SEGUIN, Texas – Seguin has over 8,000 manufacturing jobs and city officials say more are on the horizon.
City officials say its proximity between major Texas cities is catching the eye of different manufacturing companies.
“Thirty-five minutes from downtown San Antonio. About an hour south of Austin, that really enables manufacturers to get their goods into growing markets as well. But even outside of that proximity to the Port of Houston, which is about two and a half, three hours away. And then proximity to the U.S. Mexico Border,” said Josh Schneuker, Executive Director of the Seguin Economic Development Corporation.
Schneuker said there are more than 30 manufacturing companies in Seguin, including CMC Steel Texas, which opened in 1947.
“People think our steel mills are shoveling coal, what it was in the turn of the century, and it’s not. These are high-tech manufacturing jobs,” said Bill Vanderwaal, Director of Mill Operations, CMC Steel Texas. “We do merchant product that goes to building trailers and then rebars goes into construction of buildings, highways, bridges.”
The company currently employs about 850 and Vanderwaal said there are many benefits to having their site in Seguin.
“I think the biggest part is accessibility. In the leadership of city and county. Everybody is accessible and you get your questions answered. Access again. The reason we came in the first place is the highways. The railroad. Everything is here for you to move your products,” Vanderwaal said.
Vanderwaal welcomes the growth of Seguin.
“We are definitely on the growth again, and looking forward to seeing what that brings. What our employees of the future and where they come from. Its exciting,” Vanderwaal said.
Seguin is also bringing programs to help build the future workforce.
“Up in New Braunfels, actually, is the Central Texas Technology Center. And at that campus, we partner with Texas State Technical College to actually deliver a program called the Texas Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (TX FAME). We have a brand-new chapter that we’ve started out here in partnership with the city of New Braunfels and the New Braunfels Economic Development Corporation to support really providing the skill sets and degrees that are needed to be successful in the manufacturing industry,” Schneuker said.