Kim Buttram, Director Of Economic Development, City of Mesquite

In an interview with Invest:, Kim Buttram, director of economic development for the city of Mesquite, discussed the city’s significant industrial growth over the past year, including over $1 billion in investments and 2,300 new jobs, particularly in the automotive and clean energy sectors.

What were some significant economic development achievements over the past 12 months?

Over the past year, we’ve seen substantial industrial growth. Just among three new companies alone, there has been over $1 billion invested in Mesquite, with about 2.5 million square feet of new development and the creation of 2,300 jobs. Many of these are in manufacturing, which has introduced new business sectors to Mesquite, particularly in the automotive and clean energy industries.

For example, the Vehicle Accessory Group relocated their corporate headquarters here, along with attracting other automotive manufacturing companies and suppliers nearby. Canadian Solar opened their first North American plant here, creating 1,500 jobs, and generating a lot of attention in the clean energy sector. In addition, General Dynamics, a federal contractor, is now manufacturing ammunition casings for the U.S. Army here.

Mesquite has always been strong in manufacturing, but we’re seeing a shift toward higher-skilled, technology-driven jobs, including advanced robotics. This is helping to elevate income levels for our residents. These are some of the biggest accomplishments from the past year.

What makes Mesquite an ideal location for business expansion or relocation

Our location is a huge advantage — we border Dallas and are adjacent to one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States. We can pull from a large workforce across the entire metroplex. Currently, four major freeways run through Mesquite, and with the addition of the George Bush State Highway 190 project, that will soon be five. This accessibility is a significant draw.

We’re also fortunate to be geographically positioned to attract a diverse workforce from both urban and rural areas, including those fast-growing suburbs east of us. Additionally, we have a corporate airport that many of our businesses utilize. Their executives can conveniently fly in, avoiding the red tape of larger airports, and once the George Bush SH 190 extension is complete, it will connect directly to our airport.

We also benefit from having one of the busiest Union Pacific intermodals in the country. All of this makes Mesquite a logistics hub, and we’re sweetening the deal by adding new housing developments, including large master-planned communities. After decades with little new home development, a builder gave our market a chance about five years ago, and it paid off. Now, we have 10,000 new homes planned for this decade, increasing our population by at least 30,000.

Additionally, the city council has approved several projects and is working with our Housing Finance Corporation to improve housing availability. We’re also exploring market-rate apartments and what I’d call “urban living in the suburbs” to attract young professionals. Mesquite has made a significant effort over the past few years to diversify its housing options.

What partnerships do you have in place to prepare the workforce for the influx of new job opportunities in the clean energy and tech sectors?

For nearly 10 years now, we’ve had an intentional group in place called the Business Retention and Expansion Task Force. This task force includes our local public-school districts, Forney and Mesquite ISDs, along with Dallas College and the University of Texas at Dallas. We also have our chamber of commerce and the Dallas Workforce Development Board at the table.

We meet monthly, plan events together, and work through focus groups — such as an industrial and a small business focus group — to ensure that companies can tell us directly what they need. In turn, we work with the education agencies to make sure those needs are met.

What’s exciting is that many of the higher-tech companies moving here, especially in clean energy, are receptive to these education partnerships. They’re helping us bring new programs and opportunities to our schools. For example, General Dynamics hired five high school students last year, and those students were able to offer suggestions that the company implemented. This kind of collaboration between industry and education is something we’re intentional about fostering.

What strategies has the department implemented to support small and minority-owned businesses?

We’ve seen incredible benefits from the larger companies utilizing our local small businesses. For example, one of the big manufacturers orders catering for all 1,000 employees every Monday, and they source it from local restaurants. They also purchase their branded clothing from local embroidery shops and suppliers. So, we’re leveraging these opportunities to help small businesses thrive.

As a city, we work closely with the chamber of commerce to offer small-business classes and webinars. We connect businesses with counseling services and local banks that are ready to assist. This energy is particularly strong in our downtown area, where we have a dedicated program for downtown revitalization. Heritage Plaza, home to Visit Mesquite, chamber of commerce, and downtown team, serves as a hub for small businesses to get support.

Additionally, we collaborate with city departments to guide small businesses through the development process. For many, this can be overwhelming compared to larger developers, so it requires a lot of hands-on support. Mesquite is about 77% people of color, with one in five residents being foreign-born, and most of our small businesses reflect that diversity. We’re proud of it and use it to attract even more minority-owned businesses and entrepreneurs.

One of our strengths is the way our community works together. We have business owners mentoring other business owners, and we facilitate those connections as quickly as possible. Of course, one challenge we’re still working on is funding. It can be difficult to find appropriate financing for small businesses, but we’re actively seeking solutions, including leveraging relationships with larger companies.

How are you encouraging community involvement, and how are you gathering feedback from both businesses and residents?

We’ve really seen tremendous growth in engagement, especially through our city’s various social media platforms. Between city communications, Visit Mesquite, our downtown team, economic development, parks, and police departments, we’re using targeted platforms to reach specific audiences. Over the past five years, we’ve added a Spanish-language Facebook page, which has greatly increased engagement. The school district did the same, and the response has been fantastic. People want to be involved, and we’re telling stories that highlight our people and businesses, which keeps them engaged.

This year, we saw a 20% increase in attendance at the Mesquite Rodeo, which has been around since the 1950s. We attribute that growth to our social media outreach and the strong sense of community we foster. It’s not just about business; we use events like the rodeo to bring people together in a casual setting. We’ve invited developers, brokers, and business owners to these events to build relationships beyond formal meetings.

At the same time, while social media is powerful, nothing replaces in-person interaction. We’ve relearned the value of face-to-face connection over the past year, and we’ll continue to balance both approaches. We continually gather feedback because we are welcoming, approachable, and responsive. It’s all part of our Texas-style inclusive and can-do spirit.