Abilene Among Top US Cities for Small Business
October 14, 2009
by Celinda Emison, Abilene Reporter News
Best places ranking:
- No. 15 among small metro areas
- Abilene total population: 116,966
- Taylor County total population: 127,690
- Average household income: $49,474
- Median household Income: $37,663
- Per capita income: $18,966
- Effective buying income: $41,417
- Total households: 43,075
- For-profit private workers: 30,197 (63.07%)
- Nonprofit private workers: 5,732 (11.9%)
- Local government workers: 3,451 (7.21%)
- State government workers: 3,066 (6.40%)
- Federal government workers: 1,891 (3.95%)
- Self-employed workers: 3,322 (6.94%)
- Unpaid family workers: 219 (0.4%)
Source: Abilene Industrial Foundation
A diverse workforce, healthy business climate, low cost of living, and low unemployment rate are just a few reasons Abilene has earned the distinction of being one of the best small cities in the nation to start a small business.
Abilene was ranked No. 15 in the nation, according to a list released Wednesday on CNNMoney.com.
Abilene’s close proximity to Dallas/Fort Worth and to the largest wind farm in the world also are reasons the city is attractive to start-up businesses.
“We have wind, oil and gas, agriculture and industry,” said Judy Wilhelm, director of the Texas Tech Small Business Development Center. “The business atmosphere in Abilene makes it relatively easy to open a business.”
Overall, she said, Texas is a great place for business.
With three universities and two two-year colleges, Abilene essentially is growing its own workforce.
Brian Green, who opened Cypress Street Station in 1993 and was featured in the CNN story, knows all about the homegrown workforce. Green has employees from the TSTC culinary school and employs students from all of the local campuses.
“We have also employed people who are looking for a second chance and a better opportunity,” Green said. “We have all kinds of folks working here and they are the reason we are a success.”
Green is expanding his business to include the first microbrewery in Abilene and hopes to be open by the end of the month.
Abilene has several distinctions that other Texas cities do not have. Abilene was the first city in Texas to implement the half-cent sales tax, and local economic development professionals have worked hard to attract new employers by offering incentives that include training to employer retention and land acquisition.
“We deal primarily with industrial development, but when you bring the large manufacturers here, many times the smaller businesses come along,” said Gary Robinett, director of marketing and industrial recruitment at the Abilene Industrial Foundation.
Soon after Texas Tech University added a pharmacy school campus in Abilene, a biotechnology company launched in the city, and others are expected to follow.
“The sheer fact that the school is located here, it brings with it not just a school and students, it may bring faculty that could be developing other businesses,” Robinett said.
“Any time you can ‘plus-up’ somewhere, that is always a good thing.”
Wind energy is another huge plus for Abilene and the surrounding area, which is fast becoming one of the centers of green energy for the state and the nation.
“We are blessed with geography and we are very thankful for that,” Robinett said. “The wind companies know where they need to be.”
Abilene was among six Texas cities rated in the CNN story. Midland was ranked number six among the best small cities to launch a business.
Killeen was ranked number seven and Lubbock rated as 12th among the mid-size cities friendly to small business development. Houston was ranked number four and Austin was ranked eighth among the top large cities for launching a small business.
