Economic Base
Introduction
The economic base section of the comprehensive plan provides an inventory of population, income, and employment characteristics of Navasota. To improve the City’s economic prosperity, this section should be used in conjunction with the associated document, the Navasota Economic Development Plan. The information was obtained from federal, state, and local authorities, including the U.S. Bureau of the Census, Texas Workforce Commission, and citizen interviews.
Employment
There are 2,560 residents currently employed in Navasota as well as in other locations. Males within the City are slightly more likely to be employed than females. These statistics are comparable to county, state and national levels (Figure 5.1). Almost half of the employment for Navasota occurs outside the City (Figure 5.2). This situation suggests that many of the working residents have to travel outside of Navasota to go to their jobs, possibly to the College Station/Bryan area or north Houston. The average travel time to work for Navasota is 20.4 minutes, compared with 25.5 minutes for the US (Figure 5.3).
Average Wage
According to the Texas Workforce Commission, the 2004 average weekly wages for Grimes County are $578, which is $15.74 lower than the state wage of $686 per week (Figure 5.4). This can be accounted for by the lack of employment opportunities and a skilled labor force in Navasota.
Unemployment Rates
One of the negative economic factors in Navasota is the high unemployment rate, which is 8.6% compared to the Texas rate of 6.1% (Figure 5.5). Males have a slightly higher unemployment rate than females, and the overall age groups with the highest unemployment rates are those between the ages of 16 and 24 years (Figures 5.6 and 5.7).
Local Economic Base
Navasota's economy is based on a mixture of service, retail, and manufacturing industries (Figure 5.8). The largest employment category is the educational, health, and social services, which employs approximately 24.4 % (or 624 people) of the population in Navasota. Other categories include manufacturing, government, retail, agriculture, arts, recreation, and entertainment.
The educational sector for Navasota consists primarily of individuals employed by the Navasota Independent School District. The school system is made up of six educational facilities including:
- Navasota Primary School, serving Pre-Kindergarten through first grade;
- John C. Webb Elementary, serving second and third grade;
- Navasota Intermediate, serving fourth and fifth grade;
- Navasota Junior High, serving sixth, seventh, and eighth grade;
- Navasota High School, serving ninth through twelfth grade; and
- The Carver Learning Center, which serves as an alternative learning center for students in sixth through twelfth grade.
The healthcare sector consists of individuals working at the Grimes County St. Joseph Health Center, the Navasota Medical Center, three dentists’ offices, and an optometrists’ office.
The second largest employment sector is manufacturing, employing about 20% of Navasota’s population. Companies in this sector are listed on Table 5.1. The largest private industries in Navasota are Grant-Prideco and Citation Corporation (formerly known as Interstate Southwest Forge Company), employing 581 and 300 persons respectively. Grant-Prideco is the largest private employer in Navasota and Grimes County. This company produces tubular products used in the drilling and completion of oil and gas wells. In addition, the Citation Corporation is a manufacturer of metal components for the durable goods industry. They have the ability to cast, create, and machine mechanisms.
Table 5.1: Manufacturing Employers in City of Navasota
| Company Name |
Product Produced |
Employees |
| B & R Industries, Inc |
Oil field products |
32 |
| Citation |
Innovative metal components |
300 |
| Ergogenesis, LLC |
High-end office chairs |
118 |
| Fremac Millwork, Inc |
Counter tops and cabinet doors |
20 |
| Grant Prideco |
Oil and gas drilling products |
581 |
| Metal Culverts, Inc. |
Corrugated metal pipes |
4 |
| MVC Management |
Pre-caste building slabs |
7 |
| Roof & Metal Systems, Inc |
Kon-seal roof vent |
9 |
| Trinity Head Division |
Pressure vessel heads |
71 |
| Texas Custom Coaters |
Cosmetic coating |
12 |
| Tuboscope Vetco |
Pipe coating |
60 |
| The Wood Factory |
Architectural wood products |
4 |
| Total: 1218 |
The government sector within Navasota employs another portion of the population. The City of Navasota employs 85 people full-time and an additional 30 seasonal workers during spring and summer. This employment includes police services, fire services, public works administration, city hall administration, and library personnel. In addition, there are two state prisons located in Navasota that employ close to 700 people.
The Wal-Mart and Brookshire Brothers stores account for the majority of the retail sector employment within Navasota. Other smaller and locally owned establishments make a further contribution to the retail workforce within the City.
Within the agricultural sector, there are agriculture supply stores and feed stores. Navasota is also home to the Bridle Ridge Quarter Horse Farm.
The arts, recreation, and entertainment sector is one of the smallest employment sectors in Navasota. The City has a theater troupe, the Navasota Theater Alliance, which performs at the Sunny Furman Theater.
The City of Navasota’s employment structure is compared to Texas in Figure 5.8. The manufacturing sector in Navasota is higher than that of Texas. However, there are some industries that fall behind the State level such as retail, information, and construction.
Conclusion
An analysis of Navasota’s economic base indicates areas that need improvement. Attention to these problems may reduce unemployment rates and bring more economic stability to the area. In order to guide economic development within the community, it is recommended that the City implement the Navasota Economic Development Plan.
Sources:
U.S. Census www.census.gov
Texas Workforce Commission www.twc.state.tx.us
