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The ACCRA Cost of Living Index provides a useful and reasonably accurate measure of living cost differences among urban areas. Items on which the index is based have been carefully chosen to reflect the different categories of consumer expenditures. Weights assigned to relative costs are based on government survey data on expenditure patterns for professional and executive households. All items are priced in each place at a specified time and according to standardized specifications.

Interpreting the index: ACCRA Cost of Living Index measures relative price levels for consumer goods and services in participating areas. The average for all participating places, both metropolitan and non-metropolitan, equals 100, and each participant’s index is read as a percentage of the average for all places.

Housing costs were nearly five times the average in New York (Manhattan), more than three times the average in San Francisco, and more than twice the average in Los Angeles. At the other end of the scale, Houston’s housing costs were 16 percent below the average, and Marshall around 20% below the average.

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Marshall Chamber of Commerce

213 West Austin
Marshall, Texas 75670
(903) 935-7868
(800) 935-7868
www.marshall-chamber.com

Cypress Junior Women’s Club
Leann Beavers (903) 927-1723

Mar-Texas Lions Club
Clarence Palmer (903) 935-2546

Marshall Lions Club
Jeff Thompson (903) 935-9699

Marshall Rotary Club
Frank Diaz (903) 935-7981

Optimist Club
Carl Rhodes (903) 938-7244

Pilot Club
Kathy Wood (903) 935-9632

Marshall Regional Arts
Joyce Weekly (903) 935-4484

Marshall Symphony League
Tiffany Ammerman (903) 938-2398

To MEDCO:

As co-owner of Howell Oil & Gas since 1990 I have had a very active roll in doing business in East Texas. Having partial ownership in as many as nine businesses in the Marshall area since 1967 and even a machine shop in Louisiana at one time found this area very positive for business. The Marshall area is known for it's great labor force, low cost of living, and a strong community.  I have always found the best machinist, welders, and metal craftsmen up and down the Texas and Louisiana state line. The workers are well trained, educated, and have a strong work ethic.

The Marshall area has a total of 8 colleges within a 40-mile radius such as: junior colleges, technical schools, and Universities. We have wonderful training facilities in Marshall: Texas State Technical College (TSTC) who will set up training programs to meet your industry needs. MEDCO and the community worked together to get TSTC here in Marshall to provide training for our growing and expanding industries. This has been very positive for our community and the training offered has been excellent for our industries. I look forward to seeing more industries take advantage of all the wonderful qualities Marshall has to offer, including it is a great place to raise a family, and a beautiful place to live.

Sincerely,

T .D. Howell
Howell Oil & Gas

MEDCO
2660 East End Blvd. South
Marshall, TX 75672

We have found Marshall to be a great place to do business. Casey Pottery Company and Home & Garden Party have grown and prospered in Marshall, and we believe that other businesses would be wise to consider Marshall as a place to locate.

Hardworking employees, supportive county and city officials, and abundant natural resources are just a few of the advantages that we have learned to appreciate about Marshall, Texas.

Sincerely,

HOME & GARDEN PARTY , L TD.

Steve B. Carlile
Chairman & CEO
 

To: MEDCO

Prospective businesses coming into Marshall should always look at four things, one the work force, two community involvement, three civic involvement and four education. I have found the work force to be positive and hard working and most important in my business honest, my retail store has a very low shrinkage rate compared to other stores. We have many great civic organizations and our rotary club was awarded top one hundred Rotary Club out of 3900. Civic involvement is very important to the character of a community, the United Way budget three years ago was less than one hundred thousand. This year we will bring in over two hundred and twenty five thousand dollars. The education standard has reached a new level with many schools attaining the next step in the Texas testing program. I would encourage business to come to Marshall.

Cordially,

Frank Dias
JC Penney Store Manager
 

Marshall Economic Development Corporation
2660 East End Blvd. South
Marshall, Texas 75672

Re; Marshall Area Workforce Survey

Thank you for expressing an interest in the reasons companies like ours, with International affilIations, have come to appreciate the workforce in Marshall and the surrounding area: Often, too little is said about the positive aspects of East Texas and the people who live and work here.

Marshall has a fairly low cost of living, while providing a populace that can obtain essential goods and services with an Income significantly less than the state average.

The median age of the population of Marshall (32) Is ideal for an area Involved in manufacturing and service operations, thus providing a readily avaIlable labor force.

The population of Marshall is very diverse, yet there is very little friction as a result of the diversity.
Employees of different ethnic backgrounds are able to work side by side, without tIle hostility present in other locales.

Marshall has four institutions of higher learning, Texas Stale Technical College (from which we hire Industrial Maintenance and Industrial Health and Safety graduates), East Texas Baptist
University (from which we hire Computer Science graduates), Wiley College (from which we hire Finance graduates) and Panola College which provided In-house course credit for our employees in Microsoft Office. Many of the students have completed Internships in various departments at Marshall Pottery , and a number of the students work part-time at our facility.

Marshall Pottery has been in operation for over one hundred years. Many of the residents of Marshall can say they have had a relative or friend who has worked with us at some time over the years. In addition, Marshall has had as many as thirteen different potteries in operation at anyone time. Children of these workers were exposed to the skills at home that their family members performed at work. Artists. designers, potters and other skilled professionals are available from generation to generation, creative occupations that are usually hard to fill In other areas.

Our city and county governments remain interested in growth and are willing to work with new industry to provide jobs for their citizens.

All of these attributes make Marshall a very good prospect for businesses looking for new location.

Cathleen Smith
Human Resource Director
www.marshallpottery.com
 

Marshall Economic Development Corp
2660 East End Blvd South
Marshall, Texas 75672

Snider Industries is a family owned business that has been located in Marshall since the 1930's. We currently employ approximately 115 employees. We have a very stable workforce with many employees having in excess of 20 years of service.

Snider Industries is a lumber manufacture that begins with logs and concludes with finished lumber. Marshall is located in a geographical "hot spot". U.S. highways 59 and 80 along with Interstate 20 provide excellent access to all major markets. Our lumber is shipped allover the United States as well as exported to other countries.

Marshall is a very family oriented city providing a great place to live and raise a family, Our employees are very hard working and dedicated employees. We have found the labor force to be large and trainable.

Regards,
SNIDER INDUSTRIES, INC.

Ronald L. Snider
President
www.sniderindustries.com
 

Marshall Economic Development Corp.
2660 E. End Blvd. S.
Marshall, TX 75671

Woodlawn Manufacturing was formed in Marshall in 1973. We are a metal parts supplier to the ammunition sector of the defense industry. We function sometimes as a prime contractor, but primarily as a 1st. tier subcontractor to major defense contractors.

We train our plant employees ourselves and have enjoyed a stable workforce. In the recent past we have had success with hiring females and are now 70 % female employment.

Marshall has been a good location from a distribution standpoint and enjoys close proximity to Shreveport with good interstate access to Dallas.

From a cost effective manufacturing standpoint, I would grade Marshall very high, and competitive with any U. S. location.

Having owned Woodlawn Manufacturing the past seven years, I have chosen to retain our Marshall location and relocate myself to support the company.

When I sold our subsidiary company, Woodlawn Abrasives, to Black and Decker in 1999, Medco did an excellent job and was instrumental in getting Black and Decker to choose Marshall as the location for their new plant.

In short, Marshall is just a very good location with wonderful people.

Sincerely,

Paul White

Introduction

The Harrison County Wage and Benefit Report was prepared and compiled for the Marshall Economic Development Corporation by Charles Williams, Ph.D., D.B.A., D.Eng. of East Texas Baptist University.  Data from the U.S. Departments of Labor and Commerce were used along with a survey of local businesses in the evaluation of wage and benefit information.

Executive Summary

A wage and benefit survey of businesses in Harrison County was conducted at the request of the Marshall Economic Development Corporation. The purpose of the survey was to gather current wage and benefit information from occupations across all industries in the county.  The results and findings would be used in attracting businesses and for the retention of existing businesses.   Dr. Charles Williams of East Texas Baptist University designed the Wage and Benefit Survey utilizing current occupational titles and benefit options.

A total of 25 firms completed the Wage and Benefit Survey representing 55 different occupations with 1,148 full-time and 46 part-time employees.  The wage and benefit information collected for this project reflects labor market information as of May 31, 2008, and is valid as of that date.   The majority of respondents were from the manufacturing industry, 20.51%.  The principal target industry for this survey was the manufacturing industry.

To view the full Survey as a Word document

click here

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To view the full Survey as a PDF document

click here

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