Abbott touts economic successes at Beaumont chamber meeting

Gov. Greg Abbott touted Texas’ strong economy and premier business climate at the Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting Tuesday, thanking local business leaders for job creation and expanding the local economy.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has ranked the Beaumont Chamber as a top 2% chamber in the country, and the Port of Beaumont has helped make Texas a national export leader for 19 years.

Abbott was joined by Texas Parks and Wildlife Commissioner Richard Scott, Congressman Randy Weber, state Sen. Brandon Creighton, state Rep. Joe Deshotel, Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick, Beaumont Mayor Robin Moutin, and other local leaders.

“More and more great companies are moving to Texas every day because of our welcoming business climate and our young, growing, skilled, and diverse workforce, but that would not be possible without the help of great organizations like the Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce,” Abbott said.

His remarks focused on economic wins for the state, including major businesses that relocated to Texas such as Hewlett-Packard and Tesla. Both companies relocated their headquarters to Texas, as well as many other big name companies.

The low-lying Gulf cities of Beaumont and Port Arthur have historically been hit hard by hurricanes and flooding. Their communities in the southeast corner of the state have come together to navigate natural disasters. Last year was no different during COVID-19 lockdowns, Chamber President and CEO Bill Allen said.

Despite the challenges of COVID-19 over the past year, local businesses came together to navigate new operational practices and guidelines.

One helpful tool the chamber implemented, Allen said, was gathering information through surveys. Learning what businesses were experiencing and how they were adapting to supply chain issues or COVID-19 protocols proved to be helpful, he said.

Beaumont’s Jason’s Deli won the 2021 Spindletop award, the chamber’s annual award that recognizes businesses for outstanding corporate citizenship and overall impact on the community.

Abbott said he frequents Jason’s Deli, saying it represents the kind of businesses that “makes Texas great.”

“Good businesses are businesses that invest in their bottom line,” Abbott said. “But, great businesses are businesses that invest in their community that they operate in.”

This article was originally posted on Abbott touts economic successes at Beaumont chamber meeting