Officials with the city, Williamson County and state discussed current economic development trends and the shift toward advanced manufacturing at the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce Cornerstone Luncheon on June 25.
The discussion
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Williamson County and the city of Georgetown have experienced a market shift from office jobs to advanced manufacturing positions amid an extended period of population growth, Williamson County Economic Development Coordinator Dave Porter said.
“There's not a market more on fire right now in terms of economic development than Georgetown and Williamson County,” he said.
This change is largely driven by corporations such as Samsung Electronics and Tesla, which have made Williamson County a home base for their manufacturing operations. Other large projects, including Pegatron and Compal, are in the works, as well.
Williamson County’s population grew from roughly 692,000 at the end of 2022 to nearly 750,000 today, and is projected to reach between 1 million and 1.1 million residents within the next 10 years, Porter said.
“Our demographics in Williamson County are perfect for advanced manufacturing,” said Cameron Goodman, director of economic development for Georgetown. “Advanced manufacturing wants highly skilled labor, highly educated labor and Williamson County meets both of those qualifications.”
Both area cities and the county have prioritized creating local job opportunities when developing economic incentive agreements with companies, Porter said. For companies based outside the United States, 90% of their workforces come from Williamson County, he said.
Something to note
Local school districts, including Georgetown ISD, and area colleges, also provide workforce development opportunities, the leaders said. Additionally, they encourage businesses to offer internship programs.
“One of the things the county requires for an incentive is that the company offer internships or apprenticeships—up to 10 positions a year—for high school students,” Porter said. “We want to continue to help educate the students on the future of manufacturing.”
One more thing
In addition to bringing new companies to the area, officials highlighted the career paths that already exist locally.
Porter said there are over 15,000 businesses in Williamson County, and 75%-80% of job opportunities come from existing businesses.
“It's just a great place where we don't want to change it,” Goodman said. “We want to make it the best version of itself.”
