A recent regional study indicates that the Eastland labor shed has a potentially hidden labor pool in over 100,000 workers currently employed yet desirous of additional training, recent college graduates, and those unemployed that are interested in working. Nearly 60,000 currently-employed residents desire additional training, mostly computer professionals and support staff, and persons employed as medical professionals and in business services. Some 42,000 residents are unemployed but would be interested in employment. Based on employer surveys, there are satisfactory skill levels and availability.

Wages are low to moderate in Eastland's labor shed, at 66% and 65% of state and national levels respectively. Benefit packages are also modest when compared to national standards.

Targeted industry sectors that would benefit from Eastland's labor pool and resources:

Warehousing and Distribution

Logistics and distribution centers are a viable target industry for Eastland. Recent articles by logistics industry experts have indicated that although dot-coms and the technology industry have taken a beating in recent years, the growth of e-commerce has spurred a heightened level of construction of state-of-the-art distribution properties. The nation’s leading commercial and industrial real estate brokers report a steady demand for warehousing at all levels. U.S. industrial markets such as the West Central Texas region, which are under-tapped for these operations but offer strong transportation amenities, will be targeted by logistics companies looking to get closer to their consumers and save on their real estate costs.

Plastics

Plastics manufacturing is a viable target industry for the Eastland. The plastics industry is one of the largest manufacturing industries in the United States, accounting for more than $330 billion dollars in annual shipments. The industry directly employs more than 1.5 million workers. Plastics play an indispensable role in a wide variety of markets, ranging from packaging and building/construction to transportation; consumer and institutional products; furniture and furnishings; electrical/electronic components; adhesives, inks, coatings, and other products.

Regional Professional Service Centers and Call Centers

Customer Support and Service Centers consists of inbound call centers designed to provide ready access to customer support for products and services. The functions at customer support and service centers are common to a diverse group of industries, and particularly to the retail, finance and insurance, manufacturing, transportation, software, utilities, and business sectors. They share the common element of being mid- to high-end, white-collar operations with well-educated employees. The workforce typically consists of individuals with two- or four-year college degrees and a high level of administrative or professional skills.

Administrative Service Centers

Administrative Service Centers is a viable target industry for Eastland. As corporations continue to take steps to minimize their administrative costs, there is a growing emphasis on reducing headcount through the elimination of redundant positions, process improvements to make existing office procedures more efficient, and technology improvements to increase productivity. In order to implement these strategies, companies are turning increasingly to the relocation of single or multiple units that are the most cost sensitive and the most mobile from higher-cost locations to lower-cost centers such as Eastland region.

Alternative/wind energy production equipment

The windmill product manufacturing industry target comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing turbines (NAICS 333611), which are the mechanical devices used to harness the energy from the wind, and turbine blades, which are one component of the wind turbine (NAICS 326199). While we focus on manufacturing the equipment involved in generating wind power, it is important to note that the West Texas region is also ideally suited for locating "wind farms" due to the flat terrain and abundant wind resources.

West Texas is already home to a number of windmill farms that can provide large amounts of electricity without the use of fossil fuels.