The Building Texas Show

How does Lockhart turn manufacturing growth into opportunity for local businesses and workers?

Justin McKenzie visits Lockhart, Texas, to talk with Holly Malish, Director of Economic Development at the Lockhart Economic Development Corporation. They discuss food manufacturing, support for existing employers, downtown tourism, film production, and why regional partnerships matter for local jobs.

Holly describes the growth of Ziegenfelder, RealCold, and Hill Country Foodworks, the role of business retention and expansion, and how communities share workforce opportunities. The conversation also covers CTE, career exposure for students, and manufacturing career pathways.

Chapters

00:00 Land, regional partners, and local taxpayers

00:15 Meet Holly Malish in Lockhart

01:39 Food manufacturing and local expansion

02:54 Supporting existing businesses

03:40 Holly's path into economic development

06:24 Building tourism and downtown activity

07:52 Film production and local businesses

11:07 Regional partnerships and shared workforce

12:45 Industrial land and site referrals

13:11 CTE and career exposure

15:08 Manufacturing career pathways

16:07 Closing thoughts

Guest and resources

Lockhart Economic Development Corporation: https://lockhartedc.com/

Meet Holly Malish and the EDC team: https://lockhartedc.com/about-the-edc/meet-the-staff-board

Workforce training and educational opportunities: https://lockhartedc.com/advantages/workforce-training-educational-opportunities

Related episodes of the show

Luling EDC with Ari Arias, episode 197: https://youtu.be/6zJ2Ni5xato

Buda Mayor Lee Urbanovsky, episode 196: https://youtu.be/6vVjumItU0Y

Houston chamber leadership with Reggie Gray, episode 193: https://youtu.be/KWFBJEJ-6Lc

More from The Building Texas Show

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Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHWtGFOAQ9U

When visitors come to your town, they don't add a burden to your schools, police or fire departments. They come in, spend money and leave. So who pays to bring them here? Not local residents.

Justin McKenzie talks Texas tourism with Kathleen Davis, CDME, President & CEO of Destinations Texas (formerly the Texas Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus), about how Texas towns grow their tourism economy. They cover what a destination organization (DMO) does, how the hotel occupancy tax is paid by visitors instead of residents, and why Boerne and Dallas fill hotel rooms in very different ways. They also discuss why more Texans are taking regional trips and day trips, how AI is changing the way people plan travel and how small DMO teams market their towns, and what you can do to help your own community welcome visitors.

In this episode:

• What a destination organization (DMO) does

• The hotel occupancy tax: visitors pay, not residents

• Boerne vs. Dallas: leisure vs. convention destinations

• Regional travel and day trips across Texas

• How AI is changing tourism for small DMO teams

• How every Texan can help their local destination

Guest: Kathleen Davis, CDME, President & CEO, Destinations Texas

Host: Justin McKenzie, The Building Texas Show

Destinations Texas: https://www.destinationstexas.org

Meet Kathleen: https://www.destinationstexas.org/staff

Membership: https://www.destinationstexas.org/membership-information

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/1sNkPsYAzzg

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@thebuildingtexasshow?sub_confirmation=1

More episodes: https://www.buildingtexasshow.com

0:00 Visitors spend money and leave

0:19 Meet Kathleen Davis of Destinations Texas

0:57 What a destination organization (DMO) does

1:57 The hotel occupancy tax: visitors pay, not residents

3:54 Heads in beds and filling a Tuesday

4:16 Boerne vs. Dallas: leisure vs. convention destinations

5:30 Know your market: regional travel across Texas

8:03 How AI is changing tourism

10:45 Destinations Texas conferences and why DMOs join

14:09 How to join, or get help as a non-member

15:06 How every Texan can help their local destination

16:48 Careers in the tourism industry

17:49 Wrap-up

"Downtown Buda was a Ghost Town. After about six o'clock there was nobody walking around." Today, Buda's Main Street buzzes every evening and all weekend.

Justin McKenzie is back in Buda, Texas, with Mayor Lee Urbanovsky. Buda is one of the fast-growing Austin suburbs, on I-35 between Austin and San Marcos. Lee has lived in Buda for more than 25 years, joined City Council in 2016 and has served as mayor since 2020. They talk about why he ran (and why he said no twice before running for mayor), planning 20 to 30 years ahead, why a development process that is "consistent and predictable" matters to builders, Garison Park and Onion Creek, Buda Championship Park (formerly the Sportsplex), the 2021 bond projects on West Goforth Road, Old Black Colony Road and Austin Street, and the Buda EDC's HIVE and retail incubator.

The heart of the conversation is Main Street growth — and how the Greater Buda Chamber of Commerce and the Buda Economic Development Corporation helped small businesses get through COVID. The episode wraps with live music at the Buda Amphitheater, including Railcar Revival.

Guest: Lee Urbanovsky, Mayor of Buda, Texas
Host: Justin McKenzie, The Building Texas Show

City of Buda: https://www.budatx.gov
Mayor Lee Urbanovsky: https://www.budatx.gov/326/Lee-Urbanovsky-Mayor
Buda Economic Development Corporation: https://www.budaedc.com
Greater Buda Chamber of Commerce: https://www.budachambertx.com
Discover Buda (tourism): https://www.discoverbudatx.com

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6vVjumItU0Y
Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@thebuildingtexasshow?sub_confirmation=1
More episodes: https://www.buildingtexasshow.com

0:00 Cold open: Downtown Buda was a ghost town after 6 PM
0:25 Back in Buda with Mayor Lee Urbanovsky
0:44 Why Lee ran for Buda City Council
2:16 From council to mayor: "I said no twice"
3:03 Planning 20 to 30 years ahead
4:13 Permitting in Buda: consistent and predictable
5:53 Garison Park and Onion Creek
7:22 Buda Championship Park, formerly the Sportsplex
8:34 2021 bond: Goforth, Old Black Colony and Austin Street
9:55 The Buda EDC HIVE and retail incubator
10:41 Downtown Buda then vs. now
11:58 Chamber, EDC and city working together
13:20 How to get involved in Buda
14:22 The Buda Amphitheater and Railcar Revival
15:56 Thank you, Mayor Urbanovsky

Texas hemp shops got less than 30 days to comply with new THC rules, and retail registration fees jumped from $150 to $5,000 per location. Sarah Todd, Director of the Texas Cannabis Policy Center, explains what changed in 2026 and what's still legal to buy.

Sarah walks through the two big decisions of 2026. First, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that DSHS can list synthetic THC as a Schedule I substance. Second, new DSHS consumable hemp rules count THCA toward the 0.3% total THC limit. That takes most smokable flower off the shelf, while compliant edibles and drinks remain. She also covers the fee jump for small businesses, the expanded Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP), and priorities heading into the 2027 legislative session.

As of Oct 2026: the DSHS hemp rules took effect March 31, 2026, and parts of them are being challenged in court. Retail registration is now $5,000 per location (was $150) and manufacturer licenses are $10,000 (was $250), before the Texas.gov online fee. Federal hemp changes take effect Nov. 12 and Dec. 11, 2026. This episode is general information, not legal advice. Check Texas DSHS for current rules: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/consumable-hemp-program

Guest: Sarah Todd, Director, Texas Cannabis Policy Center
Host: Justin McKenzie, The Building Texas Show

Texas Cannabis Policy Center: https://texascannabispolicy.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/txmjpolicy/
X: https://www.x.com/TxMJPolicy

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UR3x9Xe6Pj4
Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@thebuildingtexasshow?sub_confirmation=1
More episodes: https://www.buildingtexasshow.com

0:00 Fees jumped to $5,000 and $10,000
1:09 The two big 2026 decisions
3:28 Why smokable flower is hardest to comply with
3:42 Impact on small businesses
4:47 Medical marijuana (TCUP) expansion
6:22 Positioning for the 2027 session
7:10 Where to follow the Texas Cannabis Policy Center

Rural Texas has a healthcare crisis — and this nonprofit is fixing it. Allison Leftwich, Chief Strategy Officer of Frontera Healthcare Network, explains how a 501(c)(3) community health center is bringing primary care, behavioral health, pharmacy, and walk-in services to the Texas Hill Country.

In Fredericksburg, Mason, Menard, Junction, and Brady, Frontera operates seven locations. In several of these rural communities they are the only healthcare providers. Patients no longer have to drive 45 minutes to an hour into Austin, San Antonio, or Kerrville for basic care, same-day prescriptions, or ongoing chronic condition management.

In this episode:
• Why rural Texans still drive hours for healthcare
• How a true community health center works (primary care + psychiatry + pharmacy)
• Same-day pharmacy and discounted 340B prescriptions
• Walk-in care in Fredericksburg
• Case management so patients don’t wait between appointments
• Growing the next generation of rural healthcare providers

Guest: Allison Leftwich, Chief Strategy Officer, Frontera Healthcare Network
Host: Justin McKenzie, The Building Texas Show

Frontera Healthcare Network: https://www.fronterahcn.org/
Locations: Fredericksburg (3 clinics), Mason, Menard, Junction, Brady

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3CWMyRQ_MPU
Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@thebuildingtexasshow?sub_confirmation=1
More episodes: https://www.buildingtexasshow.com

0:00 Understanding Local Healthcare Needs
1:02 Growth in the Texas Hill Country
1:52 Serving Rural Communities
3:42 Advocacy and Patient Support
7:05 Investing in Future Talent
9:22 Affordable Care for Everyone

San Antonio already has the pieces international companies say they want: cybersecurity talent, a growing bioscience corridor, defense and advanced manufacturing, and a city built on relationships instead of transactions. Dr. Lina Rugova’s job is to make sure those companies actually see it.

Dr. Rugova is Operations Chair and a founding member of the San Antonio Applied Innovation Council, founder and president of Emerge and Rise, and co-lead of Founder Institute San Antonio. She looked at Dallas, Austin, and Houston, then moved from New York in 2019 because San Antonio was the better fit. In this episode she and Justin McKenzie talk about how the city gets on the list.
In this episode:

How San Antonio gets added next to Dallas, Houston, and Austin
The Applied Innovation Council’s four lanes: advanced manufacturing, defense and cybersecurity, biomedical and health innovation, and talent
VentureFest San Antonio’s reverse pitch, built around arts, culture, media, tourism, and hospitality.

A soft-landing path with greater:SATX for international firms and the small businesses ready to supply them.

UTSA, Trinity, UIW, and Alamo Colleges as a South Texas talent pipeline, and the quality of life that brings people back
A big city with a small-town pace: family-friendly, walkable, and rooted in Texas history.

Chapters
0:00 Put San Antonio on the list
0:46 What the Applied Innovation Council is building
2:11 The corridor shows up: Austin, Kyle, Buda, New Braunfels
2:47 Why she chose San Antonio
4:35 VentureFest, and this year’s reverse pitch
6:18 South Texas talent, and the life that brings people back
8:01 Soft landing, greater:SATX, and a city international firms can land in
10:17 BiomedSA, UT Health, UTSA, and cyber
12:10 Come as a Texan: the Alamo, the rivers, the frontier town
13:53 Creators, open doors, and businesses of every size
15:51 San Antonio’s own story, not a copy of Dallas
17:56 How Dr. Rugova is building Texas

Dr. Lina Rugova, DBA, advises organizations on innovation, intrapreneurship, and systems thinking. She is an immigrant from Kazakhstan who landed in the Bronx at 16, founded Emerge and Rise for underserved entrepreneurs, and teaches at Palo Alto College.
San Antonio Applied Innovation Council: https://sanantonioinnovates.com
Dr. Lina Rugova: https://linarugova.com

The Building Texas Show: https://www.buildingtexasshow.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thebuildingtexasshow
Host: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinmckenzie/
#SanAntonio #BuildingTexas #EconomicDevelopment #TexasStartups #VentureFest

A new Texas outdoor site is about to open between Boerne and Bandera, and it is not a state park. Stephanie Kwiatkowski, superintendent of the Albert & Bessie Kronkosky State Natural Area, explains why that distinction matters, what 28 miles of trail will actually feel like, and why late fall 2026 is the target to let the public in.

ABK sits on 3,814 acres along Highway 46 at Pipe Creek, on the Bandera County and Kendall County line. Albert and Bessie Kronkosky willed the ranch to Texas. The state accepted it in 2011. The monument is already up. Cabins, screened shelters, tent sites, backcountry camping, and hike-and-bike trails are part of the build. Texas Parks and Wildlife has not posted an exact opening day.

This is a return visit. James Rice, the first site superintendent, joined the show while the land was still in survey and planning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W62mo3ffdK0

In this conversation:
→ State natural area vs. state park, and why ABK lands on the conservation side
→ What changed from James Rice's solo-ranger years to a six-person team
→ The volunteers who surveyed nearly 4,000 acres before staff arrived
→ Canyon viewsheds the site owns on both sides, Bigtooth maples, Red Bluff Creek, and Pipe Creek
→ The July Hill Country flood, and why seeing it before opening was useful
→ What to expect when you reserve: lighter on the land than a recreation park
→ Late fall 2026, cooler weather, and maple color on the trails

Steph came up through Lost Pines (Bastrop and Buescher) and Pedernales Falls before taking the ABK superintendent role in June 2026.

Plan ahead: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/albert-bessie-kronkosky
Location: 7690 Highway 46, Pipe Creek, Texas

Subscribe for more conversations with the people building Texas: https://www.youtube.com/@thebuildingtexasshow?sub_confirmation=1
More on the show: https://www.buildingtexasshow.com

Chapters

00:00 Both sides of the canyon
00:19 Welcome back to ABK
01:03 First 90 days, and a team of six
02:18 Why this is a state natural area, not a state park
05:25 The volunteers who built the baseline
07:12 How Stephanie got to Texas Parks and Wildlife
10:29 The July flood, before the public arrives
12:49 Camping, and coming prepared
13:42 What Highway 46 does not show you
16:40 Albert and Bessie Kronkosky's gift
17:29 Late fall 2026, and the Bigtooth maples
18:26 Thank you to the full team

#TexasStateParks #HillCountry #Boerne #BuildingTexas

CTEC at VentureFest: $12K wins and a $100K student pitch.

Central Texas Electric Co-op sponsors VentureFest and Incubator EDU in Fredericksburg. Tachi Hinojosa, CEO and President of CTEC, breaks down why a Hill Country electric co-op coaches student teams, shows up at the pitches, and backs kids who can raise real money—including a first-place VentureFest team that won $12,000 and another team that raised over $100,000 at a Fredericksburg Chamber banquet.

On The Building Texas Show, Justin McKenzie talks with Tachi about CTEC’s role across 11 counties: student entrepreneurship, high school and college internships, 1,000 employee volunteer hours, and the line that sticks—“when you call Central Texas Electric Co-op, you’re calling the Hill Country.”

This week’s episode lands during VentureFest season. If you’re in Fredericksburg or the Texas Hill Country, this is the co-op-and-classroom side of the event.

In this episode:
• What VentureFest and Incubator EDU look like from CTEC’s chair
• $12,000 first-place win (Fredericksburg) and a $100,000+ Chamber pitch
• Why CTEC employees coach teams on public speaking and real business pitches
• Student pipeline beyond the stage: tours, shadows, internships (1 student to 6)
• Brodie Smith: facility tour at 16 → groundman → apprentice at 19
• Concern for community: VFDs, youth sports, line crews hauling tables for fundraisers
• 80 years next year serving the Texas Hill Country

Guest: Tachi Hinojosa, CEO & President, Central Texas Electric Co-op (CTEC)
Focus: VentureFest · Incubator EDU · Fredericksburg · Texas Hill Country
Host: Justin McKenzie, The Building Texas Show

00:00 Cold Open: VentureFest $12K Win and a $100K Student Pitch
00:23 Meet Tachi Hinojosa, CEO of Central Texas Electric Co-op
00:53 How Tachi Built 19+ Years in the Electric Co-op World
02:36 Why CTEC Runs High School and College Internships
02:58 Growing CTEC Internships from 1 Student to 6
04:20 Facility Tours and Careers Beyond the Lineman Role
05:00 Brodie Smith: Tour at 16 to Apprentice at 19
06:55 Powering 11 Texas Hill Country Counties
07:57 80 Years Next Year: Rural Service and Local Growth
09:25 Co-ops, Cities, and Who Owns the Power in Texas
10:48 Concern for Community and 1,000 Volunteer Hours
12:30 VentureFest, Incubator EDU, and Student Pitch Skills
13:20 “When You Call CTEC, You’re Calling the Hill Country”
13:39 Keeping Talent and Ownership in the Hill Country
15:28 Watch the Pitches: $12K First Place and a $100K Raise
18:09 Why CTEC Sponsors VentureFest and Shows Up in Person
19:58 Hill Country Character: Why These Students Keep Going
20:43 Closing: CTEC, VentureFest, and Building Texas

Central Texas Electric Co-op · CTEC · VentureFest · Incubator EDU · Fredericksburg Texas · Texas Hill Country · pitch competition · student entrepreneurship · startup pitch · youth entrepreneurship · elevator pitch · high school entrepreneurs · electric cooperative · Building Texas Show

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#VentureFest #CTEC #Fredericksburg #HillCountry #Texas #StudentEntrepreneurs #PitchCompetition #BuildingTexas

Big bank deposits leave Texas for New York. In Fredericksburg, community banks put that capital back into the Hill Country. John Wells, Market President of Texas Regional Bank, on local banking, brain drain, and the high school incubator keeping talent in Fredericksburg Texas.

John Wells runs Texas Regional Bank’s Fredericksburg market. He walked the path from frontline banker to market president, and he draws a hard line between national banks and community banks: deposits that leave town fund giant loans in New York, Chicago, and LA. Community banks reinvest where the money was earned.

We cover how Fredericksburg grew from peaches, antiques, and German culture into a real destination that still keeps its Texas identity. Why relationship banking still beats a pure rate shop. Why the best owners keep an attorney, a CPA, and a banker on speed dial. How brain drain pulls kids out of the Hill Country, and how Fredericksburg ISD’s incubator and CTE work, with the Chamber and local banks, give them a reason to build here instead of only in Austin or Houston.

John’s line on Austin: Never Neverland, where people go and never grow up. In Fredericksburg, people are excited to grow up, and excited to see the town grow up. Credit along the way to Jim McCullough and the Fredericksburg Chamber, Dan Kemp and David Pedregon at Security State Bank, and the teachers and sponsors behind the incubator. Next stop for those students: Texas Venture Fest in Mason.

If you care about Texas economic development, community banking, living in the Texas Hill Country, or how small cities keep capital and talent local, this one is for you.

John Wells
Market President, Texas Regional Bank
Fredericksburg, Texas

Chapters:
0:00 Big Bank Deposits Go to New York
0:15 Welcome to Fredericksburg with John Wells
1:04 Peaches, Antiques, and a Grown-Up Hill Country City
1:51 Why They Moved When Options Were Thin
2:46 Ground-Up Banking to Texas Regional Bank
4:13 Community Bank DNA After 15 Years
6:00 Relationship Banking Beats Transactional Banking
7:44 Attorney, CPA, Banker: The Holy Trinity
9:13 Where Your Deposits Actually Go
10:01 Little League Uniforms and Local Reinvestment
10:33 Brain Drain in Fredericksburg Texas
12:00 Incubator, CTE, and the Chamber’s Bet on Youth
13:07 Austin Never Neverland vs Fredericksburg Growing Up
14:05 Community Lift, Not One Person’s Crusade
14:49 Dan Kemp, David Pedregon, and Servant Leaders
15:20 Venture Fest Mason and Go Billies

Subscribe for more Texas business, economic development, and the people building the state:
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#FredericksburgTexas #CommunityBank #TexasHillCountry #BuildingTexas #TexasEconomy