Gone to Texas

Find a need, make a great product, provide excellent customer service, and a business is born. It’s the story of Priefert, a company founded by Marvin Priefert in 1964 and continues to be a staple in Mount Pleasant, TX.

On this episode of Gone to Texas, Dave is joined by Priefert’s Rocky Christenberry, who talks about the company's humble beginnings, how they pivoted several times to stay afloat in the downturns, and how they’ve continued to grow the company over the last 58 years.

Rocky talks about how they found new opportunities by connecting with other companies in Mount Pleasant when one side of their business lost revenue during the 2008 recession. Plus he talks about how by saying yes when they weren’t ready led them to one of their most prominent lines of business.

Priefert has an incredible story of continuing through the hard times, making their people the most important part of their business, and being a staple in a community.

You can learn more about Priefert by visiting: https://www.priefert.com/about-us/about-priefert

This episode is sponsored by Mt. Pleasant Texas, to learn more abut our sponsors, visit - www.texasedconnections/sponsor

Get your free Texas business expansion or relocation resources today by visiting www.TexasEDConnection.com

Since 1985 Diamond C. Trailers has been a leader in building premium trailers, and they started right in Mount Pleasant, Texas. Jeffrey Crabb, CEO of the company joins Super Dave on this episode of Gone to Texas to talk about what it’s been like continuing his family’s legacy.

They also talk about working with the city of Mount Pleasant, how the EDC has been an integral part of helping them grow their company, and what extraordinary growth in the past several years has meant for his business and leadership.

They also discuss what’s next for Diamond C. Trailers, and how being on the cutting edge of technology can sometimes be a challenge, but Jeffrey discusses how they continuously seek to bring on the best talent.

You can learn more about Diamond C. Trailers by visiting: https://www.diamondc.com/

To learn more about our sponsors, visit: https://texasedconnection.com/sponsor/

Get your free Texas business expansion or relocation resources today by visiting www.TexasEDConnection.com

What if you could have an infusion of capital to help you with buildings or other items within your business that don’t include an investor or a loan?

Many business owners have no idea about the opportunities that are available through EDCs. In this episode of Gone to Texas, Super Dave is joined by Vince Bussio, the CEO and Founder of Armorock.

Vince shares his journey of opening a plant in Sulphur Springs and how the EDC helped with millions of dollars with his building. They also talked about why Vince chose Sulphur Springs, and what the EDC team did that made the process so special.

They also get into questions to ask and other things business owners need to know and understand that they don’t have to do this alone.

Vince also shares more about his business, and talks about how they've expanded to three plants, plus why the Sulphur Springs plant is only the beginning of their move to Texas.

If you’re interested in learning more about Armorock, visit: https://armorock.com/

To connect with our sponsor, Sulphur Springs, visit: https://texasedconnection.com/sponsor.

Get your free Texas business expansion or relocation resources today by visiting www.TexasEDConnection.com

What would it be like to pick up and move halfway across the world for the love of your life, only to also find the perfect opportunity to start your own business? It may seem like a fairy tale, but it’s the true-life story of Dr. Jason Jones, Co-Founder and CEO of Hybrid Manufacturing Technology.

Dr. Jones joins Dave on this episode of Gone to Texas to share his story of starting his company in England and eventually moving it back to the United States.

He talks about what It was like starting in Europe, and why Europe ended up being one of the best places to start his business. However, he also talks about why it was important for him to eventually come back to the U.S. He discusses some of the problems he had to overcome with rebuilding here, and why innovating can be difficult when you’re trying to own make sure you really are the first to market with the idea.

To learn more about Dr. Jones, visit: https://www.hybrid-am.com/

This episode is sponsored by: https://www.accelerationbydesign.com/

Get your free Texas business expansion or relocation resources today by visiting www.TexasEDConnection.com

Imagine picking up your company from sunny San Diego, California and moving to Sulphur Springs, only to have COVID lockdowns begin only three days later.

It’s the true story of Karen Neola, Founder and CEO of My Perfect Pet, A Natural Pet Food company.

Karen shares her story of how she started her company after tragedy happened in her own home, and how by just helping others her small home-based business turned into bigger building after bigger building. She also talks about her experience in researching Sulphur Springs, and what drew her to moving the company to this East Texas town.

She also discusses the problems that COVID brought to the table, and how she has had to learn to navigate all kinds of new issues brought on by the pandemic, including supply chain, local sourcing and hiring from a small pool of potential workforce candidates.

Want to learn more about My Perfect Pet, visit: https://www.myperfectpetfood.com/

To learn more about the community of Sulphur Springs and their Economic Development Center, visit: https://ss-edc.com/

Get your free Texas business expansion or relocation resources today by visiting www.TexasEDConnection.com

How can a university create opportunities for a greater workforce within its city?

Dr. Jay Blair Blackburn, President of East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, Texas, joins Dave Quinn on this episode of Gone To Texas to discuss the exciting synergy between Marshall, Texas and ETBU.

People are on the search for a higher quality of life within the place they work, and in small-town East Texas, there are more options that are packaged with a high quality of life. ETBU is expanding to help not only create opportunities for its students, but to also build a workforce that will attract companies to smaller cities, like Marshall.

Dr. Blackburn discusses the partnership between the City of Marshall and the University, and why this partnership is so vital to the community as a whole. He also talks about the holistic approach ETBU has taken in building their workforce, in addition to the opportunities they’re creating with a new project called Synergy Park.

To learn more about ETBU, visit: https://www.etbu.edu/
Or to check out the City of Marshall, visit: https://www.marshalledc.org/

Get your free Texas business expansion or relocation resources today by visiting www.TexasEDConnection.com

Barton Damer's entrepreneurship story is a bit different from what we usually hear. He wasn't a terrible employee, nor was burnt by his nine to five; he actually did enjoy his job and had a side hustle as a freelancer with digital arts in which he loved working on the weekends.
With time, his side hustle started growing to the point that he had to make a choice; he was overbooked as a freelancer, and in 15 to 20 hours a week, Barton was making the same as he was making in his full-time job.

Already Been Chewed started as a Design and Inspiration blog when the entire world was blogging, where Barton mixed pieces of art he found interesting and inspiring with his own work. By the time he decided to quit his nine to five and start his own studio, he already had a solid following and a brand. It was a no-brainer.

Barton Damer is the Owner, Creative Director, and Founding Artist of Already Been Chewed, a design, motion graphics, and 3d animation studio. They work with some of the most iconic brands globally, like Marvel, UFC, New Balance, NBA, Disney, DC, Star Wars, and Nike, to name a few. Barton was named 2009 Digital Artist of the Year by Computer Arts Magazine and Veer Creative Catalyst Winner in 2011.

Our conversation spins around Barton's decision to begin his own creative studio, his journey as a digital artist and entrepreneur, and his decision to start his company in Texas. He shared details of how two different injuries in both of his knees ended his skateboarding aspirations and opened artistic possibilities simultaneously. We also talk about the influence of skateboarding, Hip Hop, and basketball in his childhood and how that upbringing helped him connect deeply with most of the clients they work with at the agency.

Resources:
Visit Already Been Chewed website: https://www.alreadybeenchewed.tv/
Follow them on social media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alreadybeenchewed/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlreadyBeenChewed/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bartondamer
or connect with Barton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barton-damer-92a32918/

This episode is sponsored by Wylie, TX. Visit: https://wylieedc.com/

Get your free Texas business expansion or relocation resources today by visiting www.TexasEDConnection.com

Altus Group Property Tax US helps its commercial real estate clients navigate and manage often-complex tax matters, so it’s a good sign the company has high praise for the City of Keller for helping them solve its own real-estate matter: consolidating a few offices into a single, desirable location – on a tight deadline and in the middle of a pandemic.

“Altus is a conglomerate of multiple companies primarily in the CRE industry. We focus on property tax, locations, and incentives, unclaimed property tax,” said Trey Beazley. He serves as president of Altus Group Property Tax US, leading more than 180 professionals across ten offices. “We also own a company called ARGUS, which is the platform on which most real estate companies run their cash-flow programs and manage their assets. We also have another group called RVA, which is under our Altus Analytics and does portfolio valuations for big pension funds. Everything we do is tied to real estate, from consulting and software product development. We gather a lot of data. We are a data aggregator, and we use this in our business operations.”

When he began looking to consolidate a couple of local offices, he got in touch with developer Terry Wilkinson, who ultimately led them to a property adjacent to an event venue in Keller, The Bowden. The deal included acquiring the land in front of the venue and providing some community cross parking that would benefit events held at the venue by the city and community groups.

Armed with some must-haves like the ease of access off FM 1709 and room to expand, Wilkinson identified the site and went to work with the City of Keller, who he credits with being fast, friendly, and helpful in educating him on the nuances of developing in the community. Wilkinson says while he’s completed several projects in northeast Tarrant County, this experience in Keller was a first and couldn’t have gone more smoothly.

“Trey’s leases on his other buildings were coming due, so there was a timeline that we needed to meet. That’s where the city really stepped in to help. What in other communities could have taken six months we got done in 45 days here with the help of staff,” Wilkinson says.

Beazley echoes that sentiment and adds that the community atmosphere of Keller sealed the deal.

“One, we wanted a community feel. We wanted more of a household feel. We didn’t want to be in a big corporate campus or a big corporate office location. We wanted to be somewhere where our employees could live close, they have good schools in the area, they have good shopping in the area, good retail, good hotels. All of that is available here,” Beazley says. “Part of the reason behind this was I had lived in this region for the last 25-plus years and loved the community aspect of it - the friendliness of it, the people. It was very dynamic when we started to bring other people in, employees from other locations, some from California, and they just fell in love with the community nature of everything here. That was really key for us because we don’t operate from the standpoint of [wearing] a coat-and-tie every day. We are here where people are a family, and they feel it not just in the office but also in the community. And that was very important for us. Our retention of our employees is second to none. We have a long history of employees. I have had people with me for 25-plus years. We sold our company to Altus in 2013, and every person that was with me then is still with me today, and that was because of the community feel and family feel of being in a rural community.”

Hear more about how transparency, relationships, and reciprocity brought commercial real estate consulting and software conglomerate the Altus Group to Keller, Texas, in this episode of Gone to Texas, the official podcast of Texas Economic Development Connection.

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode, the City of Keller Economic Development

Episode Sponsor: https://www.cityofkeller.com/services/economic-development

Texas ED Connection: https://TexasEDConnection.com
D1Experts: https://D1Experts.com
Altus Group, Property Tax US https://www.altusgroup.com/en-us/

Get your free Texas business expansion or relocation resources today by visiting www.TexasEDConnection.com

Gary Kappen says “only in America” could his story exist. And when you hear how his personal story and business evolved, you’ll be thinking more specifically, “only in Texas.”

Today Kappen owns, operates and serves as president of a company he founded in 2008 - William Grant Tank & Vessel, Inc. in Henderson. It’s a company that has grown and turned a profit every year since it began (save the 2020 with its unprecedented circumstances).

Kappen shares how far he’s come. Not long out of high school in the early 1980s, he suddenly found himself without a plan after scrapping his initial path to follow his father and grandfather into the restaurant business.

Technically born in Shreveport, Kappen’s family’s address at that time was in Texas, so he’s always happily claimed it. The family initially had a restaurant, which they sold to a company that ultimately moved his father and family to Wichita, Kansas, and then Louisville, Kentucky. Kappen was 13 when his dad took a job with Kettle Restaurants and announced to the family they were moving - so appropriate for this podcast - back to Texas. Kappen recalls the excitement, and not just because dad informed him their beloved Dallas Cowboys would be on TV every week here.


“Just that word: Texas,” Kappen says. “You know you are moving to a very exciting place.”

In this episode, learn how that move was the first in a series of events that brought him right where he needed to be. Along the way, you’ll hear Kappen recall with humor how he learned about the difference between bulls and steers, plus other important life lessons through FFA and living in a much more rural community. Kappen also shares his career journey from teen busboy/pancake flipper/management candidate to getting a break from a customer, which landed him on what he says is the lowest rung in a vessel shop. But from there, he worked hard, learned every part of the business over 21 years, and left the company as an officer. He helped grow another business locally before setting out with a partner to start their own: William Grant Tank & Vessel, which if you wonder, stitches together his and his cofounder’s lesser-used names, which are also shared by a son of each founder.

Highlights and quotes from Kappen about how doing business in Texas has been game-changing:


East Texas Regional Development Company helped them secure an SBA loan that paired them with a local bank that backed their passion and ambition.
A strategically structured deal with Henderson Economic Development Corporation (HEDCO) that catalyzed their success by providing land - critical leverage in further growing the business and creating jobs.

“Northeast Texas is absolutely loaded with skilled workers. You are in Henderson but you are pulling from all around. What’s funny is these people aren’t going to get in a traffic jam on the way to work.”

“Employees in Northeast Texas are loyal to the company they work for. People ask what kind of turnover we have, and there have been years when I have said “none.” One of the things you aren’t going to find in Texas is there are not a lot of unnecessary regulations. So, if you’ll just do things right - don’t pollute the atmosphere and take care of the environment; make sure your people are safe and there is an environment of safety … Texas will leave you alone to conduct business. And I’ve never lived in another state as an adult, but I just couldn’t imagine a state income tax.”

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode, Henderson Economic Development Corporation.

Episode Sponsor: https://hendersonedc.com/
Texas ED Connection: https://TexasEDConnection.com
William Grant Tank & Vessel: http://www.wgt-v.com/
D1Experts: https://D1Experts.com

Get your free Texas business expansion or relocation resources today by visiting www.TexasEDConnection.com

Episode #6 | Guest Jessica Perno, Founder, Parent Day Out, Fairview, TX

Parent Day Out Founder Jessica Perno’s journey from New York to Texas - and ultimately launching her tech startup here - began like that of many entrepreneurs, just looking to solve a problem she herself was experiencing. That led to a lot of research, including weekend playground surveys she conducted with a trusty clipboard in New York City, where she asked moms a simple question: “What would you do with a few hours to yourself?”

Perno says the answers included a few that one might expect, like a date night with a spouse or a spin class. She said what was most revealing were the many blank stares and sometimes teary eyes from exhausted moms who perhaps didn’t even realize how exhausted they were until someone even asked that question.

She had another aha moment that steered her on her path during another research adventure in 2019, this time still a New Yorker and checking out the vibe at Dallas-area Whole Foods markets when deciding where she and her family would ultimately drop their pin on the map.

Not long after, she and her husband, child, and pup made the move and launched their startup, Parent Day Out.

“Parent Day Out is helping parents get a couple hours of their life back. We are able to do so because we recognize they can’t do that unless they have childcare. So our online marketplace connects families across the country with early education providers and childcare centers so they can choose a participating childcare center that works best for them. They book their reservation, [they] drop off their kids; and they enjoy their parent day out,” Perno says.

The platform is currently accessible via a mobile responsive website and covers the nation with content, so parents everywhere can use it to quickly gather information about communities and the licensed childcare centers, public and private schools within them. The database is searchable by zip code, and each school listing yields the data about their programs and more, plus the communities where they are located, down to the nearest Starbucks. Perno says finding well-organized information like this was impossible when she sought it in 2015was as a soon-to-be new mom. Instead of bemoaning the struggle and letting it rest, she nurtured the seed for a new company that now can help other parents.

“Choosing childcare is one of the earliest decisions that you’re even going to have to make when you become a parent, and it’s a very important decision,” Perno says. “I thought that there had to be a better way, and it was time technology helped in doing that.”

Perno’s Wall Street background combined with her cofounder husband’s tech background created a winning combination to launch Parent Day Out. The ability to work remotely aligned perfectly with their desire to seek a different environment in which to raise their child alongside “raising” a parent-and-child-focused business.

And Texas provided the best possible crossroads where a favorable mindset, climate, schools, and resources for entrepreneurship seamlessly intersect.

“Texas as a state made so much more sense to us. First of all, I think they have such a different mindset. They are very welcoming, especially for entrepreneurs and new ideas. They don’t have the walls up, I feel, like as much as New York does. Or the skepticism. Texas behind California is the largest state in which we have the most childcare businesses. So we wanted to be closest to our customers,” Perno says. “For me, getting plugged into entrepreneurs here that are open to sharing their experience has really been extremely helpful. And they introduced me to people that they found helpful along the way.”



Quick Links:
Episode Sponsor: https://TexasEDConnection.com/sponsor (Fairview, Texas EDC)
Parent Day Out: https://www.parentdayout.com
Day One Experts: https://D1Experts.com

Get your free Texas business expansion or relocation resources today by visiting www.TexasEDConnection.com