Energy Corridor creeping west into Katy, Tx

According to Meredith Mohr, a writer for the Community Impact Newspaper, www.impactnews.com, with new buildings or expansions in the area from at least six oil & gas drilling support companies, many are looking to the Katy portion of Fort Bend, Harris & Waller counties as the logical extension of Houston’s “Energy Corridor.” City & county officials hope to turn such development into a well-oiled machine as it edges farther into the once wide-open farmland.
The last 5 years, in particular, have seen significant growth with the opening of facilities by Newpark Drilling Fluids, Weatherford, Hampco Services, Welltec, Schlumberger subsidiaries Dyna-Drill & Schlumberger High Efficiency, among others.
For the Woodlands-based Newpark Resources, www.newpark.com, which completed a 106,000-square foot facility off of Mason Road in June, construction of its new three-story building was an opportunity to capitalize on the growth of the Katy area, said John Beltz, director of marketing for the company’s Katy operation.
“People want to come here & oil is king,” Beltz said. “We wanted to be a part of that combination in the rapidly growing west.” The company uses about 37,000 square feet of its facility as lab space, featuring a state-of-the-art down-hole drilling simulator & other tools for fluids analysis. “We wanted to stay in the Katy area because it seemed like a central place for many of our employees,” Beltz said. “The other reason is Katy is just exploding with opportunity,” he said. “People are seeing it as one of the best places to live.”
Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Steve Radack said circumstances for Katy right now make it a natural place for growth like this. “I-10 & Hwy. 99 run right through Katy, there is the Metro Park & Ride service, & Terry Hershey Hike & Bike Park,” he said. “These are all things that attract growth.”
Supporting Population
Companies considering a move to the area are also eyeing the growing workforce. According to the Katy Economic Development Council, the Katy labor shed – workers employed within a 30-minute drive tops 1 million people. The EDC expects the labor shed numbers to rise to by about 11% in the next 5 years. Low interest rates for homes are spurring growth too. “Take a look at the interstate & the traffic out there every morning & afternoon,” Radack said. “There are more people, more neighborhoods, more communities growing. It’s really a boomtown out here.”

And when these new developments comes in, take advantage of the expertise and experience of Laura Hill, Realtor. If you want to find the right real estate agent, there is none better than a Realtor like Laura Hill at Re/Max Cinco Ranch. Look me up at https://www.localkatyrealty.com, 832-771-1314.

The post Energy Corridor creeping west into Katy, Tx appeared first on Local Katy Realty.