Chester Jenke, President & CEO, Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce
President & CEO of the Seguin Chamber of Commerce Chester Jenke spoke with Invest: about the significant milestones from the past year, including the shift from a membership focus to membership expectations. He shared insights on workforce development initiatives and highlighted the area’s strong economic growth, the expansion of housing developments, and the ongoing efforts to support local businesses and enhance the workforce.
What were your most significant achievements and milestones for the Chamber of Commerce in the past year?
The biggest milestone for the Chamber of Commerce this past year is that we migrated from a membership focus to a membership expectation. Our motto for this year is reimagining membership and exceeding expectations. Before, you needed to attend a networking event here, another one there. Now, we are trying to change the way we approach our prospecting of customers. We have rolled out new customer relationship management (CRM) software—a robust platform to engage more people that’s coming out by the end of February. I believe it’s a much more robust product than the one we have right now, and it has improved forward-facing web presence for better outreach.
How has technology been incorporated into the chamber, and what trends are you seeing with your members incorporating technology?
Technology and the use of AI have been embraced by a lot of our businesses and the Chamber as well. One of the things that the Chamber has is a Small Business Council, and one of the things that’s on their agenda to talk about later this spring is AI and the infusion of AI into their marketing, knowing that customers belong to different demographics. It will be interesting to see how AI is able to communicate across those different generations. We are also observing an increase in point-of-sale software, partly due to the infusion of AI. This is allowing businesses, such as restaurants, to keep their inventory up to date and have more control over it. It’s important for us to stay current with the latest technological improvements and offer them to our members.
What makes the Seguin area an ideal location for people and businesses to locate or relocate?
Generally, business in Seguin is good. We are right along the mainstream, so we have easy access to major highways, such as Interstate 10, SH 130, and I-35, connecting nearby cities like New Braunfels and San Marcos. You kind of have a triangle of cities that are pushing in the same direction. All of us are making the same headway. We’re all looking at the same retail and trying to make sure that we’re complementing what each of the towns is doing, so we’re not duplicating efforts. Seguin has about 17,000 housing permits in the system right now, and population-wise wise we will probably grow by about 50% to 60% over the next 5 to 10 years. On top of that, the city and the county have done a good job keeping up with infrastructure and transportation needs to allow us to embrace all that growth.
Which economic sectors are growing the most in Seguin, and are there any specific businesses you are targeting for growth or seeing opportunities in?
We are mainly focused on retail as it follows the new rooftops. It follows the people who are moving and where they’re moving to. We are seeing that retail is currently matching Seguin’s population growth. Our economic development team, Josh and his team, does a great job in making sure that we’re staying in front of those retailers and understanding how our demographics are changing, and what the retailers are doing. One unique thing about Seguin is that we have the highest number of manufacturers per capita in the United States, with wages higher than the average wages you would find in most of the rest of the county. We’re seeing a lot of people moving into the city to take those jobs in manufacturing. The good thing is, Seguin boasts a robust and diverse manufacturing sector with everything from a large engine building company to a steel plant to a roadside implement plant to a company that makes air parts for airplanes. We’d like to say that we have a pretty diversified portfolio when it comes to our manufacturers inside of our local area.
What types of programming, events, or educational forums are you aiming for, or what are you hearing from your members on the needs that they are sharing?
The biggest one that we are proud of is the Small Business Council. The Small Business Council is headed by a local small business owner, Gregg, who understands small businesses. The Small Business Council has a goal to offer training that is both general and adaptable to different business needs. The Council offers quarterly sessions; the first one covers different topics such as legal setups for businesses, taxes, financial management, and HR. The second one will go over the financial aspects, access to capital, understanding the market, lines of credit, cash flow, etc.
We have created a consolidated partnership between Josh’s economic development team and the Main Street Team, which I’m proud of, and the partnership has been effective. In addition to that, the manufacturing CEO roundtable group has been instrumental in attracting Texas State Technical College to Seguin, which will help train employees for industrial careers, a crucial need for local manufacturers. The addition of TSTC will strengthen the workforce by offering employees college degrees, which will lead them to be better positioned for promotions.
Are there any specific initiatives or programs in place to support workforce development for the labor force in Seguin?
One of our issues, as well as many other parts of the U.S., is that we struggle with access to a skilled workforce. This partnership with Texas State Technical College (TSTC) allows us to have an 18-year-old high school graduate start working in the manufacturing sector, getting a college degree at the same time, and leading the student to a potential promotion upon graduation. We have also started educating students when they enter the eighth grade. And let me caveat this: we’re educating in the eighth grade with career days and career exploration in order to encourage children to explore career options. This initiative is part of our broader focus on workforce development, which has been a long-standing passion of mine, and one I continue to push forward. While progress has been made locally, workforce development challenges remain a national issue.
What are your thoughts on the current business landscape with the new administration coming in?
The local economy remains strong, with both small and large businesses performing well. We are monitoring on a semi-monthly basis, collecting data to analyze economic trends and potential challenges. Many small businesses report year-over-year growth, but the irony is that some are facing challenges like inventory shortages. Some businesses require assistance in understanding financial management, such as balancing inventory with sales to prevent lost opportunities. Several of these issues are being addressed by the Chamber’s Small Business Council.
How does the chamber engage with local government and other organizations within the city to continue to create a favorable business environment?
We have a great relationship with our city and county officials, with fluent communication. And we have the same kind of relationship throughout all the department directors from the permitting office, the development office, the electrical office, the water office, etc. We have that relationship where we can pick up the phone and hopefully solve things pretty quickly.
What are your top priorities, your goals for the next two to three years?
Our number one goal is to grow and support local businesses. We’re excited about a new dual-brand concept, where IHOP built out a part of their restaurant as an Applebee’s. This opens next month, and we expect more similar projects. We also support local businesses, regardless of Chamber membership, because empty storefronts hurt the town. Our future looks bright with 58 subdivisions and 17,000 proposed housing units, which could raise our population to 50,000-60,000 in the next 5-7 years. We are preparing for this growth with strong partnerships across the city and county. Workforce development is a bright spot. Texas State Technical College (TSTC) is a gold standard for industrial training, and its presence here will fill jobs in middle to upper management. Local students now have access to well-paying jobs thanks to technical courses, which is a first for them. Excitement is building, and it’s a great time to be in Seguin.
