Texas Economic Development Council honors the DCOA with the Community Economic Development Award for Innovativeness

Abilene, Texas — The Development Corporation of Abilene (DCOA) board and staff team are proud to announce they have been recognized with the 2021 Community Economic Development Award (CEDA) for Innovativeness by the Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) for their work in attracting Great Lakes Cheese (GLC) to Abilene, Texas.

The DCOA worked with multiple agencies and partners to obtain approval for this project, the most significant economic win in the DCOA’s 30-year history. As a result, Great Lakes Cheese (GLC) plans to build and open a 286,500 square foot state-of-the-art cheese packaging and distribution facility in Abilene. The $184.5 million project will be located in the DCOA’s Access Business Park. In addition to the funding approved by the DCOA Board of Directors and City Council, this project benefits from receiving both a Veteran’s Fund and a Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) grant from the office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott. TEF grants are deal-closing grants given to companies considering locating to Texas from competing out-of-state sites.

“When we began to pursue this project, Abilene faced some major obstacles,” said Misty Mayo, President and Chief Executive Officer of the DCOA. “GLC was not only looking for a community within two hours of Dallas/Fort Worth, but also a shovel-ready site. Our approach was innovative, bold and direct, which ultimately proved why Abilene was the place for GLC’s long-term investment. This award represents our commitment to the community, and our community’s dedication to growth.”

The Community Economic Development Award program recognizes exceptional contributions of TEDC member cities toward the economic vitality of their communities and the state of Texas through creativity, leadership, and partnership in the achievement of business retention, business recruitment, and community improvement.

“Our Community Economic Development Award is one of the ways in which our organization honors the excellent work done by our communities, their leaders, and their economic development professionals,” noted Greg Sims, 2021 Chair of the Texas Economic Development Council. “Each community nominated achieved excellence in economic development and substantially improved the economic base of their respective regions.”

The CEDA committee received fifty-five applications this year; of those, Abilene’s was chosen. Nominees were judged on five criteria: innovativeness, transferability, community commitment and leverage, measured objectives, and secondary benefits.

“Misty Mayo and the DCOA team work tirelessly on Abilene’s behalf looking for projects and expanding companies to further our community,” said Jack Rich, DCOA Board Chair. “From leveraging local relationships, creating dynamic partnerships, and relying on their expertise: many factors went into not only attracting GLC to Abilene, but for receiving this competitive and impressive award. This award solidifies their hard work and dedication to using economic development as a catalyst for positive growth in Abilene.”

About the Development Corporation of Abilene

The DCOA is the economic development driver of Abilene with the goal to increase job opportunities and capital investments as well as recruit and retain companies for Abilene. The DCOA is focused on the future success of Abilene. Learn more about the DCOA at: www.abilenedcoa.com.

About DevelopAbilene

DevelopAbilene is a unified brand for the Development Corporation of Abilene’s (DCOA) partner organizations that work together to bring business to Abilene. DevelopAbilene is led by the DCOA, empowering partner organizations to implement key strategies to create primary jobs and prosperity in Abilene. The DevelopAbilene Team consists of the City of Abilene, Abilene Chamber of Commerce, Abilene Industrial Foundation, Abilene Regional Airport, Military Affairs Committee, and Texas Tech Small Business Development Center.

About Abilene

Abilene, Texas is centrally located in the state, directly on I-20 just a two and half hours from the Dallas/Fort Worth metro. The city has a population of 121,617 people, and has a labor shed of over 140,000.