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2025 Quarter 3 Report

Page 1


July - September 2025

INTRODUCTION

Marshall Economic Development (MED) adopted a Program of Work that outlines a strategic and structured approach to achieving our organizational goals and fulfilling our mission over the coming period The Quarterly Report describes the current progress made toward achieving those established goals and objectives

MISSION STATEMENT

Our primary purpose is to act as a catalyst for the City of Marshall in support of economic development initiatives. Our mission is to drive sustainable economic growth by creating and supporting primary jobs, fostering the retention and expansion of existing businesses, and attracting new businesses to our community. We aim to build a vibrant economy by securing new investments and forming strong, collaborative partnerships at the local, regional, state, and national levels. Through strategic recruitment and a business-friendly environment, we are committed to strengthening our economy, enhancing job opportunities, and ensuring long-term prosperity through innovation job creation, and effective partnerships. We endeavor to build inclusive local participation, capacity, and leadership to improve our citizens’ well-being, wealth, and opportunities

Board of Directors

Rush Harris CEcD Executive Director
Teresa Wright Assistant to the Executive Director
Dr. Felecia Herndon CEcD Vice President
Amber Thibodeaux Marketing and Communications Associate
Heather Hill Administrative Coordinator
Colin Brady Chairman Keith Hill Vice-Chairman
Orlando Valle Secretary/Treasurer
Amy Hooper Director
Doug Lewis Director

PROJECT UPDATES

As of September 30, 2025, Marshall Economic Development (MED) was in negotiations on two recruitment and expansion projects The potential impact of these projects is shown is the table below:

$377,000,000

In addition to the projects above, MED also maintains a pipeline of leads on potential projects that staff will continue cultivating to reach a successful outcome. The potential impact of these projects reflects targeted investment totaling $27M and 315 new jobs.

LEADS

MED staff cultivated 4 actionable leads

Leads are contacts that have completed a data form and requested additional information regarding economic development programs, incentives, and/or sites

MED staff generate leads through internal and external marketing efforts, in addition to those that are provided through the Officer of the Governor and other sources

To effectively drive economic growth and attract new business opportunities, Marshall Economic Development (MED) employs a strategic blend of internal and external marketing efforts designed to generate strong, qualified leads and elevate the visibility of our community to site selectors, consultants, and decision-makers

Internally, our marketing efforts include the development of targeted materials such as real estate flyers, project-specific prospectuses, and a soon-to-be-released MED magazine that will highlight local assets, success stories, and workforce advantages We are also in the process of redesigning our website to improve functionality, streamline content, and enhance user experience for businesses and stakeholders seeking information

Externally, we continue to amplify our presence through digital platforms, particularly LinkedIn and Facebook, where we’ve seen consistent month-to-month growth These platforms serve as vital tools for sharing project updates, celebrating local wins, and building a strong digital footprint Additionally, we engage in direct outreach, participate in regional and national economic development conferences, and collaborate with consultants and partner agencies to expand our reach

Looking ahead, our marketing efforts will remain tightly aligned with our strategic plan, ensuring that lead generation activities are focused, data-driven, and responsive to the evolving priorities of our target industries

FEATURED

ACRES

ACRES

Gateway Park

Gateway Park Drive, Marshall TX, 75672

QUARTERLY PRIORITIES

StrategicPlanDevelopment

MarshallEconomicDevelopmentcontinuestoadvanceitsworkwithBoyetteStrategic Advisors,anationallyrespectedeconomicdevelopmentfirmheadquarteredinLittleRock, Arkansas,onthecreationofacomprehensivefive-yearstrategicplan.

Sincetheproject’slaunchinearlyAugust,Boyettehascompletedbenchmarkingwith comparablecommunitiestoidentifybestpracticesandcompetitivedifferentiatorsfor Marshall.Inaddition,morethan80businessandcommunityleadershaveparticipatedin stakeholderinterviews,providingvaluableinputonlocalstrengths,challenges,andfuture opportunities.Aresidentsurveyhasalsobeendevelopedanddistributedtogatherbroader communityperspectives.

Theplanwillincorporateanin-depthanalysisoflocalandregionalassets,workforce capabilities,andtargetindustryopportunities.Finalcompletionisanticipatedbylate December,positioningMarshallEconomicDevelopmenttoenterthenewyearwithaclear, data-drivenroadmapforgrowth.

FinancialSystemsTransition

Overthepastyear,MarshallEconomicDevelopment(MED)hasbeenworkingtostreamline itsfinancialsystems.Akeypriorityhasbeenupgradingtheaccountingplatformto QuickBookstoimproveefficiency,accuracy,andtransparencyinmanagingfiscal operations.Thenewsystemwillprovidestrongerreportingcapabilities,enhancedtracking ofexpendituresandrevenues,andgreateralignmentwithbestpracticesinfinancial management.

ThetransitionprocessiswellunderwayandisexpectedtobefullyoperationalbyJanuary, positioningtheorganizationforsmootherfinancialoversightgoingforward.

BusinessServices

Inkeepingwithourcommitmenttofosteringathriving,diverse,andresilientlocaleconomy, MarshallEconomicDevelopmentcontinuestoexpanditsrangeofbusinessservices.These effortsfocusonsupportingsmallbusinessdevelopment,promotingentrepreneurship,and identifyingnewinvestmentopportunities.Bycombiningfinancialincentiveswithtechnical assistance,MEDispositioningMarshall’sbusinesscommunityforlong-termsuccess.

QUARTERLY PRIORITIES

Small Business Support

UT Tyler Soules College of Business Grant

MED provided a $5,000 grant to the UT Tyler Soules College of Business to help advance local entrepreneurship education and outreach. This investment strengthens the pipeline of future business leaders while also creating opportunities for collaboration with the university’s faculty and students.

Partnership with Greater Texas Capital Community Finance (CDFI)

MED is initiating a partnership with Greater Texas Capital Community Finance, a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). This collaboration will expand access to capital for small businesses and entrepreneurs in Marshall and Harrison County, especially for those who may face barriers to traditional financing. This partnership directly addresses one of the most significant challenges for small business growth: access to affordable capital.

Incentives

MED continues to provide competitive incentive packages to attract and retain businesses in Marshall. Incentives may include:

Direct financial assistance, such as grants or forgivable loans tied to job creation and capital investment.

Land and infrastructure support, including access to sites in the Marshall Business Park and potential cost-sharing for utility extensions or site preparation. Tax abatements and rebates, developed in coordination with local taxing entities, to reduce upfront operating costs for new or expanding businesses.

These incentive programs are structured to ensure a positive return on investment for the community while helping businesses reduce initial risk and accelerate growth.

Development Revolving Loan Fund

Work continues on establishing a Development Revolving Loan Fund, designed to provide low-interest, flexible financing to support business expansion, redevelopment projects, and new investment in the community. Once operational, this fund will serve as a critical financial tool to fill funding gaps not met by traditional lenders, while also recycling repayments back into the program to sustain long-term economic development efforts.

By continuously adapting our services to reflect community needs and shifting economic conditions, Marshall Economic Development is working to build an ecosystem where new ventures can take root, established companies can expand, and long-term investment is encouraged. These initiatives not only generate new employment opportunities but also strengthen the city’s revenue base and contribute to a stronger quality of life for Marshall residents.

QUARTERLY PRIORITIES

Marketing

Website Redesign: A full redesign is underway. The new look is live, with continued work on updatingandstreamliningcontenttobetterservebusinessprospectsandpartners.

Marketing Materials: Ongoing development of real estate flyers, promotional booklets, and the first MED Magazine—a new publication highlighting success stories and strategic initiatives.

Social Media Growth: We have had an increase of 40 followers on Facebook and 24 on LinkedIn this quarter. Our Social Media presence is continuing to increase, with some of our topalltimepostsbeingthismonth.

Community Partnerships: MED continues to look towards working with community partners.

BrandedMaterials(SWAG): WearecontinuingtoaddmoremarketingSWAGasneeded.

WorkforceDevelopment

During the third quarter of 2025, Marshall Economic Development (MED) continued to pursueseveralworkforcedevelopmentinitiatives.

KeyActivitiesandOutcomes:

MASH Bash Participation: In July, MED partnered with Carter Bloodcare, KMHT, and the Greater Marshall Chamber of Commerce to sponsor MASH Bash, a community blood drive and healthcare resource fair. MED awarded $1,000 to ETBU toward employee skills developmenttrainingforbeingtheorganizationwiththehighestnumberofdonors.

HDJT Final Approval: The City of Marshall City Council unanimously approved MED to officially fund $270,000 toward developing a manufacturing and technology CTE pathway at Marshall High School as a part of Texas Workforce Commission’s HDJT grant. TWC will matchupto$150,000foratotalof$420,000towardthisproject.

CTE Student Recognition Program: Alongside Marshall ISD, Prysmian, and the Marshall News Messenger, MED kicked off the 2025–2026 monthly CTE Student Recognition in September This month’s honoree was Dylan Minatrea, a Graphic Design and Interactive Media student. In addition to receiving a $250 gift card and being featured in the newspaper, this year’s program introduces a new element: a large traveling trophy that will reside in the recognizedstudent’sCTEclassroomforthemonth.

WE Align: During the third quarter, the WE Align group and council focused on establishing written goals, objectives, and measurable targets. These discussions will continue to provide a framework for prioritizing initiatives and aligning resources across business and education partners. The outcomes will guide the group’s activities in the coming year and serveasbenchmarksforevaluatingprogress.

QUARTERLY PRIORITIES

RealEstate&SiteDevelopmentStrategy

Marshall Economic Development (MED) is advancing a proactive, market-driven approach to real estate and site development. Our goal is to ensure Marshall and Harrison County are investment-ready—offering prepared sites, competitive assets, and a strong quality of life thatmeetstheneedsofemployersandresidentsalike.

1.Engineering&InfrastructureReadiness

Engineering Assessments Underway: Evaluations are being conducted on two MEDcontrolledpropertiestoidentifyinfrastructureneedsandguidefuturesitereadiness.

Infrastructure Improvements: Planning for upgrades to water, sewer, electricity, natural gas, and broadband to ensure our sites can accommodate target industries such as advancedmanufacturing,logistics,andfoodprocessing.

2.Market-ResponsiveDevelopment

Private Site Monitoring: MED continues to track privately-owned properties with potential for industrial and commercial growth, providing support to landowners and developerswhereappropriate.

Redevelopment Opportunities: Building an inventory of low-value or blighted properties for potential redevelopment into higher and better uses—maximizing land value and revitalizingunderutilizedareas.

3.Incentives&Partnerships

Coordinated Incentive Structures: Working with taxing entities to craft competitive incentivepackages thatencourageinvestmentandalignpublic-privateresources.

Retail Development Strategy: Through our engagement with Retail Strategies, MED is collecting data to identify gaps and opportunities in the retail sector, ensuring that site developmentsupportsbothjobcreationandquality-of-lifeenhancements.

4.Housing&WorkforceAlignment

Community Housing Study: Partnering with the City of Marshall to launch a housing study that will identify market gaps, guide housing development, and ensure the communitycanmeet workforcehousingneeds.

Strategic Alignment: All site development initiatives are being coordinated with MED’s comprehensive strategic plan, ensuring that real estate priorities support business recruitment,workforcealignment,andlong-termeconomicsustainability

2025 PROGRAM OF WORK

Retention/Expansion

Business/Education Council WE Align Manage Council

Skilled labor program development High wage, high demand grant Partner with Marshall ISD, TSTC

Develop MED Strategic Plan that promotes the expansion of local industry Select Strategic Plan Consultant

New and Small Business Development

Coordinate with other small business assistance groups

Director, Staff Ongoing/..... monthly

Last completed for June meeting

Complete, waiting on City Approval

strategic planning process

Actively refer small businesses for assistance 1-5 referrals

Promote and expand COB program Develop COB program guidelines document

Develop an MED Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)

Pre-launch meetings held in July

Referred three business to SBDC

2025 PROGRAM OF WORK

Targeted Marketing

Attend Texas Economic Development Council (Texas EDC) meetings Annual meeting attendance Attend 2-3 meetings

Grow and manage MED’s social media presence

Active on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube

Redesign the MED website

Incentives/Infrastructure

Executive Director, Vice President 4th Qtr 2025 Next Meeting October 2025

brand awareness

Work with Golden Shovel on website design Improve/enhance content

Package incentive projects with Harrison County Negotiating agreement for Project Crawford

Market Defense property

Develop 1-2 incentive 381 agreements

Negotiated Lease Agreement with Defense Contractor Finalize Agreement

Manage MEDowned real estate Site assessments and due diligence

Administer Harrison County Enterprise Zone project Complete annual EZ Mandatory report

Fully implement Impact Datasource economic research

dashboard

Identify current infrastructure needs

Executive Director, Vice President Ongoing Pending Company Signature

Executive Director Vice President 1st Qtr 2025

Executive Director, Vice President 2nd Qtr 2025

Assist with Zone compliance Vice President 4th Qtr 2025

Analyze economic impact of MED projects Develop reports on incentives for potential projects

Executive Director, Vice President Ongoing

Pending acceptance of final changes by company

Engineering Study Approved Ongoing

Report due October 2025

Analyses completed on three projects Ongoing

2025 PROGRAM OF WORK

Administrative Activities

Provide Work Program updates to the Board of Directors and City of Marshall Manage tasks

Update Board of Directors

Hold monthly committee meetings

Attend Basic Economic Development Institute

Provide quarterly updates

Prepare for monthly board meetings Complete Board packets, progress reports, and financials

Develop committee reports and provide updates Provide staff support for Board of Directors committees

Attend BEDC and acquire completion certificate Provide Economic Development training for new professionals

Attending City Council Meetings Weekly City directors meeting & City Council Meetings

Share Information & updates

Executive Director, Staff 2nd Qtr 2025

Status updates completed monthly

Executive Director, Staff Ongoing/ monthly Last completed for June meeting

Executive Director, Staff Ongoing/ monthly Committee meetings held in June

Mark/Comm Aso. 2nd Qtr 2025 Complete

Executive Director Ongoing

Last attended July 24

LOOKING AHEAD

MED:BuildingMomentumforMarshall’sFuture

StrategicPlanningforGrowth

MarshallEconomicDevelopment(MED)hascompletedmorethan80interviewswithcommunity andbusinessleadersaspartofourcomprehensivestrategicplanningprocess InearlyOctober,a community-wideresidentsurveywilllaunchtogathercitizeninput.Together,thisfeedbackwillhelp shapearoadmapforMarshall’sfuture identifyingassets,challenges,andopportunitiesforgrowth.

RetailStudyUnderway

Tosupportretaildevelopment,MEDhasengagedRetailStrategies,anationalconsultingfirm,to collectandanalyzelocalmarketdata.Thisstudywillidentifygapsintheretailsector,opportunities fornewbusinesses,andstrategiestoattractinvestmentinMarshall.Thefindingswillprovide actionableinsightsthatwillhelpstrengthenthelocalbusinessmix,enhancequalityoflife,and ensurethatresidentsandvisitorsalikehaveaccesstothegoodsandservicestheyneed

BoostingVisibilityandAwareness

ElevatingtheMEDbrandcontinuestobeapriorityAredesignedwebsiteisunderway,withupdated contentanddesignthatwillhighlightlocalassetsandsuccessstories Newmarketingpieces includingrealestateflyers,projectbooklets,andaforthcomingMEDmagazine willprovidefresh waystoshowcaseourcommunity.Online,ourpresenceonLinkedInandFacebookcontinuesto grow,helpingusconnectwithbusinessleadersandpartnersacrosstheregion

EngagingOurStakeholders

CollaborationremainsattheheartofMED’smission.Wearestrengtheningpartnershipswith employers,educators,andcommunityorganizationstoensurealignmentandsharedsuccess Plans areinmotionforjointprogramswiththeMarshallChamberofCommerce,includinganewinitiative focusedonsmallbusinesses.MEDisalsorollingoutbrandedpromotionalmaterialstoreinforceour identityandvisibilityacrossHarrisonCounty.

CreatingJobsandInvestment

MEDisactivelyworkingwithtwoprospectivecompaniesthatcouldbringnewjobsandcapital investmenttoourcommunity.Whilestillindevelopment,theseprojectsreflectthemomentumwe arebuildingtogether

LookingAhead

Aswemoveforward,MEDremainscommittedto: Jobcreation,retention,andexpansion

Infrastructuredevelopmenttosupportlong-termgrowth Educationandworkforcealignmenttopreparetalentfortomorrow’sopportunities Retailandquality-of-lifeenhancementsthatmakeMarshallanattractiveplacetolive,work,and invest.

Ourguidingprinciples service,integrity,andimpact willcontinuetoshapeeverydecisionaswe worktocreateathrivingfutureforMarshallandHarrisonCounty

While expenses outpaced revenue for the month of August, spending overall is well below budget.

FINANCIALS

FINANCIALSUMMARYFORPERIODENDINGAUGUST31

Revenue Allocation by Category

Sales tax remains the dominant source o revenue, reflecting the strength of consume activity and providing stability for ongoing operations. Interest income continues to contribute a meaningful portion due to favorable investment performance, while property sales and rental income account for a small share o the total. At the two-thirds mark of the fiscal year MED has already captured over 70% of its projected revenue. The diverse allocation mix though heavily reliant on sales tax, also reflects the positive impact of investments and property management activities.

Year-over-YearRevenuePerformance

Operating Performance

As of August 2025, total revenue reached $2,020,204 compared to $2,067,464 at the same point in 2024 This reflects a slight decline of about $47,260 (-2%) year-overyear.

Despite a weaker start in January and softer performance in midsummer, year-to-date revenue remains largely in line with last year, tracking at 71% of the $2 83M budget The strong spring growth helped offset early and late summer declines, indicating overall revenue stability Monitoring September–December will be key, as 2024 showed substantial late-year gains that pushed total revenue beyond $2 45M

Revenue increased steadily month over month, reaching $2,020,204 by August. Expenses rose in proportion, totaling $1,484,722 by August. Despite a net loss in January ($48,019), every subsequent month delivered positive net revenue, peaking at $632,010 in July before moderating to $535,482 in August.

Sustained Profitability – Each subsequent month after January delivered a healthy net surplus.

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