Core to the MDC’s activities is the attraction of industries to Midland.

This recruitment activity becomes strategic when the industries that are being pursued:

• Match the skills of the workers and the land and building inventory in the community,
• Create the potential for long-term domestic and international growth, and
• Are in harmony with the desires of the citizens of Midland.

Collectively, these targeted sectors comprise a cluster approach to economic growth. The following targets meet the criteria of long term success and will show continued promise over the next five years:

ENERGY CLUSTER

Based on the strengths of the Permian Basin’s economy in oil and gas, as well as emerging regional opportunities for other energy production sectors, the MDC should work closely with allies to seed the eventual development of a broad energy sector cluster. Targets within this cluster should include all upstream and downstream activities, including innovation, manufacturing, and services. One major recommendation in this plan to support an energy cluster development strategy is the establishment of a Center for Energy Innovation and Commercialization on a site within the ClayDesta Plaza or elsewhere in the community.

PROFESSIONAL & BUSINESS SERVICES

The MDC should continue to capitalize on the existing surplus of office space within the CBD through the recruitment, expansion, and startup of professional and business service firms, including energy, financial, legal, accounting, and IT services. A major strategy for stimulating redevelopment of office space is the development of a vertical business park in the Central Business District.

HEALTHCARE SERVICES

Due to the critical nature of healthcare in the solidification of Midland’s status as a regional center, the MDC should assist in the recruitment healthcare professionals, the development of professional staff, and the provision of entrepreneurial assistance to physicians seeking to establish a new practice in Midland.

TRANSPORTATION (LOGISTICS, DISTRIBUTION, & WAREHOUSING)

Midland and Odessa continue to hold the promise for developing into a logistics, distribution, and warehousing hub for West Texas. The eventual development of La Entrada al Pacifico trade corridor will provide additional impetus for this development. Properties with access to Midland International Airport, the I-20/FM 1788 interchange, and the UP rail line present tremendous promise for the long-term development of an inland port.

AVIATION-RELATED OPERATIONS

The MDC can call upon a number of assets for attracting additional investment from aviation related operations, including two airport facilities, expanding aviation-related training programs through Midland College, and favorable year-round weather. Translating these assets into success will be a challenge due to the competitive nature of targeting this sector. Sustained marketing efforts to promote these assets, however, can yield positive recruitment results for the MDC over the long-term.

OPPORTUNITY ZONES

When companies expand or relocate, they do so to sites and buildings that are conducive to their business interests. Specific opportunity zones are identified in Midland to which the MDC should commit resources as a means for enhancing targeting efforts while also meeting other strategic needs for the community:

CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT

The MDC should direct resources toward the expansion of the CBD’s functional office space inventory. Achieving this goal would accomplish two strategic objectives. First, the MDC would fulfill its mission as a 4A sales tax economic development organization to act as a tipping point in lowering obstacles to business and employment expansion. Second, expanding CBD employment would also increase the demand for goods and services, therefore, assist in the overall revitalization of the downtown area. A major recommendation for accomplishing this task is the collaborative development of a vertical business park in the CBD.

LA ENTRADA / MIDLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT / I-20

Based on a review of sites suitable for industrial development in the Midland real estate market, the MDC should focus on recruiting "traditional" business prospects to properties in close proximity to the following transportation assets: Midland International Airport, I-20, old Hwy 80, and FM 1788. This broad La Entrada zone offers the MDC the best chance for generating interest from traditional, industry-related development served by a multi-modal transportation network. A major recommendation to support this zone is a branding and marketing campaign to attract private sector interest in developing an agile port facility.

CLAYDESTA / EXECUTIVE AIRPARK / MIDLAND COLLEGE

The MDC, in alliance with multiple public and private sector partners, should pursue opportunities for stimulating innovation within the local economy. Given the high degree of oil and gas related expertise in the Permian Basin, the pursuit of "energy-related" applied technologies makes sense. One major recommendation is the long-term development of a Center Energy Innovation and Commercialization as a necessary catalyst for the pursuit of a broader energy cluster development strategy. Sites within this zone also offer opportunities for other target sectors, especially aviation, as well as the additional capacity to further the strategic goal for attracting, retaining, and developing talent in cooperation with Midland College.