Corby Alexander, City Manager, City of La Porte

Invest: spoke with Corby Alexander, La Porte city manager, about the city’s role in the Greater Houston Ship Channel economy, the infrastructure and industrial activity shaping its growth, and the priorities guiding its next phase of development. “As long as we can make sure that we can continue to invest in our infrastructure, and make sure that there aren’t any impediments to getting product in and out, I think we’ll continue to see the success we’ve been experiencing,” Alexander said.

How would you describe La Porte’s role within the Greater Houston Ship Channel economy, and how has that role evolved over the past year?

One thing that is important to understand is our location on the Ship Channel. If you look at a map, we have two container ports, one to the north and one to the south. We sit between two shipping fronts, and we are home to many of the industries that support those operations. That includes a lot of warehousing and logistics activity tied to importers and exporters.

Over time, we have supported the growth of those warehouse operations as an important segment of our community. That area is nearly built out, and we still have additional projects on the horizon. We also have operations that support importers and exporters of frozen goods, which is a remarkably interesting process when you think about how products need to be transported, stored, and preserved all the way through the supply chain.

Our role is to make sure commerce can move freely. In a way, La Porte is a gateway. Product comes in and out through that gateway, and our responsibility is to ensure there is as little friction as possible. That means focusing on infrastructure. A lot of goods move by truck, so we have to work with the state to make sure roads are wide enough and have the capacity needed to move product efficiently. We have worked diligently not to become a point of friction in that chain, because the whole system is only as strong as its weakest link.

What types of companies and projects are generating the most interest in La Porte right now?

We are seeing a lot of growth in the petrochemical industry. Petrochemicals are in so many of the products people use every day. We have industrial zones to the north and south of us where companies manufacture feedstocks that go into everything from makeup to the materials used in automobile dashboards. There is a huge range of petrochemical manufacturers in this area.

What we are seeing now is continued expansion from companies that are already here. Many of them are global companies with significant operations in the La Porte region, and many of those operations are growing. A big reason is the ease of getting both feedstock and finished products into and out of the market. That access continues to support expansion, and that has been one of the major drivers of activity in our area.

How is the city planning for that industrial growth while also maintaining land use balance and quality of life for residents?

Quality of life is important to our residents, and they are vocal about what they want to see. The industry in the community has afforded us the financial ability to provide a range of quality-of-life amenities. We have several projects either recently completed or underway, from parks and splash pads to playgrounds.

One area where we have had a renewed focus is accessible playgrounds. We want to make sure there are accessible play features in all of our parks. We understand we have residents and families who need those accommodations, and we want to provide places where everyone can recreate.

We are also beginning a rewrite of our development code with a clear eye toward preserving neighborhood integrity. Industrial uses and warehousing are more intense forms of development, and not many people want a warehouse or a manufacturing operation in their backyard. We recently completed a comprehensive planning process that looked at how the community has developed, how we want it to grow, and where industrial and warehouse uses are most appropriate. From there, we can incorporate buffers to protect neighborhoods.

As we move forward, that process will likely strengthen buffer requirements and landscaping requirements. We want development to happen in a green and sustainable way, and we want to make sure growth does not come at the expense of neighborhood character.

What are you hearing from employers about workforce availability, and how is La Porte helping support the talent pipeline?

We are always looking to be a partner with industry in providing resources for training and workforce support. Our economic development office is doing strong work to help companies with workforce needs. We are always looking for opportunities to partner with local employers and provide training that can be useful to them.

One of the biggest assets in our region is San Jacinto College. A portion of it is in La Porte and another portion is in Pasadena, and it does a tremendous amount of workforce development. It has truck driving schools, pipefitting programs, healthcare training programs, and facilities where people can learn how to operate chemical manufacturing plants.

A lot of area manufacturers send employees there so they can get trained and go to work with the skills they need. That makes a real difference because these are careers that allow people to earn substantial wages and support their families.

What infrastructure investments are most critical to support continued business growth and long-term resilience?

Continued investment in the major freeways that serve our community is critical. One of the things that sets us apart is that we have a north-south corridor, Highway 146, which is a freeway-caliber roadway and is currently under expansion. That work needs to continue. It is not the final answer to every transportation challenge, but it is an essential part of the system, and it will need to keep growing with demand.

We will also need improvements to Highway 225, which is our east-west freeway and another important route for getting traffic and goods in and out of the area.

I also think we need to continue exploring rail as an option for freight movement, even though it is expensive. Right now, a lot of shippers do not find it financially feasible unless they are moving goods long distances across the country. What we have learned is that most of the product that comes through our port is consumed within about a three-hour radius, and most of what leaves the port is generated within that same radius. That means trucking is often the easiest option, but rail is still something worth encouraging if the economics can improve.

How is La Porte positioning itself to remain competitive within the Gulf Coast region?

A lot of our success is tied to location. We have an advantage that no one else is going to have, because nobody is ever going to be as close to those two container ports as we are. That proximity matters, and it gives us a natural competitive edge.

As long as we can make sure that we can continue to invest in our infrastructure and make sure that there aren’t any impediments to getting product in and out, I think we’ll continue to see the success we’ve been experiencing.

Looking ahead, what are your top priorities for the city over the next few years, and how do you define success?

Success starts with continued sound financial management. We recently upgraded our bond rating to AAA, which is the highest rating Standard & Poor’s offers. That was a direct result of strong financial stewardship and supporting growth opportunities in a way that allowed the city to benefit.

Now that we have reached that level, the priority is to maintain it. We need to keep making sound financial decisions and protect the city’s financial strength. We have over a year of working capital in the bank, and many communities do not have that. That puts us in a strong position, but it also creates a responsibility to stay disciplined.

Beyond that, success means continuing to support programs and services that improve quality of life for residents. That includes recreational opportunities, safe drinking water, public safety, emergency medical services, and fire protection. Businesses are not going to choose to locate in a community where people do not feel safe or supported. In many ways, success is continuing to do what we have been doing and doing it well.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

A few years ago, we started doing a citizen satisfaction survey. It is important to me, and I think it is important to the community, to understand what our residents need, what they want, and how they feel about the services we are providing.

We ask questions about code enforcement, safety, and whether residents feel they are getting a fair exchange for their tax dollars. For the second year, we have been rated in the top 10% in the nation on those metrics. I think that is meaningful because it shows we are being intentional about serving the community in a way that residents themselves can recognize as successful.