Houston, USA
Annise D. Parker
Mayor of Houston
The City of Houston, covering 1,698 square km., is located in the state of Texas, USA and is the nation’s energy capital. The city's metropolitan area is host to approximately 5.7 million people and the city population is approximately 2.2 million, making Houston the fourth largest city in the U.S.
From the 2000 census through mid 2008, the population of the Houston metropolitan area grew by 21.5%, while the U.S. population increased 8.0% over the same period. As of July 2009, unemployment in Houston stands at 8.0%, compared to the national average of 9.4%, while the median income for a family of four is around $1,019 per week ($52,988 per annum). The city has more than 40 colleges, universities and institutions that offer a wide variety of higher education options and contributes to the immense strength and skill of the regional workforce.
48% of Houston's economic base employment is in energy-related sectors including oil and gas extraction, oilfield services and oilfield machinery manufacturing. Other key sectors include the Port, Government, Construction, Finance/Insurance/Property and Medical Services.
Although Houston is the nation’s energy capital, it is also home to a well diversified economy which includes 29 of the 2009 Fortune 500 Company listing. Information Technology is a driving force with the support of the Houston Technology Center (HTC), boasting more than 100,000 high tech jobs and 3,000 technology-based companies. HTC (www.houstontech.org) is Greater Houston’s business accelerator and the largest technology business incubator in Texas. Additionally, there are more than 100 firms involved in biotechnology, many connected to the world-renowned Texas Medical Center (TMC). TMC (www.TMC.edu) is the largest medical center in the world with 47 member institutions serving 5.1 million patients annually.
Located in the far southeastern region is Bay Area Houston, home to an abundance of aerospace and engineering-related firms, and the headquarters for NASA and U.S. space exploration, which give Houston the title of Space City. This aerospace concentration supplies the region with contracts totaling more than $5 billion annually.
Houston is a hub for international business with 90 foreign consulates, the nation’s third largest consular corp. There are 18 foreign trade and commercial offices and 32 active foreign chambers of commerce and trade associations. With the sixth largest airport system in the world, one of the nation’s largest sea ports and massive rail and trucking systems, Houston’s infrastructure is the model for global connectivity. The Houston Airport System (www.fly2houston.com) is comprised of three airports, George Bush Intercontinental (IAH), Williams P. Hobby (HOU), and Ellington Airport (EFD), and offers service to nearly 65 international and 110 domestic destinations. The Port of Houston (www.portofhouston.com) has more than 100 lines offering service to 1,000 ports in 200 countries. The 25-mile complex of diversified public and private facilities is ranked as the largest port in terms of foreign tonnage and the second largest in total tonnage in the U.S., as well as the tenth largest port in the world. The region’s rail center is one of the nation’s busiest with more than 700,000 railcars arriving or departing each year and integration with the trucking industry, highway system and Port.
Two major forces helping to stimulate regional economic development are the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP) and Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership (BAHEP). GHP (www.houston.org) is Houston’s premiere business advocate, driving regional economic development and providing an array of services to companies with retention, expansion and relocation projects. BAHEP (www.bayareahouston.com) is a member-driven organization that stimulates regional economic development and employment in far Southeastern Houston and the surrounding cities.
The Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau (www.visithoustontexas.com) works to promote business, medical, education and leisure tourism in the area, as well as major conferences and conventions. In fact, Houston is home to the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), the world’s foremost event for the development of offshore resources in the fields of drilling, exploration, production and environmental protection. OTC ranks among the largest 200 trade shows held annually in the U.S. and is among the 10 largest meetings in terms of attendance. In 2009, there were more than 65,000 attendees from 134 countries.
With the support of GHP, the City of Houston serves as the Permanent Secretariat of WECP. Through this position, the City of Houston strives for continual enhancement of the organization by growing partnerships, fostering industry support and participation, and cultivating new, innovative ideas and initiatives.