|
Few cities Amarillo 's size can boast of such a diverse economic base. From oil and gas production, agriculture, precious metals refining, aircraft production, and jest about every industry in between, Amarillo enjoys a wide array of businesses. The Amarillo Economic Development Corporation aggressively recruits new industry. Efforts by Amarillo EDC, the City
of Amarillo and other entities were major reasons that Bell Helicopter Textron selected Amarillo as the site for its Tiltrotor Assembly Center. This and other new economic development is possible thanks to the foresight of voters to pass a .25 percent city tax used exclusively to fund industrial recruiting efforts.
Agriculture, which helped build Amarillo, remains a major economic factor. The Panhandle is the Cattle Feeding Capital of the World, producing more than five million fed cattle a year, or 30 percent of the nation’s supply. The region has four major packing facilities, as well as other beef fabrication operations. Ranching has always been huge. Wheat, corn, grain sorghum, cotton and a growing swine industry make agriculture a $4 billion-plus industry that employs
more than 33,000 Panhandle men and women.
|