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Report: Entrepeneur Opportunities Limitless For Eagle Ford Shale

UTSA

Although San Antonio isn't directly a part of drilling and extraction activities of the Eagle Ford Shale, it is one of the many communities benefiting from the  injection of economic power.

According to a new report by the San Antonio Economic Foundation, road damage caused by trucks traveling to and from the Eagle Ford Shale drilling sites is a big challenge for Bexar County and the City of San Antonio. The report recommends infrastructure planning during the next legislative session.

On small business, the report says opportunities for entrepreneurs are limitless. Workforce Solutions Alamo is already focusing on educating a workforce to fill this need, holding jobs fairs, training programs and connecting high schools to the industry.
Workforce Solutions Alamo Communications Manager Eva Esquivel said that their goal is to fill jobs.

"We have a minimum of 10 occupations right now that we're driving training toward, and all of those are related to the Eagle Ford Shale," she said.

%22We%20want%20all%20those%20Houston%20oil%20and%20gas%20companies%20who%20have%20been%20there%20forever%20to%20consider%20San%20Antonio%20and%20to%20invest%20here.%22

Mayor Julián Castro said the boom has been a blessing to San Antonio, but he is still looking at further growth.

"We want all those Houston oil and gas companies who have been there forever to consider San Antonio and to invest here. The ones we really get excited about are the ones that have brought several hundred jobs and the ones that are relocating to San Antonio, which is music to my ears," said Castro.

One company that already took the plunge is Lake Truck Lines. Douglas Cain moved 90 percent of the executive staff here a year ago from Houston.

"I love this place," he said. "You can't chase me out of here with shotguns. Love this town."

Cain said it's the best move he ever made.

"This is an enormous boom, not only from a standpoint of just people having an opportunity to make money, but it's an opportunity for these organizations to give back to the communities so that when we look back in five and ten years, we could find we've been able to do tremendous things to the communities that we've injected ourselves with," he said.

The economic impact translated into a $422.6 million gross county product for Bexar County last year with a payroll of over $186 million. County leaders say the projections for the future are even better.

Ryan Loyd was Texas Public Radio's city beat and political reporter. He left the organization in December, 2014.