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Press Releases

Moving and Shaking

Before the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance formalized a press release process, our website was (and maybe still is) the best resource on business happenings in the region. By looking at some of these past 'headlines,' you can see how over just a few short years, Lubbock has become the amazing business location opportunity that it is today (and although these postings only go back a few years, we hope this illustrates how quickly businesses are served by the region and the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance).

March 2006 - Cash Register Services has been doing business in Lubbock since 1978. In the beginning, Cash Register Services focused solely on grocery point of sale and grocery information technology systems for stores in Texas and New Mexico. They provide state-of-the-art POS Systems, installations, training, hardware and software services to regional chains and independent stores. Over the last 10 years, the company quickly became known as the region's grocery POS solutions provider and the recommended provider by both Affiliated and Fleming Foods. Since then, they have installed hundreds of grocery POS Systems in Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and Arizona. They have opened service locations in Albuquerque, San Antonio, El Paso, Wichita Falls, Abilene, Dallas, Houston and Lufkin, Texas.As Cash Register Services expand to other markets, it is imperative that they add support staff and on-site technicians here in Lubbock. In 2004, CRS moved into a new building downtown on 6th Street, establishing the Lubbock office as their national headquarters. Lubbock EDA incented Cash Register Services for 18 jobs with a job creation incentive totaling $57,500.

January 2006 - Mrs. Baird’s Bread, an East Lubbock company with 161 employees, has experienced tremendous growth over the last two years through an increase in its sales area to include New Mexico and Southern Kansas . The company is beginning its Phase II expansion which includes the addition of twenty new jobs and $1.5 million in capital investments.  LEDA will invest $57,500 in job creation incentives.  Mrs. Bairds – Lubbock continues to remain competitive and one of the most efficient of the Mrs. Bairds plants.  LEDA’s support will help keep Mrs. Baird’s Bread a vital partner in East Lubbock .

January 2006 - Excell Services is America ’s largest independent provider of directory assistance, operator services, and inbound customer service to the telecommunications industry.  As a result of sales growth in three lines of business, Excell Services is adding 35 new management positions and over 400 new agents.  The 35 management positions alone will add over $1million in annual salaries and pay between $25,000 and $75,000 annually.  The total new cash infusion into the City of Lubbock because of the Excell jobs will be $6,400,000 annually.  LEDA incented twenty-six of the thirty-five new management positions with job creation incentive of $87,500.

June 2005 - LEDA Annouces the Completion of the 2005 Regional Underemployment Survey

LEDA commissioned researchers at the Earl Survey Research Laboratory and the Center for Public Service at the Texas Tech University Department of Political Science to conduct the survey, which contains responses from 832 persons living in a region including the following counties: Crosby, Dawson, Floyd, Garza, Hale, Hockley, Lamb, Lubbock, Lynn, and Terry. The report includes results about the underemployed workforce, latent workforce, and employed workforce.

June 2005 - eBank Systems, Inc. is a Lubbock based company that provides data processing, technology, and software for financial institutions. E-Bank has grown from a start up company with four employees in 1997 into a company with 28 employees today. The company services 29 financial institutions including two in Lubbock . E-Bank plans to build a new home office as well as add 17 new employees. LEDA incented eBank Systems $71,500 for 16 jobs to be paid out over a 3 year period as the jobs are created. 

June 2005 - Smooth Fusion, Inc. is a Lubbock based company whose services include technical consulting, web application development, web hosting, creative design, content development, and ongoing website maintenance. Microsoft is a major client of Smooth Fusion. Smooth Fusion maintains a small office with three employees in Seattle , Washington . Smooth Fusion currently has 38 employees. Over the next three years, the company will add up to 65 new employees. Over three years the annual impact on the Lubbock economy will be between $2,532,000 and $3,422,000. LEDA incented Smooth Fusion, Inc. $230,000 for 65 jobs to be paid out over a 5 year period as the jobs are created. 

June 2005 - The Hurley Companies consists of a packaging business, a bottled water company, a blow molding plant. In mid year 2004, the Hurley Companies decided to expand all of its businesses.  The box plant will add several pieces of high speed equipment.  The bottled water company will go from one production line to three and add a sports drink line.  The blow mold plant will add a high speed automatic blow mold line with the plans to bring a second line to Lubbock .  Because a larger facility was required to help the company reach its expansion goals and allow room for a future paper mill, the Hurley Companies acquired the former Santa’s Best building in April of 2005. The Hurley Companies estimates that it will increase its capital investment by $15.35 million, including the addition of the paper plant. Relocation and upgrade costs to the Santa’s Best building are estimated at $225,000.00. Additionally, the Hurley Companies will add at least 30 new employees. New hires will add almost $1,000,000 annually in salaries alone. LEDA incented the Hurley Companies $68,000.00: $45,000 for nine jobs at the appropriate level to be paid out over a three year period and $23,000 for relocation expenses. 

April 28, 2005 - Lubbock , TX and Austin , TX - Emergent Technologies Inc. (ETI) of Austin announced today that WesTech Ventures I (its third fund) had fully capitalized its $5 million fund in West Texas.

April 2005 - Vertical Turbine Specialist is a major manufacturer of vertical turbines currently located in Littlefield , Texas. Due to difficulty locating available workforce, VTS considered moving to Oklahoma City , Houston , and Lubbock. Vertical Turbine will be bringing 65 employees to Lubbock with the move and they plan to add another 25 employees over the next two years for a total of 90 employees.  LEDA plans to incent VTS $191,500 for 53 jobs. 

April 2005 - Module Truck System is a builder and installer of cotton module trucks in Lubbock and plans to expand to the Eagle Picher Building which offers sufficient space for growth and expansion.  Module Truck currently has 32 employees with annual salaries of about $1.2 million.  Expansion into the Eagle Pitcher location will create 37 new jobs in Lubbock .  LEDA will incent $46,250 for 33 jobs. 

April 2005 - Stephen Joseph was established in Lubbock in 1982.  It is a designer, manufacturer, and distributor of children’s and specialty clothing.  The facility is currently expanding with the addition of an in-house embroidery department.  Expansion will add between 16 and 20 new employees with total benefits and salaries over $500,000 annually.  LEDA will incent Stephen Joseph for 8 jobs totaling $22,000.

March 15, 20005 - On April 19, 2005, the Lubbock Regional BioScience Initiative will be co-hosting the West Texas Nanotechnology Forum in the City Bank Conference Room of the United Spirit Arena, Texas Tech Univeristy.

March 2005 - In an effort to develop a Strategic Marketing Plan, Lubbock Economic Development Alliance announces the hiring of Austin-based AngelouEconomics to lead a five-month planning process.

February 2005 - LEDA and Peerless Pump Announce Job Creation in Lubbock

Peerless Pump, located in Plainview, Texas , is a turbine pump manufacturer and finisher. Eighteen months previous to this announcement,, Peerless launched the Vertical Quick Ship program (VQS) which targets a selected group of pumps and delivers them to the customer in an expedited fashion.  The second phase of the expansion will be to supply test pumps and light engineered pumps to the market in the same expedited fashion.  Peerless is considering a move to Lubbock due to needing a greater workforce supply and the proximity of suppliers and partners in Lubbock .  A move would give Peerless the capability of doubling its sales along with ability to work more closely with the College of Engineering at Texas Tech University .  Peerless brings a new manufacturing facility, 12 new employees, a new tax base, and opportunities for major manufacturing expansion in the near future.  LEDA plans to incent Peerless Pump $47,000 for the creation of 12 jobs. 

November 2004 - LEDA Announces Incentives for 3 Companies
Cox Communictions, Inc. is a national leader in the delivery of cable television, high-speed internet, and telephone service. This year, Cox West Texas is undertaking a $10 million capital project to introduce telephone service to its markets in late 2004 and early 2005.  This expansion will result in the creation of 54 new jobs in Lubbock and the surrounding area.  LEDA will incent Cox $197,500 for 54 new jobs. 

November 2004 - Panhandle Deli Provisions, Inc. moves corporate operations from Childress, Texas to Lubbock. The company has been in operation for four years and is an authorized distributor for Boar’s Head brand fine deli products in West Texas . The company currently serves United Supermarkets and Texas Tech University. They will relocate six positions and possibly create three new positions.  LEDA will incent Panhandle Deli Provisions $21,500 for the creation of 5 new jobs. 

October 2004 - LEDA Announces Incentives for SBC Communications
SBC Communications is a worldwide communications company with roots in Lubbock that go back one hundred years. In 1999, SBC opened the Emerging Products Center in Lubbock .  The center handles all of the DSL and all of the Business DSL sales, installation, and trouble shooting for the SBC Southwest territory which includes Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, and Missouri.  The only business function not handled in Lubbock is the Billing Operations Center . There is now an opportunity to move that function to Lubbock .  The DSL Billing operation will consist of over 70 employees.  Salaries of these employees would range from $25,000 to over $65,000 per year and approximate annual salaries would be well over $2.1 million.  LEDA will incent SBC for 70 jobs with an incentive committment totaling $208,500.