However, much of Friday’s Zoom session focused on economic developments and Waco’s readiness to fill positions in case major employers call. Sam Brown, an executive with the First National Bank of Central Texas and a corporate lender, praised Collins’s efforts to attract businesses. Recent examples include billionaire Elon Musk’s announcement that he is building a rocket construction facility alongside his SpaceX rocket test facility in McGregor, a move that will add 400 people to the company’s payroll.
California-based C2A Modular will invest $ 30 million to build a facility in Waco near the Amazon fulfillment center that is nearing completion. It will include a covered car park temperature controlled with solar panels and a helipad.
But Brown and others said companies around Waco and beyond are desperately looking for employees to fill begging positions. Brown wondered how Greater Waco could meet the work demands of a large factory.
According to Collins, Waco has four aces up its sleeve: McLennan Community College, Baylor University, Texas State Technical College, and Fort Hood, which is laying off 700 to 800 soldiers a month who may need employment.
She said companies considering Waco can enlist a regional workforce represented by the 900,000 people who live in a seven-county area.
Musk’s affinity with Texas, and central Texas in particular, led Collins to foretell further important announcements. Musk announced this week that it is moving Tesla headquarters from Palo Alto, California to Austin, where work has begun on the Texas Gigafactory to produce the Tesla Cybertruck and Tesla Semi.
