You’re only as strong as your team. And a company is only as strong as its workforce. We know businesses, cities, educators, non-profits and everyone in between is constantly looking for the right talent who will stick around and be assets for their organization. But it is tough! With low unemployment, labor participation and new generations entering the workforce, the challenges of recruiting, retaining and engaging employees can be daunting and harmful to a business.

The Amarillo Economic Development Corporation (EDC) today announced the reinvestment of funding originally awarded to the Fairly Group in an agreement reached in 2017. The agreement provided Fairly Group funds to allow for the expansion of high-quality jobs at its Amarillo headquarters. In the past year, the agreement has produced $27,000 for the company.

The Metro-Amarillo economy recognized an accelerated rate of growth in 2018, surging to 2.8%. In a report, released today by the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) and prepared by Mark Snead, President of RegionTrack, data describes that the reported growth rate outpaces the national average of 1.6% for the same twelve-month period.

Lloyd Brown, CEO of Integrated Advantage Group and co-founder of Smart Chemical Services, is the newest member of the Amarillo EDC’s Board of Directors. He was a member of the Amarillo JCs, president of the Amarillo Club, and currently serves on the church board at Pinnacle Community Church.

The Amarillo Independent School District (AISD) Board of Trustees voted Thursday evening to approve the school district’s financial participation in the THRIVE Amarillo Scholarship program.

College just got a little more affordable.

A new scholarship with Amarillo College, THRIVE, will allow more than 8,500 students to receive two years of college courses at no charge. The scholarship, which covers the next six years, is a "last money in" tuition assistance program that applies to 60 hours of tuition, books, and even fees at AC. 

Yesterday, the Amarillo City Council approved an amendment that could bring hundreds into Amarillo and shape the city as a foundation for educational growth. The amendment, which altered the 2016 agreement between the Texas Tech University System and the Amarillo EDC, will provide an investment of up to $69 million to ensure the construction of the Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine (TTU SVM) in Amarillo.

There’s a little P.T. Barnum in all of us. We all tend to think our hometown is the greatest show on earth. And while a good dose of hyperbole plays a role in burnishing a city’s image, businesses dig much deeper when making serious moves involving startups or expansions in new locations.

On the northwestern edge of Amarillo, Texas, a collection of massive buildings looks out toward an unrolling landscape of arroyos, mesas and flickering yellow grass. Scanning this broken terrain, a visitor may think not much has changed here since the nineteenth century. In fact, Billy the Kid used to ride among these very gullies. But Billy himself would likely be shocked to learn that, inside these modern structures, some of the most advanced brain studies in the nation are being conducted.

Elizabeth Carter is a millennial and Amarillo native. She attended Texas Christian University in Fort Worth and received her bachelor’s degree in Fashion Merchandising and Degree. Following graduation, Carter moved to Dallas. After several years, however, she relocated back to Amarillo. She has remained here ever since.