Cass County Connections

Our regional economic outlook

I’m not an economist but I pay attention to certain trends and metrics in our county and broader region to keep my fingers on the pulse of our local economy. While some aspects of the national and global economy have a pronounced impact on Cass County, we remain somewhat insulated from a lot of the ups and downs we see on the national news. Certainly when gas prices and inflation are high, that makes everything else high. In spite of inflation and high energy costs, the economy of Cass County is steadily clicking along. Red River Army Depot (RRAD), businesses at the TexAmericas Center, Cooper Tire, and the Timber industry are all significant drivers of the local economy in Cass County and the region as a whole. Smalltown, USA is a great place to live and raise a family, locate and grow a business, or visit and relax. Having somewhere to earn a living is part of pursuing the American dream. Knowing where jobs are now is just as important as knowing where jobs will be in the future.

Each month I receive the unemployment data for the region. This is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission through Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas where I serve on the chief elected officers board. Our region includes Bowie, Cass, Red River, Lamar, Titus, Franklin, Morris, and Camp Counties. Unemployment rate is just one data point that contributes to the larger picture of economic health. Our region currently has an unemployment rate of 4.4% with a total workforce of around 120,000. As baby boomers retire at a significant rate, we are seeing a decline in available workers, although many have gone back to work due to the high cost of living and inflation that is outpacing their retirement pensions.

The projected top ten fastest growing industries in our region (% Growth 2020-2030) include: Outpatient care centers projected to grow 37.6% Motor vehicle body and trailer manufacturing by 35.6% Motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies merchant wholesalers 32.8% Individual and family services 31.8% Leisure and hospitality 23.7% Dentist Offices are projected to grow 23.3% Building material and supplies dealers 22.9% Services to buildings and dwellings 21.9% Professional and business services 20% We all want our children to have things a little better than we had. Education is workforce training and workforce training is an important part of economic development. This week, I attended a meeting hosted by US Congressman Nathanial Moran, our Representative in Washington for House District one. Representatives from the Cities of Nash and Texarkana also attended as well as representatives from the TexAmericas Center, ArTex REDI, the Texarkana Regional Chamber of Commerce, Texarkana College, and Texas A&M-Texarkana. It is important to work with regional stakeholders and understand the broader picture. No city or county is an island and we enjoy the benefits of economic success regionally. Knowing where opportunity is on the horizon can help us better prepare the future workforce and consequently, our region, for success. Some of our region’s larger employers and economic development assets are listed below.

TexAmericas Center is one of the largest mixed-use industrial parks in the Americas, with 12,000 acres and 3.5 million square feet of commercial and industrial property. Their mission is to create 12,000 jobs on their footprint by redeveloping former Department of Defense property into functional space for commercial and industrial businesses. TexAmericas Center is actively accomplishing this mission, with 33 corporate citizens and over 1.1 million square feet of space leased. About 8% of the workforce at TexAmericas Center and Red River Army Depot are Cass County residents.

Red River Army Depot, located in Texarkana, Texas, was originally established as an ammunition facility: however, due to the demands of World War II, the mission was expanded to include general supply storage and tank repair. Today, a dedicated workforce of more than 3,500 people are engaged in work ranging from producing timber to remanufacturing the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle. The depot occupies 15,375 acres, houses more than 1,400 buildings and is host to 16 tenant organizations. Today, their mission is to sustain the Warfighter’s combat power by providing ground combat and tactical systems sustainment maintenance operations.

Cooper Tires is part of the Goodyear tire company and the Texarkana plant has produced over 400-million tires since it opened 60 years ago. They also employ around 1700 employees from our region and remain one of the best options for an all American-made small truck tire. A large number of employees make Cass County their home.

Located in Cass County, GP provides sustainable packaging solutions for hundreds of the world’s most recognized brands. You’ve probably purchased food, beverages or other consumer products sold in their cartons, trays, and cups. GP is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of paperboard, folding cartons, foodservice packaging, microwave cooking solutions and packaging machinery.

AR-TX REDI is a non-profit group born from a unified vision for the future of Northeast Texas and Southwest Arkansas. They are committed to helping businesses connect with economic development opportunities throughout the entire Texarkana region.

The SBDC has a location inside City Hall in Atlanta, Texas. Its mission is to accelerate the Northeast Texas economy by helping entrepreneurs grow sustainable businesses. Working with your local SBDC is the smart way to start or run a small business. Make an appointment with the Northeast Texas SBDC to obtain customized, one-on-one assistance in a confidential meeting with their expert business advisors. All services provided by Northeast Texas SBDC are at no cost to entrepreneurs or small businesses.