The ACCRA Cost of Living Index provides a useful and reasonably accurate measure of living cost differences among urban areas. Items on which the index is based have been carefully chosen to reflect the different categories of consumer expenditures. Weights assigned to relative costs are based on government survey data on expenditure patterns for professional and executive households. All items are priced in each place at a specified time and according to standardized specifications. Interpreting the index: ACCRA Cost of Living Index measures relative price levels for consumer goods and services in participating areas. The average for all participating places, both metropolitan and non-metropolitan, equals 100, and each participant’s index is read as a percentage of the average for all places.
Urban Area & State
100% composite Index
Housing
Utilities
Longview-Marshall TX MSA
88.5
78.7
77.5
Beaumont-Port Arthur TX MSA
93.8
82.0
80.3
Dallas TX MSA
100.8
94.9
109.2
Houston TX PMSA
91.9
88.5
99.4
New York NY MSA
218.6
416.8
168.1
San Francisco CA PMSA
183.0
118.2
96.2
Housing costs were nearly five times the average in New York (Manhattan), more than three times the average in San Francisco, and more than twice the average in Los Angeles. At the other end of the scale, Houston’s housing costs were 16 percent below the average, and Marshall around 20% below the average.
Education
Institution
Number of Students
East Texas Baptist University -East Texas Baptist University is located in Marshall, Texas, an historic city of 25,000 nestled in the scenic piney woods of East Texas. It is part of a larger metropolitan area of Longview, Texas, and Shreveport, Louisiana, and is located 150 miles east of Dallas, on Interstate 20. Marshall is in the center of a recreational and tourist region, and is near the Caddo Lake recreational area.
1400
Texas State Technology College -TSTC offers certificates and associates degrees leading to exciting careers in advanced technical fields. While the TSTC curriculum is rigorous and demanding, success is within reach. TSTC faculty rely on recent, relevant industry experience to guide students through applied learning in small classes and labs. TSTC staff demonstrates their caring attitude with quick response to every customer need. At TSTC, students, businesses, and communities work together with faculty and staff to achieve success
700
Wiley College -Wiley College is a four-year, privately-supported, historically black university located on the west side of Marshall, Texas. Wiley College holds distinction as one of the oldest historically black colleges west of the Mississippi River.
650
Panola Junior College -As a community college serving both commuter and residential students, Panola College provides the advantages of attending a major university on a small college campus. We are large enough to offer a variety of academic and technical courses of studies but small enough not to lose sight of our commitment of being student centered. We pride ourselves on individual attention and smiling faces.
Weismans Center 211 N. Washington Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30 am to 5:30 pm Saturday 9:00am to 5:00pm Offers shopping & dining Breakfast and Lunch (903) 934-8836
As co-owner of Howell Oil & Gas since 1990 I have had a very active roll in doing business in East Texas. Having partial ownership in as many as nine businesses in the Marshall area since 1967 and even a machine shop in Louisiana at one time found this area very positive for business. The Marshall area is known for it's great labor force, low cost of living, and a strong community. I have always found the best machinist, welders, and metal craftsmen up and down the Texas and Louisiana state line. The workers are well trained, educated, and have a strong work ethic. The Marshall area has a total of 8 colleges within a 40-mile radius such as: junior colleges, technical schools, and Universities. We have wonderful training facilities in Marshall: Texas State Technical College (TSTC) who will set up training programs to meet your industry needs. MEDCO and the community worked together to get TSTC here in Marshall to provide training for our growing and expanding industries. This has been very positive for our community and the training offered has been excellent for our industries. I look forward to seeing more industries take advantage of all the wonderful qualities Marshall has to offer, including it is a great place to raise a family, and a beautiful place to live.
MEDCO 2660 East End Blvd. South Marshall, TX 75672
We have found Marshall to be a great place to do business. Casey Pottery Company and Home & Garden Party have grown and prospered in Marshall, and we believe that other businesses would be wise to consider Marshall as a place to locate.
Hardworking employees, supportive county and city officials, and abundant natural resources are just a few of the advantages that we have learned to appreciate about Marshall, Texas.
Prospective businesses coming into Marshall should always look at four things, one the work force, two community involvement, three civic involvement and four education. I have found the work force to be positive and hard working and most important in my business honest, my retail store has a very low shrinkage rate compared to other stores. We have many great civic organizations and our rotary club was awarded top one hundred Rotary Club out of 3900 .Civic involvement is very important to the character of a community , the United Way budget three years ago was less than one hundred thousand. This year we will bring in over two hundred and twenty five thousand dollars. The education standard has reached a new level with many schools attaining the next step in the Texas testing program. I would encourage business to come to Marshall.
Marshall Economic Development Corporation 2660 East End Blvd. South Marshall, Texas 75672
Re; Marshall Area Workforce Survey
Thank you for expressing an interest in the reasons companies like ours, with International affilIations, have come to appreciate the workforce in Marshall and the surrounding area: Often, too little is said about the positive aspects of East Texas and the people who live and work here.
Marshall has a fairly low cost of living, while providing a populace that can obtain essential goods and services with an Income significantly less than the state average.
The median age of the population of Marshall (32) Is ideal for an area Involved in manufacturing and service operations, thus providing a readily avaIlable labor force.
The population of Marshall is very diverse, yet there is very little friction as a result of the diversity. Employees of different ethnic backgrounds are able to work side by side, without tIle hostility present in other locales.
Marshall has four institutions of higher learning, Texas Stale Technical College (from which we hire Industrial Maintenance and Industrial Health and Safety graduates), East Texas Baptist University (from which we hire Computer Science graduates), Wiley College (from which we hire Finance graduates) and Panola College which provided In-house course credit for our employees in Microsoft Office. Many of the students have completed Internships in various departments at Marshall Pottery , and a number of the students work part-time at our facility.
Marshall Pottery has been in operation for over one hundred years. Many of the residents of Marshall can say they have had a relative or friend who has worked with us at some time over the years. In addition, Marshall has had as many as thirteen different potteries in operation at anyone time. Children of these workers were exposed to the skills at home that their family members performed at work. Artists. designers, potters and other skilled professionals are available from generation to generation, creative occupations that are usually hard to fill In other areas.
Our city and county governments remain interested in growth and are willing to work with new industry to provide jobs for their citizens.
All of these attributes make Marshall a very good prospect for businesses looking for new location.
Marshall Economic Development Corporation 2660 East End Blvd. South Marshall, Texas 75672
Thank you for the opportunity to express my opinion regarding the potential of the labor force in the East Texas Area. As Director of Operations for a company that employs about 185 skilled workers, I have found many aspects of the area labor pool to be better than average. Being an agricultural community, the labor force tends to have that hard working mentality with high family values. Their basic skills and knowledge give them a good foundation that will allow them to be easily trained to enhance their skill levels. Our employees tend to be loyal to the company, which has resulted in very low turnover. We have found that the avaIlability of capable workers is good and has gotten even better as the result of the economic climate. Skilled craftsman are available with a variety of skills including, welders, millwrights. machinists and pipe fitters. For an employer, wage rates in this area are very competitive compared many areas of the country .
The union environment at the Marshall plant has not presented any significant problems over the years. This is an indication of the types of people available and their understanding of business.
The combination of skilled workers, the economic climate, and a competitive wage scale combine to create an attractive potential work force. Please let me know if you would like to discuss this topic further .
Marshall Economic Development Corp 2660 East End Blvd South Marshall, Texas 75672
Snider Industries is a family owned business that has been located in Marshall since the 1930's. We currently employ approximately 115 employees. We have a very stable workforce with many employees having in excess of 20 years of service.
Snider Industries is a lumber manufacture that begins with logs and concludes with finished lumber. Marshall is located in a geographical "hot spot". U.S. highways 59 and 80 along with Interstate 20 provide excellent access to all major markets. Our lumber is shipped allover the United States as well as exported to other countries.
Marshall is a very family oriented city providing a great place to live and raise a family, Our employees are very hard working and dedicated employees. We have found the labor force to be large and trainable.
Marshall Economic Development Corp. 2660 E. End Blvd. S. Marshall, TX 75671
Woodlawn Manufacturing was formed in Marshall in 1973. We are a metal parts supplier to the ammunition sector of the defense industry. We function sometimes as a prime contractor, but primarily as a 1st. tier subcontractor to major defense contractors.
We train our plant employees ourselves and have enjoyed a stable workforce. In the recent past we have had success with hiring females and are now 70 % female employment.
Marshall has been a good location from a distribution standpoint and enjoys close proximity to Shreveport with good interstate access to Dallas.
From a cost effective manufacturing standpoint, I would grade Marshall very high, and competitive with any U. S. location.
Having owned Woodlawn Manufacturing the past seven years, I have chosen to retain our Marshall location and relocate myself to support the company.
When I sold our subsidiary company, Woodlawn Abrasives, to Black and Decker in 1999, Medco did an excellent job and was instrumental in getting Black and Decker to choose Marshall as the location for their new plant.
In short, Marshall is just a very good location with wonderful people.
Meeting/Conference Rooms Post Office Box Notary Service Shipping/Receiving Service 24 Hour building access with security card & access code 24 Hour monitoring with 11 security cameras Custodial Service in common areas
Electricity for lighting and normal office equipment, janitorial services for the common area of the building, normal maintenance & repair on the property, reasonable heat & air-conditioning, free parking.
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