COMPANY

PRODUCT/BUSINESS

COMMENTS/STATUS

OPEN

Dyess AFB
1955-Current

Military Air Base

Survived previous BRAC Cutbacks & Base Closures

Y

Abilene Brick (Lanius Brick Plant)
1890-1985

Red Clay Brick & Brick Products

Sold, Dismantled and Reassembled in Mexico.
Labor Law Changes

N

Aileen’s, Inc.
1967-1977

Textiles & Sportswear

City Annexed Property, Closed soon after.

N

Bandag, Inc.
1969-Current

Rubber Retread Tire Products

Avoided 1992 Annexation, Expanded production

Y

U.S. Brass/Valley Faucet Eljer Ind. 1968-2002

Brass Plumbing Fixtures

Buyout, PB Pipe Litigation Settlement, Cheaper Labor

N

C.G. Conn/F.E. Olds
Reynolds Mfg.
1960-1986

Brass Band Instruments

(Quote in right column is from Conn Website)

1970-1986 Conn instruments were made in Abilene, TX by a relatively unskilled force. Instruments from this period are regarded as inferior.

N

AEP Texas

Electric Power Distribution

Deregulation Split Divisions, Closed Local Power Plants

Y

West Texas Utilities
1925-2000 *

Electric Power Utility

Sold to AEP of Ohio, AEP sold WTU "name" to Centrica PLC of England

N

Southwestern Bell

Telephone Service

Moved Ops to Midland

Y

SBC Communications

Local & Long Distance Telephone & DSL Svc.

Consolidated Offices in San Antonio, TX

Y

Lone Star Gas

Natural Gas Utility

Sold to TXU Electric in 2001

N

TXU Gas/Oncor Distribution *

Natural Gas Utility

Local distribution sold to ATMOS Energy - 2004. Pipeline division sold separately

N

ATMOS Energy

Natural Gas Utility

American owned w/major Texas operations

Y

TV Cable Svc of Abilene

Cable TV

Sold to United Artists

N

United Cable

Cable TV

Sold to TCI Cable

N

TCI Cable

Cable TV

Sold to Cox Com.

N

Cox Communications

Cable TV, High Speed Internet, Digital Cable

Expanded & Upgraded System in 2000

Y

Aerobotics Industries
2000-2001

Aircraft/Spacecraft Parts Manufacturing Plant

"Scam" Pulled on DCOA, Transferred title to former GD/LM plant, never opened

N

Lockheed-Martin Aeronautics 1993-1995

Aircraft & Missile Parts

General Dynamics & Lockheed-Martin merger, combined ops in Ft. Worth

N

General Dynamics Corp. 1981-1993

Aircraft & Missile Parts

Acquired by Lockheed

N

Rockwell Internatl
1978-1980

B-1 Aircraft & Printing Press Parts

Pres. Carter cancels B-1 pgm, Reagan later restores

N

McDonnell-Douglas Corp. 1976-1978

Aircraft Parts

Airline & Govt. Contract Reductions

N

Automation Industries 1962-1976

Aircraft & Helicopter Parts

End of Vietnam War
Acquisition by M-D

N

Central Texas Iron Works

Metal Products & Materials

Foreign Competition

N

Hirschfeld Steel

Metal Prod. & Materials

Expanding in Abilene

Y

Martin Sprocket & Gear 1975 – Pres.

Machined Products

City left alone after Bandag nearly left town

Y

Micrometals, Inc.

Ferrite Electronic Parts

Cheaper Labor Overseas

Y

Master Corp. – Presto Products

Small Appliances

Cheaper Labor Overseas

N

Texas Homes Intl.

Modular Homes

Mismanagement, 1987 Bust

N

Texas Instruments – TI

Military Electronics, Calculators & Computers

Shifted Production Jobs to Lubbock and Mexico, etc.

N

Tige’ Boats

High-end Watercraft

DCOA almost lost them. Major Expansion Underway

Y

USA Venture Craft/Quik Kamp

Small Fiberglass Camping Trailers & Accessories

DCOA Support wasn’t enough to maintain ops.

N

U.S. Time - TIMEX

Watches & Alarm Clocks

Cheaper Labor Overseas

N

Victor Equipment

Welding/Cutting Torches

Cheaper Labor Overseas

N

Lankford Mfg.
1953-1984

Military Uniforms

Cheaper Labor Elsewhere
Lost Govt. Contracts

N

Packaging Corp.

Cardboard Boxes

Cheaper Labor Elsewhere

N

Almond Street Cold Storage

Peanut & Perishable Product storage

1994 Fire hindered startup, rebuilt & expanded to
NUCORP bldg. W I-20

Y

Gooch Packing Plant

Meat Products
(Beef & Pork)

Immigration/Undocumented Worker Law changes closed

N

Highland Foods

Meat Products

Acquired part of Gooch operation, State aid failed to keep open, Loans unpaid

N

Paymaster Cottonseed Mill

Agricultural Products

Sold to ADM, scrapped out to prevent competition

N

T&P/MoPac RR *
(Terminal & Freight)

Rail Transportation

Merged w/So. Pacific, Acquired by Union Pacific

N

Lauren Constructors

Engineering & Construction

Loss of Contracts
Major Cutbacks

Y

Tippett & Gee Engineering

Engineering & Design

Acquired by Lauren

N

Orange Plastics

Plastic Shopping Bags/Packaging

California "Payback Scam," Filed Chapter 11

N

Blue Cross of TX

Insurance Claims

Biggest Success of DCOA

Y

SITEL Corp.

Telemarketing (Insurance & Credit Card Promotions)

Anti-Telemarketing Laws reduced demand for svcs

N

Teleperformance USA (SAC West)

Telemarketing

Still interrupting meals nationwide from Abilene

Y

Texas Dept of Criminal Justice (Prisons) 1994-Pres.

Criminal Incarceration & Rehabilitation/Education

1st Successful DCOA Project w/Local Support

Y

Texas Dept. of Transportation TXDOT

Highway & State Road Design & Maintenance

Closed Smaller Offices – Consolidated in Abilene & Brownwood

Y

US Postal Service

Mail Processing Center

Regional Consolidation of Mail Processing

Y

US Postal Service

Remote Encoding Center

Closing due to better equip.

Y

Abtex Beverages

Soft Drinks

Local Owners expanded

Y

Coca-Cola

Soft Drinks

Local Owners Sold -expanded/consolidated ops

Y

Crown Cork & Seal

Soft Drink Packaging

Cyclical Market Expansion

Y

RC Cola Plant *

Soft Drinks

Market Share Inadequate

N

Bill Reed Distributing

Coors Beer Products

Moved from Stamford 1980

Y

Glazer Distributors

Liquor Distributor

DCOA pkg attracted them

Y

Terk Distributing

Wine & Spirits Distrib.

Expanded operations

Y

Independent Grocers/Affiliated Foods *

Grocery Distribution

Failed to Fully Repay DCOA after Chapter 11

Y

McLaine Grocery Distribution

Grocery Distribution

Consolidation/Acquisition, Moved ops to Lubbock

N

Mrs Baird's Bread

Bread products & Fried Pies

Family owned for 70+ yrs, Sold to Grupo Bimbo 1998

Y

Mead's Fine Bread

Bread & Bakery Goods

Was family owned, Sold before closing down

N

Fehr Foods

Packaged Cookies

Steady Operations, Some Expansion

Y

Sunbeam Cookies

Packaged Cookies

Health code violations finally caused plant closure

N

Food Lion

Grocery Stores

Pulled Out of Texas

N

M System Food Stores

Grocery Store

Closed Most Texas Stores

N

Safeway Stores

Grocery Store

Left Texas, except Houston

N

Winn-Dixie Stores

Grocery Store

Sold Texas Stores

N

Circle K Stores

Convenience Stores

Acquired by Skinny’s

N

EZ Serve Corp

Conv. Stores/Gasoline

G.W. Bush Acquisition

N

FW Drilling Co.

Oil & Gas Drilling

G.W. Bush Acquisition

N

Harken Oil & Gas

Oil & Gas Exploration

G.W. Bush Acquisition

N

LaJet Corporation

Oil Refining & Mktg.

Sold/Liquidated 1987 Bust

N

BJ Hughes/Titan Services *

Oil Well Services

Oil Bust 1987 lead to closings/consolidation

N

Dowell Services

Oil Well Services

Merged w/Schlumberger

N

Halliburton *

Oil Well Services

Downsized Oil Operations

N

International Crude

Oil Buyer/Marketer

Oil Price Bust caused Ch 7

NUCORP

Oilfield Pipe Services

Local Owners sold, then repurchased, 1987 Bust

N

Cosden Refinery *

Oil Refinery – Hwy 277N

Sold to Fina, converted to refined product terminal

N

Pride Refining

Oil Refinery/Marketing

Sold to Texaco, scrapped

N

Al Hicks Welding

Oil & Gas Drilling Rigs

Welding & Fab. Bust 1987

N

Sojourner Drilling *

Oil Well Drilling

Oil Bust 1987 Ceased drlg.

N

WESTEX Drilling *

Oil Well Drilling

Acquired by Patterson/UTI

N

WinTex Drilling

Oil Well Drilling

Acquired by Key Energy

Y

Cummins Power

Renewable Energy

"Stirling Engine" failed, refused to repay DCOA

N

TXU, AEP, ENRON
(Others to join soon)

Renewable Energy

"Trent Mesa Wind Farm,"
requires lrg tax abatements

Y

Identity Unknown

Auto/Truck Accessories

Took $1.5M & vanished

N

Saturn Automobiles

Automobile Mfr. Plant

Failed to locate here - H2O

N

ZOLTEK Corp.

Carbon Fibers

Hungarian Mgt. Scam

Y