The Killeen regional economy is expected to keep growing.
By 2030, Tad Dorroh, president of the Killeen Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, said, “We anticipate our region growing another 8% (economically); that’s what gets us excited.”
Dorroh was the keynote speaker at the Killeen Economic Outlook Luncheon, which was hosted by the Killeen Economic Development Corporation. It took place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Killeen Civic & Conference Center.
One specific area of growth Dorroh mentioned was jobs. He said the number of jobs in Killeen has increased by about 6.5% from 2019 to 2024. That amounts to an increase of about 4,000, which he compared to the number of people a new school district would hire.
Going forward, Dorroh raised the question of how to develop a better workforce in the next 10 to 15 years. Industries he mentioned as a focus are information technology and manufacturing. He mentioned that currently people in Killeen will sometimes commute up to two hours a day for jobs. He said that the corporation wants to create jobs that will enable those employees to stay and work in Killeen.
Another aspect of the region’s economy Dorroh covered was recently completed and ongoing projects in the area. In the past year, he said the city has had 45 commercial projects.
Some of the businesses mentioned by Dorroh included Dave & Buster’s, MGC Pure Chemicals America and USAMM.
The former was the first building completed in the roughly 200-acre Anthem Park development. Dorroh said they are really excited about that and described it as a modern development. The park will feature a mixture of commercial and residential spaces.
Anthem Park is part of the corporation’s efforts to secure new spaces for commercial development. He pointed out that the Killeen Business Park is nearly full, which he said is something the community should be proud of.
Beyond Anthem Park, the corporation is working to develop a 100-acre technology park and 300-acre mixed development area that will have about 140 acres dedicated to commercial property and a 160-acre residential area. Dorroh estimated there will be about 1.4 million square feet of industrial space available in Killeen, which he said is even more than Austin has.
Ahead of Dorroh speaking, Todd Fox, president of the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, provided remarks about the Fort Hood Region Economic Development Foundation, which is a nonprofit founded in 2017.
Fox, who is also on the corporation’s board of directors, explained that the foundation has handled numerous research projects to support the area and the corporation. He described that entity — along with the chamber, corporation and Killeen Industrial Foundation — as a team supporting economic development in Killeen.
Some of the research projects undertaken by the Fort Hood Region Economic Development Foundation include studies on aquifer storage, broadband and downtown redevelopment.
Other projects it is working on include bolstering workforce development and diversifying the economy. Fox said that a high-quality workforce is one of the most valuable resources an area can have.
For diversifying the economy, Fox mentioned cybersecurity, health care, manufacturing and semiconductors as some of the areas of focus. He explained that currently most of the economy is focused on the defense sector.
Following the presentations from Dorroh and Fox, there was a brief question-and- answer period. Keith Sledd, executive director of the Heart of Texas Defense Alliance, asked what the corporation’s greatest need is.
“We want you all to be our No. 1 advocates out there,” Dorroh answered. “That’s the No. 1 thing we need. We have all the pieces to the puzzle; it’s just putting them together.”
There were about 100 people in attendance for the luncheon; the crowd included both people from Killeen and other cities in the metropolitan area. “This is a better turnout than I even hoped for,” Barry Albrecht, president and CEO of the corporation, said.
This was the first year the corporation has hosted the luncheon, but it plans to continue it going forward.
“We will be doing this event every year,” Albrecht said. “It will get bigger; it will get better.”