Patti Worfe Mills, President & CEO, The Economic Development Alliance for Brazoria County

In an interview with Invest:, Patti Worfe Mills, president and CEO of the Economic Development Alliance for Brazoria County, highlighted the region’s strong business growth, driven by strategic site selection and workforce development. “If businesses are successful here, then Brazoria County is successful,” she said.

What has been the overall impact of the Economic Development Alliance of Brazoria County this past year?

One of the things we continue to see in Brazoria County is strong growth across residential and commercial sectors. Our job is to help businesses that come to us looking for a location. Sometimes, they need 50 acres; other times, they’re looking for 1,000 acres.

That’s where we start — helping them find a site that works for what they need. They typically have a general area in mind, whether it’s the north end near Pearland, the south end near Freeport, or something more centrally located like Angleton. From there, we work through the process with them.

If it’s a commercial entity bringing jobs and capital investment, we help them navigate the county’s incentive policy to see if they’re eligible. When someone is starting a new business, we want to make the process as smooth as possible, answering their questions and getting them before the Commissioners’ Court if needed.

If they’re working with a specific city, we do the same thing, connecting them with the right people, whether it’s a county engineer with information about mobility plans or city officials who can help ensure a six-lane highway isn’t planned to run through the middle of their development.

At the end of the day, we try to make everything as easy as possible. If the fit is right for Brazoria County and for them, we want to do whatever we can to help. Sometimes, that means putting them in touch with the right people. Other times, it means guiding them from start to finish, helping them find land, ensuring there’s enough power or water at the site, and confirming the workforce is strong enough to meet their needs.

We like to joke that we are small but mighty because we’re a small office, but we work hard to make sure that when businesses come here, they get the answers they need to make the best decision for their future in Brazoria County.

What makes Brazoria County a great place for businesses to locate or relocate?

When you look at places like Tomball or Sugar Land, you see so many people wanting to move just a little farther out. I hesitate to say “move to the suburbs” because we’re not really the suburbs, but we do offer something unique.

We have incredibly good schools and a strong workforce. If someone moves here and wants a job, we can almost always find them one. There are great opportunities, not just with the companies already here, but also with the expansions and new businesses we’re bringing in. It’s a great place to live, work, and play.

The sense of community and quality of life are something we try to highlight. We want people not only to live and work here but also to enjoy their time off. Whether that means going to the beach, watching their kids play baseball, or just relaxing on the weekend, we want to have everything in place so they can truly live, work, and play here.

Port Freeport has been undergoing expansions. How does this impact logistics, trade, and other regional growth?

We lovingly refer to Port Freeport as the “gem” of Brazoria County. We work with them hand in hand on almost every project we bring to the county because businesses are actively seeking access to waterway transportation.

For many, moving goods by water is a more cost-effective and efficient option. We’re incredibly fortunate to have Port Freeport as one of the resources we can offer to businesses looking to relocate or expand. Some companies specifically come here because of the port, while others don’t realize its value until they start considering Brazoria County.

Their growth is absolutely the catalyst for the growth we’re going to continue seeing here over the next five to ten years.

What other important developments would you highlight?

One of the biggest things we’re seeing right now is an influx of interest from clean energy companies. Because we still have available land, which many other areas no longer have, these companies are looking at Brazoria County as a strong option. We already have large manufacturing facilities like Dow, BASF, and Freeport LNG, and many clean energy companies see an opportunity to partner with them, supplying renewable energy or integrating into existing operations.

It’s a win-win. The clean energy groups get a built-in customer base, and the companies already here benefit from access to renewable energy without needing to expand their own infrastructure.

We have several clean energy companies interested in specific tracts of land, and while nothing has been officially announced yet, we’re hopeful that 2025 will be our year to bring some of those projects to Brazoria County.

Beyond clean energy, are there other industries or sectors with growth potential in the county?

We continue to see strong interest in industries similar to those already here. Because we have so many manufacturing facilities in the county, businesses recognize that the workforce is already trained and in place. Engineers, technicians — people who know how to work with this type of equipment are already here, which makes it much more cost-effective for a company to set up in Brazoria County rather than somewhere they’d have to start from scratch.

We get a lot of inquiries from industries like plastics, chemicals, and other manufacturing sectors because they see the economic advantage of moving here. They don’t have to worry about training an entirely new workforce because the people they need are already working in the area.

What workforce development programs or partnerships are in place to help meet employer demands?

Both Brazosport College and Alvin Community College are key partners in workforce development. If we’re recruiting a new business, I’ll call the college with the strongest existing program in that field and ask if they can work with the company to create a tailored training program. Without fail, they always say, “Absolutely, we’ll make it happen.”

That’s a huge selling point for Brazoria County. Businesses want to know they’ll have access to a trained workforce, and our colleges are willing to develop customized programs to meet their needs. In some cases, they can even do on-site training, so employees don’t have to go to the college; they can get the training right at their workplace.

Having two community colleges that are this flexible and engaged is a major advantage for us when it comes to attracting new businesses.

What is your outlook for Brazoria County over the next few years, and what are your top priorities?

We’re going to continue seeing a tremendous amount of growth and prosperity in Brazoria County. We’re already seeing a high volume of inquiries and projects, and we know we’re not the only ones who believe this is a great place to do business. The interest level is there, and we expect that to continue.

Our role is to help businesses succeed from start to finish. I tell people all the time that I don’t want someone to come here if they’re not going to be successful. If they’re not successful, then we’re not successful, and ultimately, the county isn’t successful.

Our goal is to do everything we can to make sure businesses coming to Brazoria County have the resources and support they need to thrive. If they’re successful, then Brazoria County will continue to be a great place to live, work, and play.