Betenbough Homes - Odessa, TX | Economic Development
Transcription
Betenbough Homes - Odessa, TX | Economic Development
Odessa Chamber of Commerce Economic Development October 2015 Betenbough Homes Subscribe Intro 2 Letter from the Director Scott Jones Economic Development Director The purpose of this electronic flipbook is to educate the community about how education, workforce, quality of life, safety, cost of living, business development and business retention all affect Odessa’s economic development. We will feature partner organizations such as the Greater Odessa, Black and Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, the Odessa Development Corporation, UTPB’s Small Business Development Center and other partner organizations that work together for the betterment of our city. Economic development is somewhat misunderstood inside and outside our community, but what it boils down to is creating quality jobs. By quality jobs, we mean those that pay above average wages for the location, because higher wages result in more disposable income resulting in more sales and ad valorem (property) tax revenues. Those increased revenues make funds available to enhance our quality of life by providing better schools, more healthcare options, better parks and recreation opportunities. By increasing capital investment in the form of real estate, equipment and machinery, the ad valorem and personal property tax valuations and revenues increase. But economic development isn’t accomplished by just one group; it is a joint effort of stakeholders who provide input and work toward common goals. Our City and the above listed organizations all work as a team to determine economic development goals and objectives, opportunities, threats, incentives and solutions. Our area’s interested business owners, civic leaders, entrepreneurs, employees, elected officials and economic development professionals all invest significant time and effort into creating an environment where new business can flourish and their workers and families can proudly call home. It is the responsibility of your Economic Development Department to coordinate and lead those efforts, providing direction and supporting these joint efforts. We work as liaisons between entities when recruiting new businesses to Odessa, providing assistance to existing businesses interested in expansion or retention, working with local educators to provide programs to develop or enhance a skilled workforce, developing shovel-ready sites for businesses to locate and counseling stakeholders on important economic and social issues. We act as spokespersons spreading the message about Odessa’s attributes, locally, nationally and internationally and promote Odessa as “the right place” to be in Texas. These efforts require specific skills. Your ED Department employs professionals highly trained in various areas of expertise to provide Odessa the best opportunity to meet its economic development objectives. Those objectives are determined by the City of Odessa and the Odessa Development Corporation, a non-profit entity authorized and funded by the State of Texas to provide economic development activities and opportunities for businesses and residents. The City of Odessa and the Odessa Development Corporation contracts with the Greater Chamber economic development department to provide those economic development services, and has been highly successful in recruiting and retaining businesses, creating jobs and capital investment in Odessa for decades. As we look to the future, economic development goals are changing. Energy resources in the Permian are our most important commodity, which is often subject to large fluctuations in supply and demand. In order to build a longterm, resilient economic foundation Odessa must diversify. In recent history, technologies like plastics production, metal manufacturing/fabrication, and health sciences have led previous diversification, whether by design or circumstance. Your ED Department is pursuing all of these opportunities to create quality jobs and capital investment that will create a return on investment and make Odessa a better place to work and live. Rest assured that this process is long-term, costly, and complex. But, the more our message about Odessa’s wealth of strengths, opportunities, and its residents’ can-do attitude is promoted nationally and internationally, the more interest in locating or relocating businesses will be derived; which is our collective responsibility. So relay the message, spread it wide and with enthusiasm, "Odessa is open for business!" Scott Index Index 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 16 17 18 19 Workforce Commission Odessa College Drive To Success Meta Majors Fast & Focused Education Partnership Downtown Odessa Odessa Police Department Betenbough Homes Q & A New Developments Quarterly ED Updates Economic Indicators Odessa Development Corp. 3 Workforce 4 Texas Workforce Commission Willie Taylor CEO Workforce Solutions Building Partnerships to Address Skill Shortages For the past five years, the Odessa and Midland MSAs have enjoyed the lowest unemployment rates in Texas and the U.S. However, with the lowest unemployment rate comes issues with maintaining a skilled workforce to address local employer’s needs. Through partnerships with Odessa College, Ector County ISD, and Community Based Organizations, we are training our own to bridge the skills gap between employee’s abilities and employer’s needs. The Workforce Board has been a strong supporter of the Dual Credit Career/ Technology programs and provided over $125,000 in scholarship funds. For the past two years, Odessa College has seen over 400 youth enrolling in the Dual Credit Career/Technology programs. These students are receiving training in these occupations identified on the Board’s Targeted Occupations List: • Welding • Machinist • Electrical • Diesel • Automotive • Safety The Workforce Board partners with the Odessa Chamber Economic Development Department to host the area’s Red, White and You Veterans job fair. This is a statewide initiative to encourage employers to hire a veteran. This year’s job fair is November 12, 2015. The Workforce Board clearly has a big picture view when it comes to focusing on our local industry needs. Our mission statement is “Investing In The Future Through Jobs and Training”. Our Workforce Solutions Offices serves over 20,000 job seekers annually, with an average job placement of 650-700 per month. Our system integrates several workforce related serves to assist employers and job seekers. When you look at the Workforce Board’s $12,500,000 budget, $6,800,000 is for subsidized Child Care assistance for working families and those who are in job training programs. Child Care is a critical need that must be met if our community is going to expand our workforce population. The Board provides scholarships for individuals who work for Child Care providers through Odessa College. We offer Child Care conferences twice a year on topics designed to improve the quality of care provided to our youngest citizens. As we begin transitioning from having the lowest unemployment rate in the State to seeing an increase in our unemployment due to layoffs in the Oil and Gas industry, our local Workforce Solution Offices are encouraging dislocated workers to enroll in training programs from the Board’s Targeted Occupation list. We are seeing individuals go into teaching, medical occupations, truck driving, computer programming and other occupations. The Offices host job fairs for local companies to further aid in connecting job seekers with employers. It is during these particular times that we see the need to enhance our efforts to bring about economic diversification. For more information on training and other resources, visit the Texas Workforce Solutions Website: workforcepb.org Education Odessa College Dr. Gregory Williams President Can a community college in West Texas create a learning environment and educational system that transforms a community, impacts its local economy, alters the landscape of higher education and eventually changes the nation and the world? Is Odessa College prepared to innovate and to “think different”* in order to address the disparities in our region? We have no choice. Our nation’s current educational systems, educational values, and expected educational outcomes have not and are not doing enough to prepare our students and our communities for the changes that are happening in our world and in this global economy. We have to be prepared to train and educate students for jobs that don’t even exist. There certainly was a time in our nation’s history when education was optional and was not the only predictor of lifetime success. One could always work harder, take more risks, and use other skills to compensate for a lack of traditional education. Those days have changed and will continue to change as we move forward in a highly competitive global economy. By 2018, the majority of job openings will require workers with at least some college education (Projection of Jobs and Education Requirements Through 2018, Georgetown University, 2010). More and more employers are expecting a skilled and trained workforce. At Odessa College our goal is to remove every barrier, and change every traditional rule or expectation. We must change the educational landscape. We must be nimble in our response to our students, our community, our stakeholders – including K-12 and business & industry. Standard higher education, designed using the agrarian system and serving an elite group of families, does not truly transform lives or communities. To affect change, we must give all families an equal opportunity to access education and achieve success – education is the answer to addressing critical workforce needs while improving the quality of life in our communities. We are challenged to “think different”* and think differently as we serve a diverse and unique population – OC Global enables deployed soldiers to continue courses online; Weekend College allows full-time employees to earn a degree or enhance their skills in preparation for upward mobility; As an integral part of Odessa College’s innovative Design 4 Completion (D4C) program, MetaMajors are unique degree pathways that are aligned with business and industry, as well as the new high school endorsements; and Fast and Focused Eight Week Courses provide all students new flexibility and opportunities to accelerate time to degree completion. Additionally, our creative business and industry partnerships maximize scholarship and leverage the latest technologies - and allow us to develop exciting programs such as Drive To Success®, which enhance student engagement in the entire college-going culture. Our passion to innovate is testament to the college’s commitment to challenge, rethink, question and improve higher education. 5 Education 6 Education 7 Education 8 Education 9 Community 10 The Road to Revitalization Downtown Odessa, Inc. A new direction for Downtown Odessa Odessa’s story began when the Texas & Pacific Railroad headed west from Fort Worth in the early 1800’s. As the railroad tracks were expanded into West Texas, Odessa became known as a market center for wheat and the small town was born in 1886. Like so many other cities around the nation, Odessa’s roots were planted in downtown. Today, the city is concentrating its efforts on revitalizing Downtown Odessa as part of a large-scale and multi-phase master plan. Why downtown? The city is aiming to capture and maintain its small-town nostalgia while capitalizing on the city’s rapid growth from the recent uptick in oil drilling and constant oil production. “Preserving Downtown Odessa’s rich history and revitalizing the area has always been a goal for many of our residents and the city,” said Michael Marrero, city of Odessa deputy city manager. In October 2014, the city absorbed Downtown Odessa, Inc., formerly Main Street Odessa, a nonprofit dedicated to the revitalization of Downtown Odessa. The city and the nonprofit partnership took a new direction toward economic development for the area by kick-starting its plans for a hotel and convention center in downtown and crafting attractive incentive packages for multi-family developers, restaurants and retail development. Downtown Odessa, Inc. Director Gloria Hernandez joined the City of Odessa in January 2015 to assist the city in its mission to create a vibrant downtown. Downtown Odessa, Inc. is focused on creating more community events to bring residents and visitors downtown, as well as assisting the city in strategic economic development. “Downtown Odessa really is the heart of the city,” Hernandez said. “An estimated 20,000 people live just south of downtown, between Interstate 20, which is just three minutes away. We have about another 30,000 people living in West Odessa, in addition to an estimated 8,000 employees that come to work downtown, all who need more dining and retail options.” Downtown Odessa maintains the hustle-and-bustle of any vibrant downtown. The 5th Street Corridor connects its growing medical districts – Medical Center Health System to Odessa Regional Medical Center. More than 17,000 vehicles pass through the heart of Downtown Odessa daily, ranking it among the highly traveled roadways in the city, according to a 2013 Texas Department of Transportation traffic study. “Downtown Odessa works for our young professionals, medical staff, lawyers and residents who are looking for the live, work and play atmosphere,” Hernandez said. The city’s planned hotel and convention center with dining in the heart of downtown, on Texas Avenue, would be a catalyst for downtown economic development. In the city’s master plan, apartments and lofts in downtown are simultaneously being recruited, in addition to dining and retail options. Downtown Odessa, Inc., as a nonprofit, has hired Opportunity Strategies, a strategic planning firm, to assist the nonprofit and board in its new direction and partnership with the city. The three-year strategic plan will provide the nonprofit with five to seven goals that can be accomplished in the efforts to revitalize downtown. The plan is expected to be ready before the end of the year. Downtown Odessa, Inc. and the City of Odessa issued a Request for Proposal for an urban planner on September 23, 2015. The urban planner is tasked with implementing design standards, as well as development of a streetscape design, opportunities and creation of downtown districts, such as entertainment, arts, urban living and restaurant and retail. “We recognize that our growing population is seeking more shopping, dining and entertainment,” Marrero said. “Revitalizing downtown will provide those options and continue to grow our sales tax while generating a new tax base for the city,” Marrero said. For more information, call 432-335-4682 or visit www. odessa-tx.gov/downtownodessa Follow Downtown Odessa online! Safety Economic Development, Quality of Life and Crime Tim Burton Chief of Police I would like to thank the Economic Development Pulse Magazine for the opportunity to contribute. Congratulations on expanding the conversation about economic development in our City. My first effort will address in very broad terms the correlation between crime and other socio-economic factors affecting the City of Odessa. I will discuss in more specific ways public safety in our community and the work of your Police Department in future articles. Economic development and quality of life are parallel concepts. They graph in unison in most urban environments in the United States. Intelligent economic development enhances quality of life. In turn quality of life supports growth in economic opportunity. The reverse also holds true. A decline in one triggers a decrease in the other. Both concepts share a dependence on many socioeconomic factors. Four primary factors are public safety, education, health/healthcare and employment. These four are determinants of the City’s ability to grow economically in a diverse and productive way. They are prerequisite for sustained economic development and improvement in livability. Crime has proximate and distal causes. Proximate causes are conditions that are accessible and easily identifiable. Examples of proximate causes are the presence of a supply of illegal drugs, a permanent known offender population, organized criminal gangs and affiliates, available cash and goods and high risk social behavior. Distal or foundational causes are a product of the aggregate socio-economic factors in the community. Factors include education levels, literacy, drop-out rates, teen pregnancy, family dysfunction, job opportunities, employment rates, health, healthcare, substance abuse rates, distressed neighborhoods, income levels and infrastructure. Crime manifests itself in proximate causes but exists as a result of socio-economic issues. The Police Department is designed to address proximate causes in proactive and reactive ways. The Police Department is only one component in rectifying distal causes of crime. A comprehensive, coordinated and intensive public/ private sector effort is required to rectify the fundamental social conditions which are the true causes of crime. The creation of an inviting environment for economic development and an improved quality of life requires public safety, healthy lifestyles, an educated populace and diverse, sustainable job opportunities. Confronting the proximate and distal causes of crime simultaneously and with real commitment is the path to a more prosperous and livable City. Keep up with the Odessa PD! The Odessa Police Department is using social media to build safer neighborhoods in your community. NextDoor is a private, social network that residents can use to get the latest updates straight from the Odessa Police as news happens. The Police Department has partnered with NextDoor.com to communicate directly with residents and provide a resource for Odessa neighborhoods to work together to keep their families safe. Residents can also use the online network to do the following: • Get the word out about a break-in • Receive alerts of criminal activity down your street or neighborhood • Organize a Neighborhood Watch Group • Ask for help keeping an eye out for a lost dog • Find a new home for an outgrown bike • Ability to send private messages to OPD in reference to tips or concerns about neighborhood issues Join NextDoor today to help your community prevent and stop crime! You can also follow the City of Odessa Facebook page to get news instantly on your timeline. https://nextdoor.com/agency/tx/odessa/odessapolice-department/ https://www.facebook.com/cityofodessatx?fref=ts 11 Quality of Life 12 Quality of Life Betenbough Homes Kathryn Miller New Home Sales Manager 1. What prompted Ron and Rick Betenbough to establish Betenbough Homes? Betenbough Homes was founded in 1992 when father and son, Ron and Rick Betenbough, teamed up to deliver quality homes at the most competitive price. The pair built 11 homes that inaugural year and 53 homes the following year, launching a business built on providing individuals with an unparalleled home buying experience. Now, almost 24 years later, Betenbough Homes has built 6,500 homes in communities across West Texas. Throughout the years, the Betenboughs established a faith-based, employee-owned company committed to build, serve and impact the communities it calls home. 2. How has the current economy affected your company? Betenbough Homes continually strives to build the highest quality homes at affordable prices. Since Betenbough Homes is comprised of families building homes for families, our customers are at the heart of our decisions and we endlessly strive to keep homes affordable for the Odessa community. Despite changes in the market, we have been blessed to remain busy as home buyers continue to trust us to build their brand new homes. Our company highly values its strong relationship with its trade partners, the subcontractors which build our homes. We host several trade partner appreciation events throughout the year including lunches and a holiday event, to get to know our trade partners better and express how grateful we are for their work. Due to our efforts, we are able to continually keep a strong trade base. Today, as a result of our construction systems, we are able to offer consistent work to our trade partners, which benefits the individuals and their families. 3. Are there any consumer trends that have taken place within the past year? Over the past year, the average age of our home buyers in Odessa is 35. The majority of our customers fell within the 20-59 age range. This age range is what we have consistently observed of our home buyers throughout the years and would not indicate a change in consumer trends for our company. The majority of buyers would be included in the Gen Y demographic. However, this demographic also represents the majority of our buyers in other regions where we build. Interestingly, 22 percent of home buyers in Odessa are between the ages of 20-24. This percentage is similar among our Midland home buyers as well, but lower than the national trend of millennials building a home later in life. 4. Betenbough has a simple, yet powerful mission statement: Build, Serve, Impact. In which ways does the company incorporate this mission into the everyday business operations? Betenbough Homes’ mission of build, serve, impact is lived out in daily actions of its employees. Each employee strives to build the highest-quality home for every family who places their trust in the builder. Our construction team is dedicated to ensuring homes are built to our standards and in a timely manner. We’re not only focused on building homes, but building-up one another. This can be evidenced through trade partner luncheons that we host to show our gratitude and through employee devotionals that are offered weekly. Serving one another and our community is also engrained in our company culture. We recently hosted a Home Buying Class for community members and in doing so, were able to equip individuals with information on how to buy a home and choose a lender. Our employees are also passionate about serving organizations in the community that are dedicated to helping Odessans. We have a giving team that meets monthly to decide where company funds should be donated. Various nonprofit organizations and ministries have benefited from community grants including Honor our Troops, Christmas in Action, Senior Link, Permian Basin Rehabilitation Center, American Diabetes Association, and Teen Challenge. Lastly, our mission is to impact our community in such a way it is transformed for the better. Recently, our team made a significant donation to the Odessa Parks Foundation to make improvements to Lawndale Park. Our family of homeowners and our employees enjoy this park since it’s in our North Park neighborhood, and we wanted to assist in making it more enjoyable for Odessa families long into the future. Impact is also lived out on a smaller scale. For example, one of our sales team members recently closed on her home. Our team came together over a weekend to help landscape her yard, serving her because our team is a family and we desire to positively impact each other. 13 Quality of Life 14 5. What are some of the new developments in store that will improve the quality of life in Odessa? Since Betenbough Homes’ mission is build, serve, impact, we continually seek ways to improve our community. We currently build in North Park, located in north Odessa, and have recently made a donation to improve Lawndale Park, which is situated in the middle of our North Park community. In September, we donated $180,000 to the Odessa Parks Foundation to make improvements to the park. This will include new playground equipment and a parking lot. We also host several free community-wide events throughout the year to express our appreciation to Odessans for allowing our company to build and live here. This past spring we hosted a ladies DIY craft event, where ladies were able to enjoy a morning of pampering. In December we will host our annual Christmas event, which features complimentary photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, children’s crafts, and other family activities. This event will be open for all to attend and is a way for our employees to meet Odessa families and kick-off the holidays. 6. Betenbough Homes is one of the most affordable new home developers in the market. What strategies do you have in place to offer these competitive prices? Betenbough Homes is a systems builder, which means we have numerous systems in place to construct our homes. Our even flow system ensures the home is completed in a timely manner and affords our home buyers the benefit of knowing when their home will close. Our engineered roof trusses and advanced framing system ensure the home is built to the exact specifications and highest-quality. Many of our construction elements are certified by licensed engineers including the concrete foundation and engineered roof trusses, further ensuring quality. Due to the volume of homes we build, we’re able to provide high-quality products in our homes. Our volume allows us the opportunity to negotiate with suppliers and vendors to provide luxury products, while not increasing prices for our homeowners. For example, granite is included in the kitchen and bathrooms of all our homes. Kohler fixtures and Frigidaire Gallery® appliances are also offered in every home, creating a luxury feel to our homes, while maintaining affordable costs to our customers. Our homes are also energy efficient, which provides cost savings to our homeowners. Our advanced framing system, engineered roof trusses, Energy Star® windows, energy efficient lighting, Energy Star® appliances, water conserving fixtures, and eco-friendly cabinetry, are all practices and products we have chosen to provide a more cost effective home that is better for the environment. Quality of Life 15 7. In 2014, Mayor David Turner proposed a request from developers to build housing for families under $150,000. How does the company plan to undertake this request? Betenbough Homes continually strives to provide the highest-quality home at the most affordable price. We continue to be the best value in the markets we serve with our homes starting in the $150s in Odessa’s North Park community. This equates to a monthly payment of approximately $1,170. A number of factors go into determining our affordability including our systems, processes and negotiating. 8. Many Betenbough employees are passionate and enthusiastic about the company culture. How can other companies adopt a similar environment? We have found our unique company culture is attractive to many and our employees readily adopt our mission to build, serve, impact. After joining the company, employees go through Betenbough University, which educates them about each department within the company. Following the completion of Betenbough University and one year of employment, employees can then go through the recently launched Betenbough University 2, which digs deeper into the brand and our practices. We have found these programs afford employees the opportunity to truly learn about the company, and engage them in the mission and empower them to serve as ambassadors for the company. The company places such importance on the well-being of its employees that it has a ministry coordinator in every city where it builds. This individual is solely focused on the betterment of employees and their families. The ministry team coordinates several employee events throughout the year to build community among employees and bless families. These events include date nights, baseball games, cookouts and other family-focused events. Betenbough Homes also provides its employees numerous service opportunities. Every employee can join our giving team, which determines where donations are made within the community. The company also has an employee matching program, where the company matches personal donations of its employees to nonprofit organizations. Employees are encouraged to serve throughout the community whether that be on committees or service projects. Lastly, employees and their families are able to go on company-sponsored mission trips where they can see first-hand the work of organizations our company partners with financially. These trips have been to countries such as Kenya, Macedonia, Haiti, Brazil, India and more. Our focus is loving people -- whether that be our team members, trade partners, home buyers, lenders, etc. When we love one another deeply and set out on the same mission with a worthy purpose, amazing things can begin to take shape such as a small homebuilding operation selling just a dozen homes in one year joining the ranks of the nation’s best with 700+ sales in one year. We encourage every business to focus on its employees and the community. We would be happy to speak with anyone wanting to learn more about our practices. Economic Development 16 New Developments Scott Jones Economic Development Director In Progress Open for Business Economic Development Quarterly ED Updates Odessa Sales Tax Revenue 2012-2015 Data is provided by the Texas Comptrolller of Public Accounts. The allocation historical summaries show the total dollars returned to a local sales taxing city. The payments are listed by month and totaled by year. Allocation amounts are dependent upon the timing and accuracy of taxpayers' returns, but generally represent taxes collected on sales made two months or more prior to the allocation payment. Odessa Jobs Odessa Jobs.net is a free online job posting website provided by the Odessa Development Corporation. As of September 2015, 387 unique employers were registered and 1,049 jobs were posted. Since July, a total of 57 jobs were added. JBS Parkway Extension Odessa Development Corporation and Grow Odessa, a nonprofit dedicated to Odessa’s economic growth, partnered in expanding JBS Parkway to FM 3503 to allow future industrial development in the South Industrial Park. The road is currently under construction. Waterline Extension on the West Side of Parkway Grow Odessa plans to extend city water utilities to 50+ acres on the east side of JBS Parkway south of Navasota Dr. to service tracks owned by Grow Odessa and provide developed sites for industrial economic growth. The waterline was recently completed on the West side of JBS Parkway. Rail Park Project The Economic Development Department is conducting a feasibility study and soliciting pricing for one of three potential sites for a future rail-served industrial park that is critical for the attraction of new logistics and manufacturing businesses to Odessa. Strategic Planning Study The Odessa Development Corporation hired the Barnes Group to conduct the first economic development strategic planning study for Odessa since 1998. The Barnes Group conducted focus groups with stakeholders, business leaders, public service and elected officials to conduct a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) about Odessa. The final strategic plan was adopted by City Council and integrated into the City of Odessa’s General Development Plan. Odessa Partnership Odessa Partnership is acting as a steering committee to analyze and recommend solutions to weaknesses and threats to Odessa’s economic development identified by the strategic plan. 17 Economic Indicators 18 Odessa Development Corporation Board Richard “Buz” Browning Board President Jim Breaux Board Member Charles Carlson Board Member Mario Contreras Board Member Betsy Triplett-Hurt Board Member Economic Development Staff Scott Jones Economic Development Director Teresa Vasquez Administrative Coordinator Kathi Vaughn Research Specialist Tracy Jones Economic Development Specialist Brittany Sotelo Marketing Specialist odessatex.com Follow the Odessa Development Corporation: