WALLER COUNTY, TX (Covering Katy News) — The Waller County Economic Development Partnership (WCEDP) is making great strides in attracting substantial industrial projects to the Katy area, a crucial move as the Houston metro area continues to expand westward.
The WCEDP’s primary focus on industrial growth has contributed to the county and city's ability to consistently reduce tax rates.
“We have some great projects with the City of Katy,” said Vince Yokom, Executive Director of the WCEDP. “We worked together to attract Southern Glazers to the West 10 Business Park and Amazon to Katy, within Waller County.”
This industrial growth is enabling the City of Katy to extend its boundaries westward through annexation.
“This expansion into Waller County sets the stage for even more great projects,” Yokom added.
WCEDP partners Clay Development and Falcon Development have recently added nearly 2 million square feet of speculative (spec) building space, anticipating demand from companies needing ready-to-occupy facilities.
“Our spec building program has generated more than 10 million square feet of industrial space and has allowed us to compete for top projects,” Yokom said. “Clay Development is adding another 767,000 square feet in the Twinwood Industrial Park, bringing the total spec space developed by Clay in Twinwood to over 1.2 million square feet.”
Falcon Development’s Kingsland Ranch Logistics Center is also planning to add 500,000 square feet.
“The combination of significant residential growth, good schools, and business-friendly municipalities makes West Katy/Waller County—also known as the West Houston industrial submarket—a prime location for corporate expansion,” said Ben Newell of Falcon Development.
Coloplast, a Danish company specializing in medical devices, has recently established its U.S. distribution center in one of the spec buildings at Kingsland Ranch.
In addition, a new spec building developed by WCEDP partners The Welcome Group and contractors KDW has become the U.S. headquarters for Elin Energy, one of Europe’s largest solar panel manufacturers, now located in Waller County.
Dennis Spellman, Covering Katy News
Ercan Kalafat, Elin Energy CEO, inside of the company's solar panel manufacturing plant in Waller County.
KDW has been instrumental in developing the MAN headquarters and Goya Foods of Texas headquarters in Waller County. These industrial projects have created thousands of jobs, spurring new residential developments and increasing local spending in Katy and Brookshire.
“We really value our partners and always want to bring them into projects and support their work whenever we can,” Yokom said. “Counties have limited development power, so our partners really make things happen.”
The ongoing partnership with the City of Katy is expected to pave the way for further expansion and provide a solid foundation for future industrial development in Waller County.
“We believe Katy’s future is in Waller County,” Yokom said. “I’m glad we have such a great working relationship with the City.”
The WCEDP’s vision is to cultivate a strong local economy by attracting and retaining top companies that offer quality jobs while maintaining environmental responsibility. According to the WCEDP, a good quality of life begins with having a good job.