Workforce Conference 2023 Recognizes Exemplary Texas Employers
Annual awards honor employers for excellence
AUSTIN – Each year, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and local Workforce Solutions partners recognize employers across Texas for excellence and innovation. The 26th Annual Texas Workfo
Hartmann’s Inc. in Abilene, rapidly grew from its origins in 1955 as a small auto repair facility to making its own automotive parts.
These days, the company, which recently relocated to a new facility thanks, in part, to help from the Development Corporation of Abilene, is involved in industries as diverse as medical, commercial, energy and aerospace, said Alan Hartmann, whose grandfather started the manufacturer.
The family-owned company moved from Maple Street to a 100,000-square foot facility at Five Points Business Park after buying the property from the DCOA.
In the effort to retain and expand Hartmann s, the DCOA worked with the Small Business Development Center, First Financial Bank, Abilene City Council and Abilene Industrial Foundation, and also secured a federal grant from the Economic Development Administration.
The Development Corporation of Abilene historically has had an image problem, something that Misty Mayo, its president and CEO, and Jack Rich, its board president, understand.
They also are quick to say they want to change that perception, while admitting that the complexity and – at times – secrecy required to brew economic development deals can appear akin to spycraft with its endless code names.
“It s hard to break through and to make those things clear, especially in today s world where there s so many ways to communicate,” Rich said. That can be a source of misinformation as much as accurate reports.
“But that s what the goal is, that s what we re trying to do is to coordinate all of those efforts, he said.