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Located along the Interstate 35 corridor in McLennan County, Texas, Greater Waco is home to more than 14,000 companies, 241,505 people, and boasts a regional workforce of 327,000. Greater Waco's centralized location and easy access to Dallas/Ft. Worth, Austin, Houston and San Antonio make it a regional center of economic activity and an ideal community for both businesses and individuals.

Since 2006, Greater Waco has seen more than $1.5 billion in new industrial capital investments and $600+ million in riverfront and downtown development, making it an attractive place to live, work and play.

Top-ranked colleges and universities:
  • Baylor University
  • McLennan Community College
  • Texas State Technical College - Waco
  • Tarleton State University Waco
  • Texas Tech University Waco

The Greater Waco Chamber leads economic development efforts for the area, focusing on talent development and industry growth.

Five key target industries for growth:
  • Advanced Manufacturing
  • Aerospace and Defense
  • Health Care
  • Professional and Financial Services
  • Supply Chain Management.

This newsletter provides an overview of the current economic developments in Waco, including downtown happenings, unemployment rates, project announcements and more.
Waco Prospector
WacoProspector.com is an invaluable resource for commercial real estate listings and sales, providing in-depth demographics and market analysis. Tool options include: property lines, traffic counts, incentive zone boundaries, population, income thematic maps and more.
Customized Reports
Market Stats
Greater Waco's telescopic look into the economy.

(84 available reports)
Regional Labor Force:
2017: 324,703
2018: 327,131
Coca-Cola North America
Industry: Advanced Manufacturing
Market: National
Of Note: Coca-Cola is expanding its Waco facility to include the installation of a new "flexible brew" system. Until now, Coca-Cola solely utilized this process system in Japan, making the Waco site the first in North America and the western hemisphere to manufacture with this technology. The $10.5 million project includes added equipment, a facility expansion of 18,000 SF and the addition of 10 new positions to the existing 340-person workforce.
fairlife, LLC
Industry: Advanced Manufacturing
Market: National
Of Note: fairlife, LLC, a joint venture between The Coca-Cola Company and Select Milk Producers, will establish a manufacturing line in Waco, making it the company's first beverage production outside of Michigan. The $15 million project will be housed in the existing Coca-Cola facility.
Mars Wrigley Confectionery
Industry: Advanced Manufacturing
Market: National
Of Note: Mars Wrigley Confectionery has broken ground on a $30 million facility expansion needed to accommodate growing demand for Snickers, Skittles and Starburst. The 65,000 SF distribution project will create 10 new full-time positions, adding to the current workforce of more than 600 employees.
Brazos Iron Works
Industry: Manufacturing
Market: Regional
Of Note: Brazos Iron Works, a manufacturer of drilling equipment such as pressure vessels and heater treaters used in the oil and gas industry, has chosen Waco as the location of its production operation. The company has acquired 60,000 SF for its production facility and plans to hire 45 skilled employees over the next three years.
Arconic Fastening Systems & Rings
Industry: Advanced Manufacturing
Market: Global
Of Note: Arconic Fastening Systems & Rings will make significant investments in its Waco facility. Included in the $44.8 million project are $3.5 million in building upgrades and $41.3 million in new machinery and equipment. The renovations and modernized equipment will allow the company the ability to retain more than 400 employees and expand product offerings.
Swan Products
Industry: Manufacturing
Market: National
Of Note: Swan Products, a leading manufacturer in the lawn and garden industry, will begin a significant expansion of its Waco facility. The $14.45 million project will includes a 294,000 SF warehouse expansion and the addition of new production lines to accommodate growing consumer demand. In addition to retaining its 88-person workforce, the company will add 60 new
full-time positions.
Sherwin-Williams, Inc.
Industry: Distribution
Market: National
Of Note: Sherwin-Williams celebrated the grand opening of its state-of-the-art distribution facility in Waco. The 600,000 SF facility includes robotic systems, increasing efficiency and reducing physical impacts for the site's 320 employees.
Waco Ranked #2 on 2017 TripAdvisor "Top Destinations on the Rise" List
Waco is attracting visitors from far and wide! Waco was recognized by TripAdvisor in 2017 as the number two Top Destinations on the Rise in the U.S. Check out the full list here.
Greater Downtown Waco is booming! With more than $600 million invested in recent years and over two million visitors annually , Waco has truly become a destination city. Through implementation of a strategic vision, Waco is attracting great companies, talented people and continued interest to our unique community. Check out some of the new downtown eateries, living and shopping spaces below!
DINING
1102 Bubble
800 S. 7th St.
Specialty: Bubble Tea
Tesla's Cafe & Coffee Pub
1316 Washington Ave.
Specialty : Southwestern-style eats
Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream
215 S. University Parks
Dr., Ste. 105
Specialty : Liquid nitrogen-frozen ice cream
Chills 360
1508 Speight Ave.
Specialty: Thai-inspired ice cream rolls
Guess Family Barbecue
324 S. 6th St.
Specialty : Old school
 classic barbecue
Amo La Pizza
300 S. 6th St.
Specialty : Pizza and flatbreads
Milo All Day (coming soon!)
1020 Franklin Ave.
Specialty: Farm-to-table Southern cuisine
Bare Arms Brewing
2515 La Salle Ave.
Specialty: Local craft beer
LIVING/SHOPPING
ADORN Boutique
804 Austin Ave.
Virage Goldsmith
608B Austin Ave.
Waco Pedal Tours
711 Washington Ave.
Refit
1522 Washington Ave.
1324 La Salle Avenue
Commercial Development Land

Specifications:
  • Land: 9.942 acres (433,073 sq. ft.)
  • Zoning: O-2 (Office Residence District)
  • La Salle Avenue frontage:
360' +/-
  • South 12th Street frontage:
360' +/-
  • Near multiple proposed office/retail developments
  • Close proximity to Baylor University student housing
  • Less than one mile from I-35
  • One mile from Magnolia Table Restaurant (formerly Elite Cafe)
  • Asking Price: $1,900,000

Visit WacoProspector.com for more information.
  • More than two million people visited local attractions in 2017
  • Greater Waco has seen more than 74 months of economic growth since 2012
  • Waco is home to Dr Pepper
  • Home to the sweetest smelling industrial park in Texas, Mars Wrigley Confectionery (produces Skittles, Starburst and Snickers) and Coca-Cola North America (produces Minute Maid, Powerade and Vitamin Water
Greater Waco Chamber Publications
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