I snapped this picture a week ago 
as I was going in to eat at Something Different Grill along State Hwy 114 in Levelland. The restaurant is located just 30 minutes west of Lubbock and has appeared in the Texas Monthly.
I couldn’t help but notice a connection as the train rumbled past a sign advertising NTS Commuication's digital service in Levelland. While these two things may not seem all that similar they have one very important connection as far as Levelland is concerned. They both connect Levelland and its businesses to the global market place.
Over the last several months the Levelland EDC’s new $8.6 mil Levelland Industrial Rail Park has been under construction on the eastern edge of town. With over 21,000 feet of track being installed and new roads, water & sewer lines being put in place to make sites shovel ready, Levelland is banking on the recovery of a global market place that requires the use of rail as an efficient and practical means to move goods in and out of the South Plains and High Ground of Texas.
While Rail serves as the more traditional connection to the global market place, NTS Communications’ newly installed fiber-to-the-user (FTTU) network provides the more modern connection to the world. In August of 2009 NTS opened their Levelland office and began installing interface devices throughout the community.
NTS Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of publicly traded Xfone, Inc. (AMEX: XFN), that provides integrated voice, data and video solutions made the installation of fiber across a 30 mile distance between Lubbock Texas and Levelland over the past two years. The fiber offering by NTS is particularly efficient for business and residential customers because it provides higher bandwidth, increasing the speed with which information may be uploaded or downloaded.
With both the Levelland Industrial Rail Park and the NTS Fiber-to-the-user (FTTU) network in place Levelland has brought the world market place to local businesses. This continued investment in infrastructure will pay huge dividends to the Levelland community and surrounding region as more and more companies call Levelland home.
Invest in Progress. Invest in Levelland. Find out more about opportunities that exist in Levelland at GoLevelland.com/Progress.
In June the City of Levelland announced its partnership with the Green Queens, a company that will offer curbside recycling twice a month for citizens of Levelland. The partnership will allow citizens to sign up for the curbside service by adding an additional $27 to their monthly utility bill. The Green Queens will pick up the green recycling bags (provided by Green Queens) every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month. Residents can sign up by going to www.LevellandTexas.org/recycle.
In an effort to promote the program and reach a tipping point for the program Erik Rejino, Director of
Administrative Services and Dave Quinn, Executive Director of the Levelland Economic Development Corp have agreed to wear tiaras and tutus for a special photo shoot if 75 citizens sign up for the monthly program by October 1, 2010.
While doing a presentation for the Levelland Noon Lions Club the Green Queens joked about Erik being forced to wear a tutu and tiara if the city didn’t reach its goal. Well, after giving it a little thought Erik and I decided that if wearing the princess outfits would motivate residents to join the program, what the heck.
So with a tweet, an email and a Facebook posting we launched a green campaign that might 
just land us in tiaras and tutus for the entire world to see. This proves we are not afraid to go the extra mile in Levelland to help save the world in our own strange little way.
You can read more about the curb side recycling program and help get Erik and I into our camo tutus and princess tiaras at www.LevellandTexas.org/recycle or at www.GreenQueens.org The clock is ticking!
Today I received and email from Governor Perry's office with the news that Texas was ranked the No. 1 Business Climate in the Nation by CNBC.
This is great news as Levelland continues to
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| $15 mil Mallet Event Center & Arena |
invest in public infrastructure projects like the $8.6 mil Levelland Industrial Rail Park, $15 mil Mallet Event Center & Arena & a slew of other public works projects now underway or in the final stages of engineering.
Taking advantage of incredible low construction costs the public entities pursuing these projects are maximizing the public dollars provided by taxpayers. By being progressive and “moving into the wind” during this economic storm Levelland and Hockley County are preparing themselves to reap huge benefits and economic growth in the coming years as the economy returns.
This announcement will draw the attention of businesses worldwide looking for opportunities to invest and our community is poised to capture a share of those dollars being drawn into the state.
For more information on how Levelland Economic Development can help you and/or your business be progressive visit GoLevelland.com/progress
The complete CNBC study is available on www.topstatesforbusiness.cnbc.com.
Today's blog post is a guest posting by Mitsu Yamazaki
of TIP Strategies Inc. Mitsu will be leading a workshop for Levelland EDC board of directors on July 19, 2010 in Levelland beginning at 10 am at Levelland City Hall.
TOP 5 To-Do’s for Today’s Economic Development Organizations
Although local economic development organizations could not have anticipated the current prolonged recession, they are uniquely positioned within their communities to help make the upcoming transition out of the recession a smooth one. Planning for the recovery is critical because it enables communities to establish a strong foundation from which they will be able to take advantage of new opportunities and build from preexisting ones.
As the economy gradually recovers, here are five “to-do’s” for all economic development entities who want to build momentum in their communities:
Protect what you have
- Assess your assets
- Economic development ‘assets’ can include physical infrastructure such as roads and bridges, human capital, educational institutions, business and technology centers, and other local organizations or physical structures that support business locally.
- Put your financial house in order
- Future redevelopment programs or business incentives will require good financial health.
- Emphasize business retention
- Reach out to businesses in your community and establish personal relationships. Get to know the individual decision-makers, be aware of challenges in their industry, and be sensitive to their changing needs. Keep the lines of communication open so that you can respond quickly to their concerns and nurture the business in your community.
Position your community for recovery with strategic investments
- Infrastructure
- Physical infrastructure and human capital will make your community more appealing to outside businesses and will make ‘doing business’ easier for your existing companies.
- Catalyst projects
- Catalyst projects are projects that form a strong foundation for future growth. Examples include: downtown revitalization or redevelopment; the creation or expansion of a technology center; redeveloping vacant or unused sites (commercial or industrial).
Pursue short and mid-term opportunities
- Entrepreneurship
- Educate your community about entrepreneurship and establishing small businesses. Many unemployed and underemployed professionals may be thinking about shifting careers or tackling a new challenge, and you should be available to guide them through this transition.
- Stimulus package
- Keep an eye towards possible Federal grants and stimulus funding that could be applied towards programmatic or infrastructure investments your community would like to make. While the availability of funding should not dictate which projects you pursue, it may help prioritize projects or make them more feasible.
- Countercyclical sectors
- Some sectors, such as insurance and education, tend to experience growth during recessions. Identifying and supporting the role that these industries play in your community is important for local economic vitality as you anticipate the recovery of other industries.
- Consolidations
- Mergers and acquisitions are common during a recession, and it is likely that one of your businesses may be considering expanding through acquisition, or merging with another firm. Being aware of these trends will enable you and your organization to host potential buyers in the community, where necessary, or guide a local business through the process of acquisition.
Be strategic, have a plan
- Create/update strategic plan
- The strategic planning process is integral to strong, sustained growth. By investing in visioning and planning processes, economic development entities can establish community-wide support for new projects and more thoroughly understand the needs of their citizens.
- Prioritize projects
- While the planning process is more general, it will ideally reveal a few specific projects that are of value for the community. Prioritizing among projects is challenging, but ultimately critical for the financial feasibility of each.
- Share your plans with the community
- After visioning, planning, and prioritizing processes are completed within your organization, public roll-outs of plans are important opportunities to solicit feedback from the community, which will make implementation smoother.
Be flexible – Change is the only constant
- Demographic and workforce trends
- The aging baby-boomers are changing the economic landscape and shifting workforce needs. Being aware of demographic trends—in the form of migration as well as the aging population—is critical to anticipating employer needs.
- Technological innovation
- New technologies will make many industries more efficient over time. What is the impact of technological innovation on the industries in your communities? On local workforce needs?
- Regulatory structure
- Changing local, state, and federal regulations shape the business environment. Being aware of trends and helping local businesses adapt to the changes, or take advantage of new regulatory environments, will make your community more welcoming to new and expanding businesses.
Who says you can't do curbside recycling in rural America? The City of Levelland has worked at proving even rural communities can have curb side recycling if you want it bad enough. Last week the City approved a contract
with the Green Queens that will allow Levelland residents the option of curb side recycling. This continues Levelland's push to become the "Greenest" community on the South Plains.
The project is a beautifully designed public/private partnership with a global impact. After reading an article in the Lubbock Avalanche Journal about the Green Queens, City Manager Rick Osburn picked up the phone and called the recycling queens about expanding into the city of Levelland, a growing community just 30 miles west of Lubbock Texas. Fast forward a few months and here we are today, curbside recycling in Levelland Texas population 12,866.
"Adding curbside recycling is the next step in our
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| Rick Osburn, City Manager |
successful recycling program. The partnership between the City (Levelland) and the Green Queens is the most effective way to provide our citizens this service in an efficient, quality manner. Since protecting our environment is everyone's responsibility, combining the efforts and resources of the public and private sectors is an effective way to engage everyone in the effort," says Rick.
Levelland made the commitment to begin a recycling
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| Levelland New Recycling Center |
program a little over a year ago when a drop off center was built on A&M lane.
Residents who wish to recycle sort their recyclable materials and bring them to the center. A goal of 10 tons in the first year was set and 1 year later the city's center has recycled over 30 tons.
While there was no way the city could afford to fund a curbside recycling program for the entire city, Rick found a way to bring the service to town for those that would like to recycle. Residents can sign up for the program and pay the $27 per month fee, which will be billed along with their water utility bill, and the Green Queens will provide twice a month pickups on the first and third Thursday of every month.
Going Green just a got a little easier in our little spot of paradise, if you would like to know more about curbside recycling in Levelland visit www.LevellandTexas.org/recycle
You can also find the Green Queens on Facebook.
On Tuesday night Levelland Economic Development Corp hosted a team from USDA Rural Development here at City Hall. Area Director, Linda Brakebill, and two of her associates presented a housing seminar on the USDA Rural Development's SFH Direct Loan program.
The program provides low-interest, no-down-payment loans to help eligible families and individuals living in
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USDA in Levelland for Housing Program |
rural communities and areas to purchase their own homes. The program is geared toward low to very low-income families. The loans are typically 33 years with a fixed interest rate. No down payment is required for the program and closing costs may be included in the loan. Under the program an applicant may also be eligible for payment assistance, which would subsidize the interest portion of the house payment down to as low as 1%, therefore lowering the overall monthly payment amount. In many cases, the total monthly payment, including taxes and insurance, may actually be less than a family is paying for rent.
They also discussed the Section 504 Repair Loans & Grants program which offers loans of up to $20,000 that are available to make general repairs to improve or modernize a home. The loans have an interest rate of 1% and a maximum term of 20 years. To qualify for a loan, the applicant must have a reliable income source sufficient to ally repayment of the loan. Applicants must also have a credit history that indicates a reasonable ability and willingness to meet debt obligations. The adjusted household income at the time of the loan approval and at loan closing must not exceed the USDA Rural Development applicable very low income limit. Applicants must own and occupy the property, which must be considered modest for the area, not have an in-ground pool, and not have a value excess of the area loan limit.
If you are interested in more information about these programs or know someone who is you can contact a USDA representative in their Lubbock office at 806.785.5644, Extension 4. You can also read more about USDA programs online at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/tx/
The following is a guest post by Erik Rejino, Director of Administration Services for the
City of Levelland.
It was approximately two years ago that a fourth-grade student went to Levelland City Council and urged them to begin thinking about future generations by beginning a City-Wide recycling program.
It was approximately
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The Levelland Recycling Center |
one year ago that the
Levelland Recycling Center officially opened for operation. Just in the first year of operation, Levelland residents have saved 510 trees, 11,400 gallons of oil, 90 cubic yards of landfill space, 120,000 kilowatts of energy, and over 210,000 gallons of water by taking their recyclables to the Levelland Recycling Center.
The initial goal of the program was to collect 10 tons of recyclable material during the first year of operation. 
The Levelland Recycling Center actually collected over 32 tons in its first year of operation, shattering the initial goal of 10 tons. I applaud all who participated in the program over the past year and encourage you to continue to Go Green.
While the Levelland Recycling Program has had huge success in its first year of operation, please understand that this program is only in the beginning stages. The City of Levelland is working on various ways to make the program more convenient for residents.
The City is exploring ideas with regards to offering a curb-side pickup service as well as possibly adding a more conveniently located drop off location. We understand that only by improving the program and making it more convenient can we achieve our long run goal of recycling 200 tons per year.
For those of you that are not familiar with the Levelland Recycling Program and want to learn more please go to the recycling web page or come by City Hall and pick up a brochure.
Also, the City has posted a recycling survey on their website. Please go to the City of Levelland website and help us improve the Levelland Recycling Program by taking the survey. Click here to go directly to the survey.
Multinational wind company
Alstom Power Inc.
announced yesterday at an
American Wind Energy Association conference in Dallas that they will begin their activities in the American market at
Amarillo's CenterPort Business Park just over two hours north of
Levelland Texas and the
Levelland Industrial Rail Park.
A ground breaking is planned for Alstom 11 a.m. Thursday to celebrate at the plant site at the CenterPort near Loop 335 and Northeast 24th Avenue, on Amarillo's eastern edge.
The construction, equipping and staffing of the 115,000-square-foot wind-component manufacturing plant represents "a significant investment." The plant is expected to employ 275 full-time workers.
In March, the city of Amarillo awarded Alstom a $12.5 million economic development incentive package, which included an existing building at CenterPort and a job-creation grant to support the building's expansion, and the company likely will spend an additional $12 million to $20 million equipping the plant.
The plant will assemble nacelles, which contain the generator, gearbox and control systems that make up a wind turbine. The site is a $5 million speculative shell structure the city built as an incentive to attract industry to CenterPort, part of the package presented to Alstom, which enabled the company to move forward more quickly.
Alstom has procurement people who have been meeting with companies in the region that they might buy goods and services from. This announcement represents a huge opportunity for Levelland's local businesses and the Levelland Industrial Rail Park (LIRP) in the heart of the High Ground of Texas.
The following is a guest post by Camille Torres, Editorial Director of Fort Worth based Talk Back Media and Facebook for Business workshop leader in Levelland in June. You can follow Camille on twitter at Twitter.com/TalkBackMedia or read her blog at www.talkbackmedia.com/blog
CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT -
It's no secret that Facebook is a powerful tool for boosting business. With fan pages, you can connect with customers to build your brand. But if you're just using your fan page as an outlet for outbound information about your company, you're leaving powerful opportunities on the table.
Although it's great to share specials, discounts, and company news with your followers, Facebook can be so much more. Whether you own a restaurant or boutique, car dealership or accounting firm, you should be using your Facebook fan page as a customer engagement tool. If you can get customers talking to you through Facebook, they're more likely to buy from you, show loyalty to your brand, and refer others to your business.
To harness all Facebook's potential and connect with your current and potential customers, follow these five steps.
1. Don't be afraid to open up your wall to fan's comments.
For customers truly to be engaged, they need to have a voice. It's impossible to have conversations and engagement with customers if you're the only one who can write on your wall.
I know some companies are hesitant to allow fans to write on their walls because someone might say something negative. Yes, that is a possibility. But regardless of whether fans can write on your wall or not, there's always a possibility that someone will bash your company through social media.
Disabling fan comments on your wall doesn't eliminate the chance that someone will speak badly about your company online. Disabling comments just eliminates the possibility that unsatisfied customers will voice their concerns on your page. That puts you at a disadvantage because it restricts your influence and opportunity to quickly and openly address the issue. It's much better if someone voices a concern on your wall where you can directly respond right away.
If you reply openly and honestly, address their issues or complaints, and try to resolve them, you have the chance to improve your customers' opinions about your company.
2. Venture beyond sales and promotions.
If you really want to develop a Facebook following, try to follow the 80/20 rule. Only promote your company 20 percent of the time. The other 80 percent of the time, talk about things your customers care about.
Ask them questions and share information that interests your customers-whether that's info related to your industry, community, whatever. It's like any relationship. If you only talk about yourself, you'll alienate the other party. Eventually they'll just tune you out.
3. Check your fan page frequently.
You don't have to stay glued to your smart phone, checking your Facebook page every 10 minutes. But you do need to check it several times a day-once a day at the very least. I suggest checking your page in the morning, at lunch, and at the end of the day.
If you wait a couple of days to respond to fans' comments, the conversation will fizzle. You'll miss good opportunities for engagement.
Also, if someone has a problem, you want to respond quickly to show you care. And if someone says something completely inappropriate (profane or offensive), you want to delete it before many fans see it.
4. Show some personality.
For customers to connect with your company and engage with you on Facebook, they need to see you as more than just a company. They need to see you as person (or group of people). Share photos from your office or store, anecdotes about your day, and anything else that shows who you are.
5. Keep customer service in the forefront.
Providing good customer service through Facebook-responding to questions, issues, etc.-is an obvious must. But you also have to remember to focus on in-store customer service.
No matter how good you are at promoting engagement on Facebook, customers still have to like your company enough to want to talk to you online. If you aren't practicing good face-to-face business, you won't have the engagement you want to see. It's when you focus on your customers both in person and online that you really start to see results.
Facebook for Business: How to boost your business with Facebook
Join Camille in Levelland as she teaches you how you to use Facebook for Business on June 8, 2010 at South Plains College. Levelland Chamber of Commerce members receive a $50 discount by using promo code "Chamber".
The following is a guest post provided by Erik Rejino, Director of Administration Services for the City of Levelland.
Approximately 73 percent of Levelland residents and 67 percent of Hockley County residents have filled out and 
returned their Census questionnaire. Approximately 72 percent of households nationwide and 69 percent of households statewide have filled out and returned their Census questionnaire.
When compared to the 2000 Census final participation rate, the rates mentioned above are actually ahead of where the rates were in the 2000 Census. The final participation rate in 2000 was 72 percent nationwide, 68 percent statewide, 68 percent in Hockley County, and 74 percent in Levelland.
The final participation rate includes the door knocking phase of collecting Census data. 
The rates mentioned above for this year's Census do not yet include the door knocking phase.
Door-to-door census taking occurs in May, June, and early July 2010. Local census takers will visit households that did not mail back a census form. All Census takers carry an official badge and a shoulder bag - both with the Department of Commerce Seal - and a binder.
During a visit, census takers will show ID and hand respondents an information sheet explaining that their answers are confidential. The Census taker will complete the questionnaire, which should take about 10 minutes.
If no one is home, a "notice of visit" will be left on the door inviting the resident to call the census taker to complete the form over the phone. The Census taker is authorized to go back as many as seven times if necessary.
If you haven't yet, it is not too late to participate in the 2010 Census. The 2010 Census will determine how $400 billion per year in federal funds over the next ten years will be allocated.
By being counted, you are doing your part in making sure that Levelland and Hockley County will receive their fair share of that money. For more information about how to identify a census worker and the extra steps the Census Bureau has taken to protect confidential information, CALL 800-563-6499.