TEDC Welcomes Pauken, Prepares for New Project

TYLER — The Tyler Economic Development Council is working on another major project, announced Thursday during the Development Council’s 24th Annual Membership Meeting. CEO Tom Mullins (pictured) says during next week’s City Council meeting, he’ll seek approval of an incentive package for the Italian company Tazza Pronto. The company plans to partner with Tyler’s Distant Lands Coffee to produce the single-serve coffee product that’s become very popular in the U.S. Mullins says he’s “95 per cent sure” the deal will go through. If it does, he says it will create 200 new jobs in the community within three to five years to go along with the 100 jobs already at Distant Lands.

Also at the annual meeting, Mullins served up a report on the Centene Medical Claims Center. He says construction is progressing on the facility on Earl Campbell Parkway and that it will eventually employ 325 people. Keynote speaker at the meeting was Tom Pauken, immediate past chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission and current GOP gubernatorial candidate. Pauken said there’s a need for career- and college-ready education in Texas. According to Pauken, that covers kids who want to attend college and those who don’t. He emphasized that young people who bypass college need to be prepared for all the technical jobs being created.