What We’ve Done
Awards
LEDA has received local, regional, statewide and national recognition for the team’s implementation of innovative programs, partnerships and marketing strategies.
2020
LEDA RECIPIENT OF WORKFORCE EXCELLENCE AWARD FROM THE TEXAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (TEDC)
- The Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) awarded the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance (LEDA) and its partners with the 2020 Workforce Excellence Award, a prestigious recognition for the regional efforts in providing resources to high school students in the South Plains region training for high-demand jobs. The award this year was based on a $750,000 grant to regional high schools for equipment and supplies in career and technical education (CTE) programs, the High Demand Job Training Grant.
2019
COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AWARD FROM THE TEXAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (TEDC)
- The Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) presented the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance (LEDA) with a Community Economic Development Award (CEDA) at the TEDC’s Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas on Thursday, October 10. Among 25 submitted applications, the CEDA committee selected LEDA to receive the award within the 250,001 or greater population category. Nominees were judged on five criteria: innovativeness, transferability, community commitment and leverage, measured objectives and secondary benefits.
- INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL’S EXCELLENCE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SILVER AWARD
- The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) awarded Lubbock Economic Development Alliance (LEDA) the Excellence in Economic Development Silver Award at the IEDC annual conference in Indianapolis, IN on Wednesday, October 16. Criteria for the award included a demonstration of a collaboration with an educational institution and focused on the partnership as well as the programmatic outcomes. Nominees were to exhibit direct economic benefit to the community, spin-off impact of the partnership, creativity and innovation in organizing or governing the partnership, and the extent of the partnership in planning, development and financing the project.
2018
CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT FOR ECONOMIC EXCELLENCE RECOGNITION FROM THE TEXAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (TEDC)
- The LEDA Team was recognized during the 2017 Mid-Year TEDC Conference for their Achievement in Economic Excellence for the year 2016. The annual program provides recognition to economic development organizations that meet a desired threshold of professionalism. LEDA qualified for the recognition based on professional training, certifications, memberships and activities and the organizational effectiveness of the staff. The is the fifth consecutive year that LEDA has been the recipient of Economic Excellence Recognition.
2017
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (IEDC) EXCELLENCE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AWARDS
- The IEDC recently presented the LEDA team with a Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award for the 2015-2016 Year in Review piece. The team also received two Silver Excellence in Economic Development Awards for General Purpose Print Promotion and Video/Multimedia Promotion, as well as a Bronze Award for Paid Ad Campaign. In addition, the LEDA Team received a Silver Award for the South Plains College Lubbock Center project. IEDC is the world’s largest non-profit, non-partisan organization serving the economic development profession.
2016
- TEXAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL WORKFORCE EXCELLENCE AWARD
- The TEDC presented a Workforce Excellence Award to the LEDA Team at the 2016 TEDC Mid-Year Conference. The LEDA Team was recognized for their efforts with the South Plains Demand Job Training Project, the SEMI High Tech U with X-FAB Texas and the partnership establishing the South Plains College Career and Technical Education Center. The Workforce Excellence Award program recognizes exceptional contributions by a Texas community or region that has implemented successful workforce initiatives.
- CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT FOR ECONOMIC EXCELLENCE RECOGNITION FROM THE TEXAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (TEDC)
- LEDA was recognized during the 2016 TEDC Mid-Year Conference for achievement in Economic Excellence for the year 2015. The annual program provides recognition to economic development organizations that meet a desired threshold of professionalism. LEDA qualified for the recognition based on professional training, certifications, memberships and activities and the organizational effectiveness of the staff. The is the fourth consecutive year that LEDA has been the recipient of Economic Excellence Recognition.
- INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (IEDC) EXCELLENCE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AWARDS
- The IEDC recently presented the Marketing and Communications Team with a Silver Excellence in Economic Development Award for the 2014-2015 Year in Review piece. The IEDC is the world’s largest non-profit organization serving the economic development profession.
2015
CERTIFICATE OF ACHIEVEMENT FOR ECONOMIC EXCELLENCE RECOGNITION FROM THE TEXAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (TEDC)
- LEDA was recognized during the 2015 TEDC Mid-Year Conference for achievement in Economic Excellence for the year 2014. The annual program provides recognition to economic development organizations that meet a desired threshold of professionalism. LEDA qualified for the recognition based on professional training, certifications, memberships and activities and the organizational effectiveness of the staff. The is the third consecutive year that LEDA has been the recipient of Economic Excellence Recognition.
Accomplishments
LEDA strives to partner with businesses and other agencies within Lubbock and the State of Texas to write grants and develop programs that meet the needs of both existing and potential businesses while promoting growth within the Lubbock community. The following list is a sampling of what LEDA has been able to accomplish as a result of those efforts. In turn, these accomplishments have supported LEDA’s efforts to retain and recruit business to Lubbock.
Foreign-Trade Zone
In 2004, Lubbock Foreign-Trade Zone 260 (FTZ-260), was approved by the Foreign-Trade Zones Board to cover 693 acres on the Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport (LBB) and 2,000 acres on the deactivated Reese United States Air Force Base. The FTZ-260 is strategically located in the South Plains area providing a central United States location for businesses looking to meet increasing trade demands. LBB serves as the region’s United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) designated international port of entry.
Performance Agreements
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
History
In October 1995, Market Lubbock Economic Development Corporation (Market Lubbock) was formed to contract with the city as a not-for-profit economic development corporation. Programs were also developed in an effort to retain and expand local business development and to assist in the recruitment of new business. In 1996, the Lubbock City Council approved a Grant Management Agreement whereby Market Lubbock would conduct economic development on behalf of the City of Lubbock. The City Council voted to fund Market Lubbock with three cents of the ad valorem tax. Years later in 2003, Marc McDougal, the mayor at the time; David Langston, a previous mayor; and Mike Field, chairman of the Market Lubbock Board at the time, saw an opportunity for Lubbock to enhance economic development, job creation and capital investment by asking citizens to approve a portion of the sales tax to be dedicated specifically to economic development.
As a result of the efforts of these and other business leaders of Lubbock, in November 2003, the citizens of Lubbock voted to fund economic development activities through the collection of 1/8 of one percent of the city’s sales tax allocation, thus, the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance (LEDA) was created one year later in October 2004. Market Lubbock is still in operation today coordinating its efforts with LEDA to continue to promote economic development in Lubbock. It also houses Visit Lubbock, the city’s convention and visitors bureau, dedicated to promoting tourism, conventions and sporting events in Lubbock.
Since the formation of LEDA, the organization has succeeded in various projects all geared toward helping local companies retain and expand their operations, while also working to recruit new business to Lubbock. In response to corporate decision makers’ and site selectors’ recommendations, in 2006 LEDA purchased 586 acres of raw farm land east of Interstate 27 (I-27) to develop the Lubbock Business Park, providing a place where businesses could locate or build new infrastructure close to the airport, I-27 and other major highways. One year later, LEDA obtained the Lubbock Rail Port, a 526-acre tract of land located just north of the Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport.
Past and present, LEDA and Market Lubbock, leaders have made economic strides in the community. From 1995 to 2003, David Sharp served as the president and CEO of Market Lubbock. Then, in 2003, Gary Lawrence was hired as president and CEO of LEDA and Market Lubbock where he served until his retirement in 2010. In February 2010, John Osborne joined the organization as president and CEO where he continues to serve today.
Since its inception in 2004, LEDA has played a major role in growing the Lubbock economy. The organization’s accomplishments include assistance in creating thousands of jobs, hundreds of millions of dollars in capital improvements and billions of dollars in cumulative economic impact to the Lubbock area.