Elizabeth Huff, Executive Director – Economic Development and Tourism, City of Sugar Land

In an interview with Invest:, Elizabeth Huff highlighted Sugar Land’s economic growth, including the arrival of Plug and Play Technology Center and targeted business attraction in life sciences. She emphasized the city’s redevelopment efforts, from revitalizing neighborhoods to strategic office infill, stating, “We’re enhancing Sugar Land’s overall appeal and taking things to the next level.”

What are some key economic development milestones from the past year, and how do they align with the city’s long-term goals?

First and foremost, we announced that Plug and Play Technology Center is coming to Sugar Land Town Square. That was a huge achievement for us. We’ve got a big focus on innovation, and bringing in a company that’s not only a venture capital firm but also has a global network with Fortune 500s and startups is a major win. Having that accelerator here, bringing startups into our community, is going to be a game-changer.

Another big announcement was Southwest Water relocating its headquarters from the business park to Town Square. That was a long-term goal for us — we’ve been working on an office infill strategy to bring more office users into our existing buildings, and this move aligns perfectly with that. We also retained Contract Land Staff here in Town Square and helped Frazier Limited purchase a building in the business park that had been vacant for a long time. They manufacture ambulances, so that’s a great opportunity for us.

Another unique win was SweetNes Honey. They are a honey apiary that started at our airport as a solution to a bee problem affecting our airplanes. We worked with our marketing team to brand the honey they produce, and now it’s being sold at H-E-B and other retailers. It ties perfectly into Sugar Land’s identity as the “sweetest city.”

Additionally, the Space Cowboys winning the 2024 Triple-A National Championship and the Pacific Coast League title was a huge win for us. They’re an incredible stakeholder in our community and an amazing partner.

On the retail side, Uniqlo opened in our mall, which was big. There was a long line of people waiting for the grand opening. Trader Joe’s was another huge addition; the community had been asking for one for 20 years. That was something we all worked hard on, constantly reaching out to them and showing them that there was demand. It was neat to see that grassroots effort come to fruition.

How is Sugar Land attracting and retaining businesses?

For retention, we’ve been focused on supporting the businesses that have already planted roots here. One great example is Crown Packaging. They relocated here from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and since then, they’ve grown significantly. They now have four buildings on their campus and are continuing to buy more real estate in the business park to expand their operations.

We have a strong business climate, and we pride ourselves on catering to businesses — being there for them from the moment they move in and continuing to support them as they grow. We have a dedicated business retention specialist whose sole job is to maintain relationships with our businesses, making sure they have everything they need.

For attraction, we’ve had to shift our approach. We only have about 4% of our land left undeveloped, so we’re being much more targeted in the types of companies we pursue. We’re not going after broad recruitment anymore — we’re being strategic. One of our biggest focus areas is life sciences. It’s a growing sector in Texas, and while many cities are chasing the same companies, we already have a strong foundation here. We’re building on that with targeted efforts to bring in businesses that complement what’s already in Sugar Land.

How is Sugar Land working with local schools and colleges to develop the workforce?

We have an incredible relationship with the University of Houston at Sugar Land. Even though it’s down Route 59 from their main campus, it’s considered a main campus itself. One of their big strengths is the College of Nursing, which has been extremely responsive to industry needs. They’ve adjusted their programs to fast-track students into high-demand fields like nursing, radiology, and other healthcare professions. Because we have major healthcare employers here — Houston Methodist Sugar Land, Memorial Hermann Sugar Land, and soon, MD Anderson — students have a direct pipeline into the workforce.

We also have Wharton County Junior College and Texas State Technical College, which focus more on industrial skills and technical fields. Both have been great partners, and we’ve incentivized infrastructure improvements for their campuses to support workforce development.

UH’s College of Technology is merging with its College of Engineering, and they’re building a second facility right now. When it’s complete, UH Sugar Land will have about 20,000 students, which is huge for us. We’re also working with companies like Savardi and Hope Biosciences to explore ways to integrate students into real-world experience — whether that’s internship programs or partnership zones that allow students to gain hands-on training while they’re still in school.

How is Sugar Land supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs?

For entrepreneurs, the Plug and Play project is a major step forward. It gives startups an environment where they can thrive, with access to mentors, venture capital, and networking opportunities. That’s going to be a game-changer for fostering innovation.

For small businesses — our local mom-and-pop shops, restaurants, and boutiques — we’ve been proactive. We launched a small business program where we physically go out, knock on doors, and check in on business owners. One of the biggest needs we’ve identified is marketing support. Many of these businesses are run by one or two people, and they don’t always have the time or expertise to market themselves on social media. That’s where our Visit Sugar Land brand comes in—we use it to help showcase these local businesses.

We’ve also started hosting business networking nights, bringing small business owners together to build relationships and support each other. Those have been successful, and we’ve seen businesses collaborating in new ways as a result.

How is Sugar Land boosting tourism?

Fortunately, our hotel occupancy tax revenue has fully recovered from COVID. Business travel has rebounded, which is important because that keeps our hotels full during the weekdays. At the same time, we’re still seeing strong leisure travel, which took off during COVID and has remained steady.

We recently announced that a partnership with the FIFA World Cup 26 Houston™ Host Committee, positioning Sugar Land as an Official Supporter of FIFA World Cup 26 Houston™.  We proactively sought this unique platform to highlight its vibrant community and diverse experiences. As a regional partner, we’ll be able to will capture a portion of the projected $1.5 billion economic impact of the seven FIFA World Cup™ matches in Houston from June 14 to July 4, 2026, through tourism, hospitality, and business development, while boosting the city’s visibility throughout the tournament and beyond. We’re excited to coordinate across the city and region to deliver a world-class experience, from public safety and traffic management and to introduce visitors from around the world to our internationally competitive business environment and signature hospitality.

Beyond events, we’re focused on attracting conventions and meetings that fit our market size and available venues. Of course, our Space Cowboys team also brings visitors. Being a Triple-A affiliate of the Astros, they attract baseball fans from all over.

Looking ahead, what are your top priorities for Sugar Land’s future?

Our biggest focus right now is redevelopment. We’re at a stage where we’re enhancing Sugar Land’s overall appeal and taking things to the next level. We have the Great Homes Program, which provides funding to homeowners looking to update their properties, and a façade improvement program that helps revitalize older retail centers. We also launched the Fostering Unique Neighborhoods Grant Program, all with the goal of beautifying the city and keeping it attractive to residents and businesses. We’ve also been growing our civic arts program. It started in 2016 with physical sculptures and installations, but now we’ve expanded into performing arts as well. We recently became a state-certified Music Friendly City, which is a big achievement.

On the business side, our strategic plan focuses on stimulating economic growth through innovation, life sciences, and office infill strategies. Even though we have limited land left to develop, we’re being intentional about the types of businesses we attract and where they go. At the end of the day, despite our land limitations, Sugar Land’s future is incredibly bright. We’re strategic, we’re proactive, and we’re making sure we continue to grow in a way that benefits our residents and businesses.