We Want You!
The City of Wharton has grown over the years into a community of approximately 9,100 people within the Houston Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) of 10 counties and over 7.5 million residents and continues to grow with new housing developments under construction or occupied.
Located within Wharton County, along the Colorado River, on Interstate 69, the City of Wharton is the perfect location for industry and manufacturing to locate or relocate as we are within 60 miles of the Port of Houston and Port Freeport. High truck traffic volumes and rail, via the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Rail main line, which runs through Wharton and along the Interstate to the border crossings with Mexico in Laredo, Texas makes Wharton a desirable location for both industry and logistic parks.
Wharton has been and will continue to have its roots in our agricultural businesses but is shifting to other industries as new residents move into our county. Developers are looking at Wharton to build new housing developments that include the recent addition of Wharton Lakes subdivision. Developers are looking at Wharton due to our lower land cost and opportunities to build mixed-use developments and industrial businesses that range from 150 acres to 1300 acres that will attract new residents to live and work locally.
Some of the largest national manufacturing industries call Wharton home such as JM Eagle and Nan Ya Plastics Corporation, a subsidiary of Formosa Plastics Group, where many plastic products are made including but not limited to plastic pipe for major construction and utility projects including the credit cards that may be in your possession today. Gatekey, a national supplier of sports products, has expanded twice and is looking to expand their operations again.
The City of Wharton continues to invest in its future, that our business community requires of a city, with infrastructure improvements including utility upgrades, expansion of fiber optics for high-speed communications, flood protection, thoroughfare roads, and airport improvements.
To prevent future flooding issues within the City of Wharton, the Army Corps of Engineers is constructing Levee I and II along the Colorado River at a cost of over $450 Million. High Speed internet providers have been installing new fiber-optic lines throughout the City of Wharton which many of our businesses and residents are taking advantage of in today’s competitive business environment.
The City of Wharton is reaping the benefits that the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), who is investing in our community, will ensure the continual and future growth of the City of Wharton by TxDOT’s development of a freight hauling corridor, Interstate 69, a 6-lane divided Interstate through the city. The development of the interstate will include frontage roads and four corner overpasses that will allow easy access to our city core, industrial areas, airport, and retail corridors. Once the entire Interstate 69 route is completed this will be a direct path of travel from the Mexico/Texas border crossings to the Canadian/USA crossing.
To facilitate the flow of traffic through the City of Wharton, both the City and the Wharton Economic Development Corporation funded the expansion of Farm to Market Road 1301 from Highway 60 to the Interstate. This new road opened 1500 acres for new development opportunities and is now attracting economic development interest, especially at what will soon be a four-corner interchange for commercial development on the Interstate.
Wharton and TxDOT are working together to fund Wharton’s Municipal Airport 5,000-foot runway and taxiway improvements that will be more efficient and safer for our customers. Plans are in the design/funding phase to improve the runway surfaces with an overlay.
Separately, the City is anticipating an expansion of the overall airplane hangar capacity due to these improvements. The City of Wharton and the Wharton EDC are exploring extending the existing runway or addition of a new runway to accommodate larger aircraft. With the potential expansion of our airport will require increasing the water and sewer capacity next to the airport in order to secure potential development of industrial uses along Interstate and CPKC’s main railroad line. A great attraction for industrial businesses to locate or relocate in Wharton is a new overpass to the airport’s frontage road, from the Interstate for improved access points that logistic park services need for industrial users on both sides of the Interstate, especially for large capacity warehouse development.
One major advantage of the City of Wharton and Wharton County is that we are an “Attainment Area for Air Quality”. What this means for heavy industry is that industrial uses will Not be required, by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, to purchase expensive air permits. Industries such as refineries, chemical firms, or paint companies, as an example, would be able to locate in Wharton saving you time and money that will allow your business to be near your clients unlike most Houston cities that are in Non-Attainment Zones.
Power, always a concern to businesses looking to locate or relocate in a new community is not a concern now or in the future. Wharton has access to abundant power resources locally. With two operational natural gas power plants in our city, and a third plant in the planning stages, all three are or will be located on the east side of the Colorado river. On the west side of the Colorado river the STP Nuclear Power Plant, that is 37 miles from Wharton in our adjacent county, provides power to South Texas Electric Cooperative transmission line service territory and Wharton County Electric Cooperative distribution territory. These local service providers are in discussion with another natural gas power plant that would increase capacity and resiliency to the grid as many data centers are seeking to locate in our county.
Businesses and industry need quality education locally to ensure they are successful. The Wharton County Junior College, in the City of Wharton, provides educational opportunities to the entire county, allowing students to graduate with various associate degrees and/or certifications in Manufacturing, Dental Hygiene, Nursing, Nuclear Power Technology, HVAC, Electrical, and Automotive Technology. If your company needs a tailored educational program to train your employees the Wharton County Junior College, using the State of Texas Skilled Development Funds, will customize a program to fit your needs.
The major question that you ask of us is “do we want you in our community”. If that is your question, then our answer is YES! Wharton has gone the extra mile to create a welcoming business-friendly environment. Time is money! We work with you as a team striving to open within your timeframe via a fast-permitting process that takes a few months not years.
The City of Wharton, Wharton Economic Development Corporation, and Wharton County encourages your business to locate or relocate to the City of Wharton. For those businesses that qualify, the City, County, and State of Texas have incentive program(s) to help offset your financial stack. The City of Wharton desires you to be successful by making major investment(s) in your business(es) and in our community.
I encourage you to relocate your business or conduct your next business adventure in the City of Wharton, Texas.
Contact:
Courtland Holman
Executive Director
Wharton Economic Development Corporation
execdirector@whartonedc.com
(979) 531-9015 • https://www.whartonedc.com/
