For Immediate Release:

May 6, 2021

Media contacts:

Elizabeth Christian Public Relations

Walter Zaykowski – 202.503.5108

Danielle Kaigler – 617.840.1689

The Chamber has received this award five times, third year in a row

AUSTIN, Texas — For the third year in a row and fifth time overall, the Austin Chamber of Commerce is a recipient of Site Selection Magazine’s prestigious Mac Conway Award for Excellence in Economic Development for 2020. The award recognizes the top local and regional economic development agencies in the US. Judging is based on six criteria: total projects, total investment associated with those projects and jobs associated with those projects. The remaining three criteria represent a per capita calculation of those same metrics.

“2020 was certainly a most challenging year for economic development in America,” Gary Farmer, Opportunity Austin Chair, said. “However, despite the global pandemic and related economic downturn, the articulated vision of Opportunity Austin coupled with the resilience and dedication of our Chamber professionals resulted in more than 22,000 new jobs announced for the Austin region in 2020. These new jobs include opportunities for all levels of education and experience across multiple industries. While we are grateful to receive the prestigious Mac Conway award again, our work continues to create the most robust and diversified economy in the nation so that families across the Austin region can live, work and prosper.”

Projects noted by Site Selection Magazine in its announcement include Tesla, Apple, Bold Commerce, Digital Realty Trust, Amazing Magnets, Katana Graph, Literati and BAE Systems. Additionally, multiple companies moved their headquarters to Austin in 2020, including Oracle.

Through Opportunity Austin – the Chamber’s economic development initiative aimed at fostering job-creating investment in the five-county Austin region – the Chamber's economic development staff is able to provide confidential support for projects, including real estate research, and the facilitation of all aspects of the site selection process. Since 2004, Opportunity Austin has helped create 465,900 jobs accounting for a 69% increase in jobs across the region. This has resulted in $29.9 billion in added payroll since 2004.

The Austin Chamber has been the recipient of this award in 1994, 2012, 2019, 2020 and 2021 with an honorable mention in 2010.

###

About Opportunity Austin

Opportunity Austin is the economic development initiative aimed at fostering job-creating investment in the five-county Central Texas region. Top priorities include boosting economic diversification to proactively strengthen the economy, deepening the talent pool through development and attraction, and keeping the Greater Austin region attractive to entrepreneurs, business leaders and site selectors through advocacy on issues such as comprehensive regional transportation system and regional collaboration. Since 2004, Opportunity Austin has helped bring more than 465,900 total jobs to the Austin region. Learn more about Opportunity Austin here.

About the Austin Chamber

The Austin Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit membership organization that helps people live, work and thrive in Austin. The Chamber invests in a broad range of programs that build, support and diversify the Austin region’s community. Its vision is for Austin to have the country’s most prosperous business community. To learn more, visit austinchamber.com.