Port of Victoria and Victoria Economic Development Corporation Partner to Provide Superior Services

Whether your business is looking to locate in Victoria, Texas, or to expand here, Port of Victoria (POV) and Victoria Economic Development Corporation (VEDC) are here to help you every step of the way.

Working in partnership, POV and VEDC can help your business in many ways and assist in challenges you may face no matter what they are. From paperwork and accounting to explaining permits and regulations, POV and VEDC are a valuable resource to help with site selection, building your businesses, or workforce recruitment.

About VEDC

VEDC marks its 40th anniversary this year and has achieved many accomplishments, including winning the Texas EDC Community Economic Development Award twice, in 2011 and 2014. 

Jonas Titas, VEDC President, explained that “VEDC is a true public-private partnership that has a legacy of success serving our stakeholders in the Greater Victoria Region. We are organized as a non-profit and work to create and retain jobs and encourage capital investment in Victoria.”

Recently, VEDC has started two exciting new initiatives; facilitating a region-wide economic development strategic plan with seven surrounding counties and adopting and implementing a new Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) work program. “We hope the initiatives and findings brought forth in the strategic plan bring us closer together and create opportunities to collectively grow our region,” said Titas. “Through our new dedicated outreach BRE program we began in 2022, we have already uncovered a multitude of ways we can help make the lives of our existing employers a little easier.”

POV and VEDC Partnership: Working Together to Support Economic Development in Victoria, Texas

There are many ways POV and VEDC work together to help your business locate or grow in Victoria. There is a lot of communication and collaboration between the two organizations. For example, POV’s Director serves on VEDC Board of Directors. In addition, VEDC staff often joins POV staff and commissioners in planning conferences during which joint goals and visions for the future are set and explored. A recent vote by VEDC membership resulted in a change in the organization's by-laws and now the Port of Victoria’s Chairman or Executive Director will be a voting member of the VEDC Board of Directors Executive Committee.

“VEDC functions as an extension of the Port staff,” said Titas. “We can run impact reports, present incentive applications, make introductions with community partners, and advocate for the Port of Victoria in support of grant funding.”

VEDC worked closely in partnership with POV to help secure Zinc Resources new location in POV’s North Industrial Park, a $60 million investment in the region.

In addition to Zinc Resources, Titas said, “we’re working closely with POV staff and leadership on two additional economic development prospects that will have tremendous benefits for the community. The three projects represent almost 400 new jobs and over $400 million in new capital investments.”

VEDC also helps to promote and support the development of new rail infrastructure. “We feel this new infrastructure will open up the Port’s Industrial Park South tract to substantial economic development opportunities,” said Titas.

“The current developments at the Port of Victoria are the most exciting things happening in economic development in our region,” shared Titas. “The momentum, new projects, impending infrastructure, and future opportunities are something we are all very pleased to play a role in experiencing.”

POV and VEDC Have Resources to Help Your Business

Both POV and VEDC are knowledgeable about available sites, and the attributes of those sites, whether you need dual railway access, barge capacity, access to highways and air transportation, or any of the other resources available in the Victoria area.

“Strong partnerships are vital for economic development,” explained Titas. “By having landowners, service providers, and developers work together closely with facilitators, public sector advocates, and other stakeholders, we can identify challenges or opportunities and then leverage our expertise and relationships to create tangible solutions and implementation plans.”

For businesses looking to locate here, POV and VEDC will work together to ensure Victoria is a cost-effective location for your investment and you will have the support and resources you need to grow and thrive.

“The close ties between Port of Victoria and VEDC make it possible for us to provide full-service solutions in an extremely timely manner for companies looking to locate in the Victoria region,” said Sean Stibich, POV Executive Director. “We look forward to working with your business to facilitate the process of locating in the Victoria area and to helping you take advantage of all we have to offer, from affordable lease spaces to financing, engineering and consulting services.”

You Can Depend on Us for Site Selection and More

Contact POV or VEDC today and find a wealth of information and resources to help your business locate or grow in Victoria.