Houston Daily

Texas has been awarded its 12th Gold Shovel Award by Area Development magazine for exceptional job creation and capital investment in 2024. The state has consistently received either a Gold or Silver Shovel over the two decades of the award's existence.

Governor Greg Abbott expressed his satisfaction with the recognition, stating, "Texas again wins gold for attracting job-creating business investments thanks to having the best business climate and fastest-growing skilled workforce in America." He credited Texas' rapid business-friendly environment as a key factor for this achievement. Governor Abbott also extended his gratitude to Area Development magazine and congratulated local, regional, and statewide economic development partners.

The award highlights more than $10.6 billion in high-value expansion and location projects within Texas during 2024. These projects have collectively created over 11,000 jobs across the state.

Among the manufacturing projects recognized were Delta Electronics, Inc., with a $452 million investment creating 1,500 jobs in Plano, and QYK Brands with a $400 million investment resulting in 1,000 jobs in The Woodlands. In non-manufacturing sectors, Amazon was noted for its $200 million investment generating 1,000 jobs in Cleburne.

Other significant investments included ECL's $8 billion project creating 250 jobs in Houston and FREYR Battery (now T1 Energy) with a $340 million investment producing 1,300 jobs in Wilmer. Additional noteworthy projects involved Crystal Window & Door Systems in Mansfield and Raising Cane’s in Plano among others.

Area Development's annual Shovel Awards recognize states based on their ability to attract high-value investments that significantly contribute to job creation within their communities. The awards consider factors such as new job numbers relative to state population size, total company investments, new facilities established, and industry diversity represented.