• BY ALLISON MILES - AMILES@VICAD.COM
• Originally published November 12, 2009 at 7:48 p.m., updated November 12, 2009 at 11:25 p.m.

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• The ports aren't the only ones keeping busyVictoria Economic Development Corporation President Dale Fowler also updated the approximately 120 people present at the membership meeting on what his organization has done for Victoria County.

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The ports aren't the only ones keeping busyVictoria Economic Development Corporation President Dale Fowler also updated the approximately 120 people present at the membership meeting on what his organization has done for Victoria County.

Over the past five or six years, the organization has brought 11 major projects, including companies such as expansions at Berry Plastics and the South Texas Electric Cooperative and start up of StarTek, he said, and has added almost $187 million to Victoria County's tax base. Almost $102 million of that was within city limits, he added.

Those 11 projects also helped usher in just over 1,500 jobs when a person calculates in the multiplier, he said. With an average $32,000 annual salary, it adds up to $27 million in new spending in the community and $500,000 in sales tax revenue for Victoria and Victoria County.

"And guess what?" Fowler said. "Those companies are still here and they're still employing those employees and those employees are still spending money. So, if you're in business in Victoria, chances are it's impacting your business."

Two area ports are partnering to help bring more business to Victoria and Calhoun counties.

The directors of the ports of Victoria and Port Lavaca were the speakers Thursday at the Victoria Economic Development Corporation's semi-annual membership meeting.

The Port of Victoria isn't landlocked like many others, and its 1,800 acres available for development mean it has room to grow, Tony Rigdon, the Victoria port's executive director, said. Other factors, such as its access to highways, railroads, airports and the barge canal, make it attractive to the transportation world.

The Victoria port is responsible for about $161.8 million in wages and salaries, $1.2 billion in direct revenue and $224.8 million in indirect revenue, he said, citing a 2005 economic impact study.

One challenge, however, is that many people don't realize the city even has a port.

"One of our goals is to let people know who we are and what we can do locally, regionally and nationally," he said. "We just need to let people know the Port of Victoria is here; we can do it and we will get it done."

Preparations for container-on-barge service are still under way but it hasn't happened yet, he added.

At the same time, the Port of Port Lavaca-Point Comfort is proud of its operations, director Charles R. Hausmann said.

The port's key commodities are chemicals, agricultural fertilizer, aluminum ore and petrochemicals, he said, adding an economic impact study revealed it brings in about $1.95 billion in business revenue per year and is responsible for $1 billion in wages and salaries.

Certain challenges face the entity, Hausmann said.

The port must preserve land because it doesn't have much property for future development, he said, and should prepare for a deeper channel in the future. Its jetty configuration bottlenecks, making it difficult to navigate, which must be remedied.

Each port has its own strengths and weaknesses, but the directors said a regional approach will benefit the Crossroads. One partnership in the works is a memorandum of understanding between the ports, Hausmann said, which could mean products coming in through the Matagorda Ship Channel and being trans-shipped to the barge canal.

That, he said, would mean profit for both parties.

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