North Texas Real Estate and Homebuying Guide Located In "Stonebridge Ranch"

In This Issue MEDC Staff visit site selectors, attend trade show MEDC honors Simpson Strong-Tie, Blue Mountain Equipment MEDC, Chamber poll local businesses MEDC issues RFQ for corporate development   Quick Links About MEDC Submit a Story Idea Newsletter Archive   MEDC staff visit site selectors, attend Medical Device and Manufacturing Show   Some 50,000 people from around the world congregated in Anahiem Feb. 9-11 to see the latest in medical devices and manufacturing, plastics, green manufacturing, packaging and electronics.  The Medical Device and Manufacturing section was the largest of the show with more than 1,200 exhibits.   "This is one of the top rated shows in the country and was of particular interest to us," said MEDC Business Development Director Jim Young who attended with Marketing Director Sherie Ellington.   MEDC staff also met with Los Angeles site selectors as a member of the Dallas Chamber's DFW Marketing Team and attended a private gathering of company executives with a specific interest in expanding out of state.   "Many California companies are looking at Texas. The economic, fiscal and bureaucratic conditions are forcing the decision-makers to look at more business-friendly states," Young said.         MEDC honors Simpson Strong-Tie, Blue Mountain Equipment   MEDC honored Simpson Strong-Tie and Blue Mountain Equipment (BME)at the Chamber's annual Community Awards Banquet in February.     Simpson Strong-Tie received the Corporate Performance Award for its exceptional stewardship and contribution to the local economy since expanding to McKinney in 1983. The McKinney facility has become the most productive and most revenue producing of Simpson's five North American profit centers. (Read more.)   BME was honored with the Business Retention Expansion Program Award for the company's commitment to McKinney and continuous growth in both sales and employment.   After evaluating over thirty towns in the Metroplex, BME chose to move to McKinney in 1996. Company officials decided to expand in 2007 and are currently building a new 108,000 sf office and distribution space.  (Read more.) ____________________________     Top: (l to r)  David Pitstick. MEDC President/CEO;   Phil Burton, Vice-President, Simpson Strong-Tie   Bottom: (l to r) Matt Thompson, Branch Manager; Justin Crader, Marketing Manager; Robin Hastings, Sales Manager; Stan McWilliams, MEDC Chairman of the Board  (Photos courtesy of McKinney Living and the McKinney Chamber)     MEDC, Chamber team polling local businesses   The McKinney Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the McKinney Chamber of Commerce are polling local business owners for their opinions about McKinney as a place to do business.   The MEDC will follow up with phone calls and "face to face" meetings with our business community to gather as much data as possible.   Completed questionnaires can be faxed to: 972. 562.1222 or emailed to:  sims@mckinneyedc.com. (Complete the survey.)       MEDC issues RFQ for corporate development   The City of McKinney, McKinney Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), and McKinney Community Development Corporation (MCDC) (collectively referred to herein as "McKinney") welcome responses to the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) from private entities to create a corporate development district/park within the City of McKinney to be competitive with other development areas within Collin County such as Legacy Business Park, Hall Office Park, and Greenway Corporate Center. For more information, contact David Pitstick at 972.562.5430.      Final notes   Four North Texas cities - Frisco, Plano, Allen and McKinney - rank among the top 100 in a survey of the nation's most affluent communities.The report, compiled by Portfolio.com and Bizjournals, parent company of the Dallas Business Journal, analyzed 420 U.S. cities with populations above 75,000.   Texas was the top exporting state in the nation for the eighth year in a row in 2009. Texas' exports totaled more than $163 billion for 2009, with the top export recipients being Mexico, Canada, China, the Netherlands and Korea, which respectively imported $56 billion, $13.7 billion, $8.9 billion, $6 billion and $5.3 billion in Texas-manufactured goods.   Workforce Solutions of North Central Texas is seeking employers who are interested in participating in a re-employment initiative that will compensate employers $2,000 for hiring and retaining a Texas-Back-To-Work participant for a minimum of 120 days. Email Deana Hillsberry at dhillsberry@dfwjobs.com for more info.   The next regular MEDC board meeting is Tuesday, March 23.   We hope you enjoy our eNewsletters.  Feel free to share them with your co-workers and friends.   Sincerely,   Sherie Ellington, Director of Marketing McKinney Economic Development Corporation McKinney Economic Development Corporation | 321 N. Central Expressway | Suite 200 | McKinney | TX | 75070