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Greetings!
Welcome to SPCEDC your electronic newsletter. We are happy to announce that you will be up to date with our activities and will have an opportunity to communicate your thoughts and ideas directly to SPCEDC through our new Blog. We encourage you to utilize this "e" letter to keep up to date on all the current issues facing San Papricio County. |
TPCO UPDATE |
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TPCO America Corporation has filed an air permit application with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for the construction and operation of the TPCO America Texas Mill, a minimill facility that will manufacture steel products from recycled scrap steel. The Texas Mill is expected to produce 500,00 metric tons of pipes per year. The Texas Mill will be located east of Gregory, Texas, between State Highway 35 and State Highway 361 in San Patricio County on a 250 acre site. The estimated capital cost for this facility is $1 billion including pollution prevention equipment. Construction of the facility could begin in late 2009 with operation beginning in 2011.
A minimill is a steel manufacturing process that melts down scrap steel using an electric arc furnace (EAF) to manufacture new products. This process allows the Texas Mill to save energy and reduce costs compared to manufacturing its products from iron ore. Using recycled scrap steel to manufacture new, top-quality products produces less slag.
This molten steel melted in the EAF will be conditioned using a ladle metallurgy furnace (LMF) to ensure that the steel product meets technical and quality specifications. Ultimately, the minimill will create steel billets for further processing.
The Texas Mill will also contain a pipe mill, which creates high-quality seamless steel pipe from the billets made in the minimill. This seamless steel pipe can be used for oil and gas well casings and tubing, line pipe and other similar applications. The primary market for the pipe is the U.S. along with Canada, South America and West Africa.
NEW DIRECT JOBS
* The Texas Mill will create at least 300 new direct jobs in the first year of operation.
* Additional employees will be hired in years 2 & 3, resulting in a total of 400-600 new jobs.
* Salaries and benefits will produce a total estimated annual payroll of $18 million.
* Jobs range from equipment operators to instrumentation technicians to office/clerical to other skilled crafts to managers.
LOCAL ECONOMIC GROWTH
* According to a study done by Impact Data Source for the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation, the project will generate new local tax revenues exceeding $37 million for local taxing districts in San Patricio County, including school district revenues and local sales taxes. (Total tax revenues are subject to further tax abatement negotiations.) The ten-year economic impact of the project will be $2.7 billion with $327 million in direct salaries for workers.
TPCO America Corporation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tianjin Pipe (Group) Corporation (TPCO), which is one of the world's largest seamless steel pipe manufacturers. TPCO is headquartered in the third largest city in China, Tianjin, a dynamic and rapidly growing economic center in North China. TPCO exports its products to over 90 countries and reigons, including the U.S. TPCO is developing its first American facility near Gregory, Texas, to better serve its customers. TPCO currently has long term business relationships with major oil and gas companies, such as Chevron, Shell, EOG Resources and Apache Corp. An American facility will allow U.S. businesses to purchase goods made in the U.S. with local labor.
Although a great deal of TPCO's emphasis is on the oil and gas industry, TPCO's products were also used in the construction of the Bird's Nest, the Water Cube and other venues of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Known internationally for the quality of its products, TPCO designs and manufactures according to recognized industry standards and specifications. TPCO's Tianjin operation is ISO 9001 certified for quality management and meets American Petroleum Institute Specification Q1 for quality system standards. Additionally, the Tianjin facility is ISO 14001 environmental management system certified.
A leader in environmental protection in China, TPCO is committed to the environment and providing a green, healthy and clean workplace for its employees and for the surrounding cities and communities. In fact, TPCO has reforested land surrounding the Tianjin facility and has established a wild game and animal preserve on the facility's property. |
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Get Booked!
A New Civic Center in Aransas Pass
By Harlan Roberts |
If you are looking for a place to hold an event, the new Civic Center in Aransas Pass is the place to be... but be sure to call ahead. Since opening its doors (prior to the grand opening scheduled some time in April), the bookings have been flying in!
With 31,000 square feet of interior space and another 10,000 square feet of outdoor patio area you have lots of choices. The main ballroom will seat 2000 people in auditorium style or 950 dinner table style. It has a 40'X 30' professional stage constructed to UIL specifications for high school theatre use or other stage performances and can be configured to accommodate your desired specifications due to it's 4'X 4' design. The possibility of 2 or 3 meetings taking place simultaneously becomes reality when the main ballroom is separated. The main ballroom also serves as the large event area for boat and vendor shows.
Want a room with a view? Enjoy the two meeting rooms that open directly to the patio. Open the separator wall and voila! one large room. Or you can meet, dine, dance and entertain caf� de trottoir style on the patio. Need an Executive Conference room that will seat 30 people quite comfortably? It's available.
Every meeting area has a complete audio/visual system including mounted/remote cameras and video screens. The audio system for the entire building and patio area was designed by a professional sound engineer with all of the latest technology.
Need video conferencing to China or other parts of the world? Not a problem. Cable TV? Ok. Dancing in the smaller rooms? There is a portable dance floor. Specialty lighting needed? It's waiting for you to hit the controls.
The Aransas Pass Civic Center boasts a four person administrative staff to help you with your needs and fine dining is always at its best with the in-house professional caterer. Menus that agree with every budget are available and specialty lunches and dinners can be priced and prepared in the full state-of-the-art commercial kitchen facilities.
The Aransas Pass Civic Center offers more event features than any other center in the Coastal Bend area. If you haven't already booked your event, now is the time to give them a call.
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TYPES OF FRAUD SCAMS |
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With the current volitile economy a number of scams are taking place around the country. Here are a few just to keep you up to date.
Power of Attorney Fraud:
The perpetrator obtains a Limited or Special Power of Attorney, which specifies that legal rights are given to manage the funds in the account. Once the rights are given, the perpetrator uses the funds for personal gain.
Advance Fee Fraud or "419" Fraud:
Names after the relevant section of the Nigerian Criminal Code, this fraud involves a multitude of schemes and scams. Mail, email, fax and telephone premises that the victims will receive a percentage for their assistance in the scheme proposed in the correspondence.
Pigeon Drop:
The victim put up "good faith" money in the false hope of sharing the proceeds of an apparently large sum of cash or item(s) of worth, which are "found" in the presence of the victim.
Financial Institution Examiner Fraud:
The Victim believes that he or she is assisting authorities to gain evidence leading the apprehension of a financial institution employee or examiner that is committing a crime. The victim is asked to provide cash to bait the crooked employee. The cash is then seized as evidence by the "authorities" to be returned to the victim after the case.
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BOARD MEMBER BIO
Noel Snedeker |
 Noel Snedeker was born and raised in the Rio GrandeValley and is a 1974 graduate of HarlingenHigh School. After High School he earned his Bachelor's in Business Administration from LamarUniversity in BeaumontTexas. At which time he began his career in Public Accounting and ultimately a 28 year career in Governmental Accounting and Auditing. In 1988 he opened his own CPA Firm which specialized in Governmental Accounting and Auditing. Four years later he went to CorpusChristIndependentSchool District where he served as the Cash Management Coordinator. After eight years at CCISD he went to the TaftIndependentSchool District where he has served and is currently the Assistant Superintendent for Business.
Currently Noel serves as Chairman of the San Patricio County EDC, is a Board member of the Corpus Christi Regional EDC, President of the Taft Rotary Club and recently served as president of both the Taft Chamber of Commerce and Coastal Bend Chapter of the Texas Association of School Business Officials (TASBO).
Noel lives in Portland with his wife Lisa who is a reading specialist with the Taft ISD. They have three daughters, Brittany (22), Hillary (18) and Emily (11).
In his spare time he enjoys anything outdoors, soccer, gardening, hunting, fishing and the beach.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS |
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SPCEDC Board Meetings 2009:
Monday, May 18, 2009 Full Board Meeting
Monday, August 24, 2009 Full Board Meeting
Monday, November 23, 2009 Full Board Meeting
JOIN JOSEPHINE:
April 18 Women's Club Style Show, Aransas
Pass Civic Center
April 22 Wind Energy Kick Off - 10 a.m.Taft
April 22 World Affairs Council - Noon, Ortiz Center
ARANSAS PASS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE:
April 25, 2009 Adopt a Beach Spring Clean Port Aransas
July 28, 2009 Fly Fishing Tournment 1-361-758-6900.
May 2, 2009 CASA of the Coastal Bend-@ Cole Park
May 7, 2009 "Picnic" written by William Inge
May 15, 2009 Relay For Life
June 7, 2009 Miss Shrimporee Pageant
June 12, 2009 61st Annual Shrimporee
June 13, 2009 Shrimporee Parade 10:00 AM
INGLESIDE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE:
April 25, 2009 Cruise YOur Ride Car Show / Fly In
May 20,2009 Luncheon
June 17, 2009 Luncheon
July 15, 2009 Luncheon
August 19, 2009 Luncheon
September 16, 2009 Luncheon
October 21, 2009 Luncheoon
October 23-25, 2009 Round-Up Days Festival
November 18, 2009 Luncheon
December 12-13, 2009 Renaissance Faire
December 16, 2009 Luncheon
PORTLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE:
May 2 KEDT-TV AUCTION
May 12 Fibromyalgia Support Group
Jun 9 Fibromyalgia Support Group
Jul 14 Fibromyalgia Support Group
Aug 11 Fibromyalgia Support Group
Sep 8 Fibromyalgia Support Group
Oct 13 Fibromyalgia Support Group
Coastal Bend Bays Foundation:
April 17, Earth Day-Bay Day Pre-Event Social. Sponsors, Exhibitors, Volunteers & Vendors are invited! 4:30-7:00pm
April 18, Earth Day-Bay Day 10th Anniversary.
April 28 - 30, Texas Bays & Estuaries Meeting. UTMSI, Port Aransas , www.gulfbase.org
May 11, Coastal Issues Forum
Texas Coastal Bend Regional Tourism Council:
April 28 - Palacious
May 26 - Barnhart Q5 Ranch, Berclair
June 23 - Corpus Christi
July 28 - Beeville
August 25 - Port Aransas
Sept 22 - Corpus Christi
Oct 27 - Cuero
Texas Tropical Trails:
April 21 Hidalgo Partner Event/Business Meeting -
To enjoy the tours of Hidalgo Viejo (Old Hidalgo) and the World Birding Center, the City of Hidalgo is providing a complimentary trolley with PA system for our group. You will be receiving more information about the Hidalgo event in the next few days.
May 19 Port Aransas Partner Event/Business Meeting -
Mark your calendars for May 19 and plan to join us in Port Aransas. We have a full day scheduled including tours of the new Port Aransas Museum, the Tarpon Inn, Chapel on the Hill and Old Town. The City of Port Aransas Parks & Recreation Department will provide a bus for these tours.
(www.texastropicaltrail.com)
Workforce Solutions & Naval Station Ingleside BRAC:
DATE CLASS TIME LAST DAY TO REGISTER
21 APR RESUME/COVER
LETTER WRITING 0700-1600 FRI, 17 APR
28 APR INTERVIEWING
TECHNIQUES 0700-1100 FRI, 24 APR
SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER - SBDC WORKSHOPS
MOST ARE FREE:
Go to: www.delmar.edu/cgi-bin/sbdcdata2.cgi
TROOPS TO TEACHERS PRESENTATION-
April 22 1-3 Navy College Bldg 101
Annual Career Expo-
April 23 9-3 Sunrise Mall
Choice Career Fair-
May 6 10-2 Ortiz Center
National Career Fair - June 9 10-2 Ortiz Center
COASTAL BEND CAREER FAIR - SPCEDC Sponsoring
June 24 10-6 Otriz Center
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San Patricio County Economic Development Corporation
P.O. Box 238
Gregory, Texas 78359
361-643-4744 Office
361-643-4394 Fax
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| Notes From Josephine |
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Dear Members,
Thanks so much for checking out our new "e" Newsletter. We are looking forward to keeping you informed and up to date with the latest news about economic development in San Patricio County. Also, check here for all of our scheduled meetings, read articles about our members, stay in touch with your Executive Commitee and Director, bring your ideas to the table and present breaking news from your community.
Love,
Josephine |
| TEXAS IN THE NEWS |
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Legislative Arena
Area Development Magazine states,
" This year will mark the clash of budget realities with the dire need for economic development. A down economy is precisely the situation that makes communities work harder to bring in jobs and investment. But 2009 will also be a time of revenue shortfalls and shrinking budgets, and the balance between them will not be even across all markets.
The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities reports 44 states face budget deficits in either fiscal year 2009 or 2010. The only staes expected to be in the black are Texas,
West Virginia, Montana, Alaska, Wyoming and North Dakota. "
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