Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D., joined Hillwood and local leaders on Oct. 19 to break ground on Ranger 35, a major industrial development in Waxahachie, according to a news release from the Texas General Land Office (GLO).
The agency said the project is intended to put Texas land to work by creating jobs, attracting investment and expanding the state’s manufacturing capacity.
According to the release, Ranger 35 is expected to create as many as 10,000 permanent on-site jobs. The GLO said that during development and stabilization, the project could generate up to $1.5 billion in regional economic activity.
“Texas has the land, the resources, the energy and the workforce to build the future right here at home. Today’s groundbreaking is about turning those Texas advantages into action. By working with developers like Hillwood, we are putting land to work, bringing investment to our communities and creating good-paying jobs for Texans,” Buckingham said. “Texas has been building America for generations, and we’re not slowing down. This is exactly what The Texas Engine is all about—building more, manufacturing more, and creating more opportunity right here in Texas.”
The GLO said the groundbreaking marks another step in Buckingham’s The Texas Engine: Fueled, Fed, and Fortified initiative, which the agency described as leveraging Texas land, resources and ingenuity to strengthen industries essential to Texas and the nation. Through the initiative, the agency said, the GLO is working with developers, manufacturers, economic development organizations and other industry partners to identify sites and opportunities that can strengthen domestic manufacturing.
The release noted that the GLO manages more than 13 million acres of state land and minerals and puts those assets to work generating revenue for the Permanent School Fund, which supports Texas public education.
The agency also pointed to Goose Creek as another GLO-related industrial development. According to the release, development there has generated nearly 600 temporary construction jobs, almost all filled locally. Depending on the eventual user, the site could support as many as 700 full-time jobs, particularly if secured for light manufacturing, and generate an estimated $150 million in annual regional economic output, the GLO said.
The agency said such developments can also generate millions of dollars for the Permanent School Fund.