2015 marked another banner year for Central Texas job creation – with major operations across technology, manufacturing, life sciences, consumer products and call centers – providing diverse opportunities for Central Texans across the five-county region, from Round Rock to San Marcos and everywhere in between. In honor of the inspiring performance to-date, which includes 68 company expansions and 53 relocations, creating over 9,000 new jobs in the region, we’re counting down the top economic development announcements of the year. Central Texas remains a thriving global business capital that is poised for continued economic success and a prosperous regional economy.

With eight days left in 2015, here are eight of the biggest gains for the region announced this year:

• Amazon is increasing its presence in the region, creating a new 855,000 square foot online distribution center in San Marcos, adding 1,000 jobs. In 2015, the Company also announced the creation of a digital product development and support office in Austin, creating 250 additional jobs.
• General Motors has also expanded operations in Austin, opening an IT Innovation Center, creating 500 jobs in a more than 300,000 square foot space.
• Google chose to expand its footprint in Austin, adding 400 jobs in technology development & sales, marketing & staffing.
• Novitex Enterprise Solutions, a document & business process automation company, will open a new Austin office, creating 400 jobs in a 122,400 square foot office space.
• Natera, a life sciences company focused on genetic diagnostic testing kits, selected Austin for its new corporate headquarters, creating 356 jobs.
• Main Street Hub, a fast-growing social media solutions provider, announced its new headquarters in Austin, creating 300 jobs.
• Continuum Analytics, a data-analysis and visualization tools developer, expanded its headquarters in Austin, creating 180 jobs.
• Oracle, an American global computer technology corporation, announced its plan to build a new 27-acre campus overlooking Lady Bird Lake and grow the Austin workforce by 50 percent.

Stay tuned for future posts around innovation and capital funding, workforce development, education and how we’re helping develop solutions for regional challenges so you can focus on living your life and growing your business.