By Nathan Straus
nstraus@jacksonvilleprogress.com
The outlook for the East Texas economy looks positive, according to area leaders who attended an economic summit in Nacogdoches last week.
City officials from Jacksonville, Bullard, Rusk and around East Texas flocked to Nacogdoches on Thursday for the 2009 East Texas Economic Development Summit in Nacogdoches.
Gov. Rick Perry and State Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, were two of the officials who spoke at the summit about the economic status of Texas and East Texas in particular.
Darrell Prcin, Jacksonville Economic Development Corp. president, said it was a very good session overall.
“We talked about the national and Texas economies,” Prcin said. “As one of the later states to feel the brunt of the downturn, the feeling is we’ll be one of the first to pull out of it.”
According to Prcin, Ray Perryman, president of The Perryman Group, an economic and financial analysis firm headquartered in Waco, presented a report.
“For almost two years, the U.S. has faced historic economic challenges caused in part by mortgage bungling and leveraging, a drop in housing prices and the caustic slowing of business lending,” the report stated. “By most measures, recovery is now under way. In the third quarter of 2009, gross domestic product expanded by 3.5 percent, placing the economic trend back into positive territory. Hiring has not yet begun in earnest, but that is typical for this stage in an economic turnaround.”
Bob Goldsberry, Rusk Chamber of Commerce president, said he learned of a few new programs and had a chance to visit with other economic professionals from the area.
“The economic outlook presented by Ray Perryman stated we’re not out of the woods yet, but East Texas should be poised for growth in the near future,” Goldsberry said.
Ten officials from Jacksonville and three from Rusk attended the summit while several more manned vendor booths.
Bullard sent City Manager Larry Morgan to the summit.
“I thought it was very informative,” Morgan said. “When you hear from that many people from different departments, you’re going to bring back something.”
Morgan said various grants are available, some he said he wasn’t aware of, and much attention is being directed toward smaller communities. He also echoed the possibility of Texas recovering from the economic downturn in short order.
“I think it’s been proven we’re going to recover quicker in East Texas than in larger cities in other states,” Morgan said.
He also said around 1,000 people each day come into Texas and bring their money with them.
“I plan on going next year,” Morgan said. “I’m going to try to bring some more people next time.”
Prcin, Morgan and Goldsberry all said the summit was a very valuable meeting.
