan County, as well as partners like the Waco Industrial Foundation, to attract, retain and expand business to and in Greater Waco. There are a host of economic development tools and incentives that are critically important to our ability to help grow the economy. One such tool, Chapter 313, will need to be reauthorized this session. Chapter 313 allows school districts to offer a phase-in of property taxes through a limitation on some property values for up to ten years to qualifying manufacturers in their districts. While there are some critics of Chapter 313, the reality is that to qualify for the incentive, the project is only eligible if the business can prove that it would not have come otherwise. The final result for the state, and for local taxing entities, is an increase in the tax rolls. In 2015, the Comptroller reported that Chapter 313 projects throughout the state had added $12.1 billion

to school Maintenance & Operations (M&O) tax rolls; $31.7 billion to school debt tax rolls; $80 billion in new capital investment; created 50,300 jobs, and added over $2 billion in personal income to Texans. We hope to see all the incentive tools preserved and funded, including the reauthorization of Chapter 313 in the 87th session.

Workforce and talent are top priorities for the Chamber and are critically important to our ability to attract and retain business. Businesses need talent, which requires a strong workforce and talent pipeline, cradle to career. We hope to see the investments of House Bill 3 protected to help build a strong, equitable, and accountable public education system.

Our higher education systems also should be fully-funded, with a focus on performance funding that their graduates are ready to successfully enter the workforce. We hope to see funding and policies that support workforce development, from apprenticeships and internships and teacher externships, to certifications, to rapid training programs, to anything that increases collaboration between industry and education to better align our educational programs with highest industry needs and jobs.

A healthy workforce is a strong workforce, so access to affordable healthcare has long been a top priority of the Chamber. This will be important, too, as the state continues to recover from the pandemic. We will need robust, free, and rapid testing to minimize disruptions to work and school, and the subsequent negative impacts that would cause across multiple levels, from childcare to production lines and beyond.

While a robust transportation infrastructure system is vital to our ability to move goods and people and support our economy, this will likely not be a legislative session where new funding for transportation is considered. However, we hope to see all existing transportation funding and formulas protected. The state should have all the tools in the toolbox, now more than ever, to allow for efficient, cost-effective, and reliable infrastructure to be developed.

In summary, this will be a legislative session like no other.

But like the last sessions, your Chamber will continue to be involved, advocating– safely, for the good of Greater Waco, and the businesses and people who call it home. n WACOCHAMBER.COM

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ON THE MARKET

401 S. 3rd St, Waco 76706 Development Opportunity

Specifications:: • 41,679 sq.ft. located on 1.406 acres in Downtown Waco • Within 2-3 blocks of the Magnolia Silos and the future Hyatt, Embassy Suites, and river front development • Approximately 100 parking spaces • First floor includes wide-open floor plan suitable for a variety of uses • Second-floor luxury lofts • Built in 1907 • Listed By: Colt Kelly, Kelly Realtors Commercial, 817-991-0182

401 S. 3rd, Waco, 76706 Population (20-Minute Drive Time) # of Households Median Age Average Household Income Labor Force (20-Minute Drive Time) Unemployment Rate (Sep ‘20)

194,535 75,423 32.9 years $64,348 92,389 6.40%

Top Industries (5 Mi Radius) Establishments % Employed Finance, Information & Prof. Services 2,335 36% 15,809 Admin, Education, Health Care 1,674 26% 25,855 Hotels, Arts/Entertainment, Retail 1,486 23% 19,879 Construction, Manufacturing, Transport 647 10% 10,869 Consumer Expenditures (5 Mi Radius) Shelter & Furnishings Transportation Food and Beverage Health Care & Health Products Entertainment & the Arts

Total (in $000’s) $450,099 $378,688 $313,837 $179,749 $113,647

Source: Info USA, Applied Geographic Solutions 2020

For more information on available properties, including demographic reports and surrounding businesses in Greater Waco, visit WacoProspector.com or call (254) 757-5627

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MARKET REPORT

Amazon

Industry: Distribution Market: Multi-State City of Waco, TX, McLennan County, Greater Waco Chamber, and the Waco Industrial Foundation welcome Amazon to the community. Amazon will invest $200M into a 3-story robotic fulfillment center in Waco, creating 1,000 jobs for Central Texas.

Governor Greg Abbott joined the announcement of Amazon’s new fulfillment center in Waco

Advanced Rail Systems (ARS) Industry: Manufacturing Market: National

Advanced Rail Systems, leaders in railway automation, is moving its manufacturing operation to Riesel, TX in McLennan County from Falls County. This $2.2 million project will bring 69 new high-skilled jobs to the community. The company is currently building its 23,250 square foot manufacturing facility, where it will produce power switch machines for rail operations.

WINTER 2018 2020 50 | WINTER

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ECONOMY IN FOCUS

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE SEPT. 2019

126,296

3.3% 3.4% 3.2%

UNITED STATES

SEPT. 2020

LABOR FORCE

7.7%

UNITED STATES

TEXAS

SEPT. 2019

WACO MSA

130,180

8.3% 6.4% TEXAS

SEPT. 2020

WACO MSA

SOURCE: BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Ec n i Ou lo U.S. Average Composite: 100 WACO COST OF LIVING Third Quarter 2020

Source: Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER)

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Waco Composite: 89.6

PURCHASING POWER

COMPARISON CITIES

Housing:

76.2

Chattanooga, TN:

93.2

Groceries:

81.7

Ashville, NC:

106.0

Utilities:

100.9

Greenville, SC:

91.1

Transportation:

90.5

Richmond, VA:

96.0

Health Care:

94.1

Colorado Springs, CO:

103.6

Misc. Goods & Services:

99.2

Kansas City, KS:

94.3

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CHAMBER NEWS The graduating Leadership Waco Class XXXVI (2019/2020), includes: • Allyson Blackman, American Bank • Abigail Boney, Wilkirson Hatch Bailey

LEADERSHIP WACO GRADUATION (SEPT. 28) In September, the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce celebrated the graduation of our latest Leadership Waco class!

“We are so proud of this class,” said Rachel Martinez, program director. “They’ve been flexible and remained committed throughout this unpredictable year.”

• Mathew Boudreaux, ClearVista Financial • Tammie Bowman, ATMOS Energy • Wesley Bryan, Ascension Providence • Holly Burchett, Baylor University • Sydney Christensen, Barsh Construction • Christa Dancer, Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest • Crashanta Evans, Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest • Rhonda Featherston, HEB • Clay Fuller, Turner Behringer Real Estate • Stan Giles, Extraco Banks • Jon Gimble, McLennan County • Jonathan Green, Bancin Business Services • Amanda Haygood, Bancorp South • Stephen Jamison, First National Bank of Central Texas • Hamilton Lindley, Neighborly • Ryan Luna, The Carlson Law Firm • Mary Margaret Croft, Carpenter & Croft • Tyler Martin, PALS Home Health • Angie McBurnett, Family Abuse Center • John Merkledove, Circle Hardware Supply • Galen Price, City of Waco Housing • Braden Snyder, PB&H, LLP • Kayla Spence, FreeFlight Systems • Vicki Stalnaker, Payroll Systems • Amy Thomas, Haley & Olson • Dustin Uptmore, Capstone Mechanical • Kent Willis, PB&H, LLP Sponsors of the Leadership Waco Class XXXVI include: Pattillo Brown & Hill, Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Hillcrest, Ascension Providence, Baylor University and Green Life Interiors.

Additional photos and the wrap up video are available at wacochamber.com. n

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STATE OF THE NATION (SEPT. 21) The State of the Nation virtual event kicked off our annual State Of Series. We heard a conversation between Chamber CEO Matt Meadors, outgoing Congressman Bill Flores, famed economist Dr. Ray Perryman and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce discussing current federal policy issues and how they impact our city and our state.

The recording is available at youtube.com/ GreaterWacoChamber. Presenting sponsorship is provided by Texas State Technical College.

LEADING WACO WOMEN (NOV. 5) The Greater Waco Chamber wrapped up the 2019-2020 Leading Waco Women Series with the Empowering Summit in November. During this event, we heard from Tricia Capps with The Grounds Guys of Waco, Jill King with Yaxx, Inc. and Bare Arms Brewing, Patricia Miller, McLennan County Commissioner and Jennifer Vera with Action Rental Center.

The recording of this livestreamed event is available at youtube.com/GreaterWacoChamber. n

GREATER WACO CHAMBER HOSTS FIRST VIRTUAL BUSINESS DURING HOURS (OCT. 1) In early October, the Greater Waco Chamber hosted one of our most popular networking events, virtually. The Business During Hours event celebrated Ascension Providence’s new Sports and Physical Therapy center with a ribbon-cutting, virtual tour and special prizes! Nearly 60 individuals joined in to learn about the capabilities of the machinery in the new building as well as why it’s important to have a facility like this in Greater Waco. The recording is available to watch at youtube.com/GreaterWacoChamber. n

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CHAMBER NEWS

STATE OF THE STATE (SEPT. 29) The Greater Waco Chamber hosted the annual State of the Sate event virtually in September. The event featured a legislative panel with State Representatives Charles “Doc” Anderson (HD 56), Kyle Kacal (HD 12) and Senator Brian Birdwell (SD 22); a keynote presentation from Secretary Margaret Spellings, former U.S. Secretary of Education, and president and CEO of Texas 2036; and a moderated Q&A. The recording is available at youtube.com/GreaterWacoChamber.

Presenting sponsorship is provided by Texas State Technical College. n

GREATER WACO AVIATION ALLIANCE CELEBRATES SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS AT L3HARRIS The Greater Waco Chamber partnered with L3Harris to celebrate the recipients of the Greater Waco Aviation Alliance scholarships. The ceremony included check presentations to each of the students and a tour of L3Harris’ local facility. The Greater Waco Aviation Alliance scholarships are made possible through funds raised by the Greater Waco Chamber’s Freedom Ball event. Freedom Ball is an annual event that provides central Texas with the opportunity to honor military personnel, both past and present, and Gold Star families. To date, the Aviation Alliance has awarded $174,000 in scholarships and sponsorships to 83 Central Texas high school and college students.

56 | WINTER 2020

ALLEN SAMUELS CHAMBER CLASSIC (OCT. 29) In October, the Greater Waco Chamber hosted our popular Allen Samuels Chamber Classic. More than 200 golfers braved the chilly weather to join the Chamber team at Ridgewood for a day of socially distant golfing. Congratulations to our winners: Morning Flight: • 1st Place – HEB team: Jimmy General, Matt Moran, Derrick Gonzales & Chase Hutto • 10th Place – Pilgrims team: Ronnie Sparks, Greg Boyd, Gabino Alvarez & Michael O’Hardy • 20th Place – Tejas Logistics team: Tom Greene, Matt Reynolds, Mark Reynolds & Brian Johnson Afternoon Flight: • 1st Place – Higginbotham team: Austin Malone, Ben Erlanson, Matt Walker & Andrew Jordan • 10th Place – Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Hillcrest team: Brad Crye, David Gentsch, Jim Wurster & Benny Steensen • 20th Place – Extraco Banks team: Sonya Lee, Jarrett Warren, Sam Brown & Matthew Bond Presenting sponsorship provided by Allen Samuels Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram Fiat.

The wrap up video is available to watch at youtube.com/GreaterWacoChamber.

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MEMBER NEWS

ASCENSION PROVIDENCE UNVEILS NURSING POD AT CAMERON PARK ZOO Ascension Providence, in partnership with Cameron Park Zoological & Botanical Society, celebrated the opening of a nursing pod with three private rooms for mothers. The Ascension Providence nursing pod offers a quiet, comfortable and private area for mothers to nurse or use a breast pump while visiting the zoo. Each room is furnished with a rocker and a table and provides moms with a private secure space to take care of her nursing needs. The nursing pod is located in the meadows area next to the restrooms.

Established in 1993, Cameron Park Zoo is Waco’s second largest tourist attraction, with more than 360,000 guests a year. The Ascension Providence nursing pod offers an intimate and private space for mothers visiting the Cameron Park Zoo. n

DESIGN HOUSE JEWELRY STUDIO RELOCATES TO DOWNTOWN WACO’S THE CONTAINERY Design House Jewelry Studio, a custom jewelry and repair studio serving Waco for over 15 years, will open its doors at its new location at 319 S. 4th St., B100, on October 20, 2020 as part of the new Containery shopping experience.

Owner and artisan Linda McEathron said the opening of her new studio and storefront is a dream come true. “After years of planning, renovating, and waiting, we can’t believe the opening is finally here,” she said.

The new studio and storefront offers a custom jewelry design bar for customers to work on their own one-of-a-kind pieces with the jewelry artists at Design House, memorable photo opportunities, and hands on stylists to help make an unforgettable shopping experience.

“We’re hoping to offer downtown Waco a memorable, magical experience with products and services that keep you coming back,” McEathron said. n

ROMARK LOGISTICS HONORED WITH THREE INDUSTRY AWARDS IN 2020 Romark Logistics has been named a “2020 Top 3PL & Cold Storage Provider” by Food Logistics, a “2020 Top 100 3PL”

by Inbound Logistics and one of “America’s 50 Leading 3PLs” by Global Trade magazine.

These accolades recognize companies across the U.S. that are integral to the global supply chain.

This is the third year that Romark Logistics has appeared on the lists produced by Food Logistics and Inbound Logistics. It’s Romark’s first year being showcased by Global Trade.

“As a result of our employees’ contribution and commitment to Romark, we continue to be a pioneer in supply chain and logistics amid the pandemic,” said Marc Lebovitz, President. “While much of the country is able to work from home during this health crisis, our employees are on the frontlines each day to provide our customers with the best possible service.”

“These national publications have very specific criteria that need to be met and we are honored to once again be 58 | WINTER 2020

recognized for our efforts, especially during such a difficult year with the nation severely impacted by the pandemic,” Lebovitz added. n

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MEMBER NEWS

TFNB OPENS BANK IN EAST WACO, FIRST IN MORE THAN 100 YEARS TFNB Your Bank for Life opened its fifth location on 715 Elm Ave. in November. This is the first bank in East Waco in over 100 years.

TFNB Your Bank for Life President and CEO David Littlewood sees this new location as an opportunity to invest further into the Waco community.

“It’s our desire to be a part of and connect with East Waco in East Waco, not from across town,” said Littlewood. “We will have a full-service staff on site that will be there to meet their needs. A community is as good as the sum of its parts. East Waco has some of the longest established businesses and neighborhoods in all of Waco.”

TFNB Senior Vice President Dortheia Love looks forward to the opportunity to build even better relationships with the East Waco community.

“We will prove to you through our actions and drive for excellence, how we plan to become the East Waco ‘bank of choice’,” said Love.

“TFNB Your Bank for Life will provide you with expertise, a caring listening spirit, and local decision making. We will become partners in your future successes. We welcome you to a caring and listening bank that wants to get to know you. You can dream it, believe it, and experience it, at TFNB Your Bank for Life.”

According to a small research project spearheaded by Baylor’s Department of History, the last known bank in East Waco was The Texas Guarantee Bank and Trust Company. The bank opened an Elm Ave. location in 1913 but closed it between 1915 and 1916. TFNB, started under the charter First National Bank of McGregor in 1889, had already been in business for 24 years the last time a bank served East Waco. More than 100 years later, TFNB is excited to provide quality banking services to the East Waco community. n

HOBBS BONDED FIBERS RECEIVES TEXAS VETERANS COMMISSION’S MEDIUM EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR AWARD Hobbs Bonded Fibers has been named the 2020 Texas Veterans Commission’s (TVC) Medium Employer of the Year Award. Each year TVC’s Veteran Employer Liaisons nominate employers who display exceptional efforts to hire and retain veterans. Hobbs Bonded Fibers is recognized for its noteworthy hiring practices.

“The recruiting/application process at Hobbs Bonded Fibers includes an in-depth review of each veteran’s application and or resume to best understand what applicable skills apply to the Hobbs Bonded Fibers open positions,” said Clint Weaver, vice president of Human Resource. “Hobbs takes the time to reach veterans in specific recruiting techniques. Some of the best practices used at Hobbs Bonded Fibers to best serve veterans during the application process,” he added. n

60 | WINTER 2020

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MEMBER NEWS

TSTC’S WORKFORCE TRAINING DEPARTMENT PROVIDES CUSTOMIZED TRAINING TO WACO COMPANY Texas State Technical College’s Workforce Training department is providing a 10-month customized industrial maintenance academy for Mars Wrigley employees in Waco.

“The training program is a prime example of the mission of TSTC to prepare students for great-paying jobs in Texas,” said Adam Barber, interim director of TSTC’s Workforce Training department.

The training began in July and involves alternating weeks at TSTC and working with experienced maintenance technicians at the company. Employees are industrial maintenance apprentices while they are in the program; once they successfully finish, they will be promoted to industrial maintenance technicians.

“It was very beneficial to have a technical college right down the road so we could do something like this,” said Jeremiah Courtright, Mars Wrigley’s reliability engineer.

Courtright said the accelerated teaching factors into the company’s employment goals. The company decided to look inward to train and promote certain employees who are chosen for their work ethic, technical ability and understanding of processes.

62 | WINTER 2020

“It has become increasingly hard to recruit skilled industrial maintenance technicians,” Courtright said. “This is not just at Mars or in Waco, but it is a nationwide industry problem.”

The company, which has roughly 600-employees in Waco, needs maintenance technicians on-site seven days a week.

“The Mars Wrigley apprenticeship academy is a model that has proven to be successful and has really provided the industry a blueprint for training the next generation of technicians,” said Barber. “With the ability to tailor the training content for specific needs, there is a great opportunity for companies to follow in Mars’ footsteps and recognize the importance of providing the skills training necessary for their future workforce.” n

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RIBBON CUTTINGS

SPONSORED BY

Ascension Providence Sports and Physical Therapy

Cameron Park Zoological & Botanical Society • Mommy Pods

Grice’s Auto Self Service (G.A.S.S.) Garage

TFNB – Your Bank for Life

7125 New Sanger Rd #540, Waco, TX 76712 (254) 776-3070 • healthcare.ascension.org Philip Patterson, President

1716 S. Valley Mills Dr., Waco, TX 76711 (254) 732-5000 • gassgarage.com Steve & Naomi Grice, Co-Owners

64 | WINTER 2020

1703 N. 4th St., Waco, TX 76707 (254) 750-8400 • cameronparkzoo.com Terri Cox, Executive Director

700 Elm Ave, Waco, TX 76704 (254) 840-2836 • tfnbtx.com David Littlewood, President

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NEW MEMBERS

A.G. Real Estate & Associates 15190 Badger Ranch • Woodway TX 76712 (254) 296-9100 agwaco.com Advanced Rail Systems, LLC 1322 FM 1771 • Kosse TX 76653 (254) 252-3005 advancedrailsystems.com Affectionately Yours Precious Memories 619 N. 32St. • Waco TX 76707 (254) 523-8237 All City Real Estate Ltd. 618 Columbus Ave. • Waco TX 76701 (254) 702-0064 Allcityagents.com Artisan Solutions, LLC 2400 Corporation Pkwy • Waco TX 76712 (254) 855-1950 Chicken Salad Chick 301 W Panther way • Hewitt TX 78664 (229) 942-6721 Chickensaladchick.com Club Pilates Waco 6500 Woodway Dr. • Waco TX 76712 (254) 261-1008 clubpilates.com/waco Design Superstore 5506 Franklin Ave. • Waco TX 76710 (254) 772-8453 designsuperstore.com DreamFly Promotions PO Box 335 • West TX 76691 (254) 826-7170 dreamflypro.com EBCO General Contractor 804 E 1ST ST • Cameron TX 76520 (254) 627-8516 ebcogc.com Edison Properties Development, LLC P.O. Box 123 • Waco TX 76703 (254) 235-8260 facebook.com/edisonpropertieswaco Edward Jones - Blaine Spradlin 1105 Wooded Acres Drive Waco TX 76710 (254) 399-6597 edwardjones.com/blaine-spradlin Freight Ice House & Yard Bar 1613 James Ave • Waco TX 76706 (254) 732-0054 freightwaco.com Getman Concrete Construction 2022 Washington Ave. • Waco TX 76708 (254) 744-5437

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PRESENTED BY

Grice’s Auto Self Service (G.A.S.S.) Garage 1716 S. Valley Mills Dr. • Waco TX 76711 (254) 732-5000 gassgarage.com Heart of Texas Shooting Center LLC 5040 S. Loop 340 Waco TX 76706 (254) 987-2643 hotshootingcenter.com Jones Ladybug Termite & Pest Management 205 Otis Dr. • Woodway TX 76712 (254) 399-9991 ladybugpestmanagement.com Loaded Sound, LLC PO Box 13 • Lorena TX 76655 (254) 300-3796 loadedsound.com McKinley, Brown & Bradley 2112 Washington Ave. • Waco TX 76701 (254) 252-7847 mckinleybrown.com Mitchell Team of Coldwell Banker 500 N. Valley Mills Dr. • Waco TX 76710 (806) 787-7483 Real Skin Dermatology 5100 Franklin Ave. • Waco TX 76710 (254) 265-7100 realskinderm.com Residence Inn Waco South 2424 Marketplace Dr. • Waco TX 76711 (254) 294-4586 marriott.com/wcors Sanders Lawn and Landscape 122 Ava Dr. • Hewitt TX 76643 (254) 744-0499 sanderslawnandlandscape.com Skin and Body Refinery MedSpa 2210 Austin Ave • Waco TX 76801 (254) 235-0605 skinandbodyrefinery.com Slow Burn Mobile Cigar Lounge (254) 292-2423 slowburnwaco.com Springhill Suites Waco 115 S. Jack Kultgen Expy Waco TX 76706 (254) 262-8151 marriott.com/wcosw Staybridge Suites Waco South Woodway 205 Colonnade Parkway Woodway TX 76712 (254) 304-9600 ihg.com/staybridge/hotels/us/en/ woodway

Terracon Consultants, Inc. 316 Kelly St. • Waco TX 76710 (512) 891-2637 terracon.com The Cookie Barn 2566 Southwinds Dr • Lorena TX 76655 (910) 987-6987 thecookiebarnwaco.com The Kehl Law Firm, P.C. 2505 Washington Ave. • Waco TX 76710 (254) 870-0105 thekehllawfirm.com Thumbs Up Compliance 9110 Jordan Ln. • Woodway TX 76712 (254) 300-6737 thumbsupcompliance.com Tim Sherwood Agency 536 N. New Road • Waco TX 76710 (254) 741-6565 agents.allstate.com/tim-sherwoodwaco-tx.html TNB Home Improvement LLC 446 Dove Hill Ln. China Spring TX 76633 (254) 855-2984 Tru by Hilton Waco South 2408 Market Place Dr. Waco TX 76711 (254) 294-4888 wacosouth.trubyhilton.com United Financial Freedom Independent Agent 7215 Bosque Blvd. • Waco TX 76710 (254) 733-1404 nukemydebt.net Vision Graphics 2525 S. 900 West • Salt Lake City UT 84119 (254) 266-9472 visiondoesit.com Waco Dental PC 2300 Columbus Ave. • Waco TX 76701 (254) 754-3505 waco-dental.com

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 30 Waco, Texas P.O. Box 1220 Waco TX 76703-1220