New executive director sets sights on Kilgore’s competitive advantages
A strategic plan accomplishes nothing when it’s gathering dust on a shelf.
It’s a tool, Randy Seitz says, and the best tools are the ones you put to regular use.
To that end, Kilgore Economic Development Corporation‘s new plan for 2026-2029 is paired with a directed Program of Work, ensuring all the right tools are in hand, used consistently and get the job done.
“I think there’s a huge opportunity to really hammer down and become laser-focused on the distinctive advantages that Kilgore has over just about any other community that would be considered our competition,” Kilgore EDC’s new executive director says.
Seitz took the reins in July, building relationships with staff and with stakeholders, assessing the community and economic development corporation through a laundry list of questions: What is it KEDC does well? What can be done better? Which tasks need more time? What efforts should be stopped altogether?
“It’s interesting when you talk to so many stakeholders,” he said in early October. “Everybody has a perception of KEDC through a different lens. Everybody’s got a little bit different view. We want to take those things the organization does well, and we can build upon them.”
Each insight helps complete the picture. Each became a facet of the 2026-2029 Strategic Plan and the Fiscal Year 2027 Program of Work. In the alchemy of economic development, the combination aims to transform leads into projects, projects into investments and investments into high-paying jobs on the ground.
“We’re seeing a lot of opportunities.”
There’s no need to rebuild a strong, stable and successful foundation – KEDC’s 36 years into the effort, and there’s solid infrastructure in place, talented staffers at work, numerous stakeholders advising and contributing plus a robust workforce at-hand.
Obviously, it’s not enough to wait for prospects to appear, Seitz says. Rather, Kilgore EDC and its partners aim to proactively fill the funnel with new leads. A key part is spreading the word, far and wide, and securing the right ears for the message.
Per the new plan, “KEDC will take a focused, data-driven approach to business recruitment, concentrating its resources on companies and opportunities that align with Kilgore’s workforce, infrastructure, transportation access, available and future properties and long-term economic development objectives.”
The days of making decisions on emotion and gut feeling are over, Seitz says.
“All of our competition, nationally and worldwide, they’re all using data.”
Data like Kilgore’s price per kilowatt-hour of electricity. The average commercial electricity rate is 14.5 cents per kWh. It’s 8.5 here
There’s broader data, too, such as Kilgore’s home in Texas, the eighth-largest economy in the world.
There’s also deep detail on Kilgore’s workforce: the city’s population swells by more than 50 percent during the day. Data shows there’s particular leakage to north Longview. It emphasizes a local need for more affordable housing.
There’s also good data on Kilgore’s central position: within a 250-mile radius of the EDC’s flagship Synergy Park are multiple major markets – Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, across the border into Louisiana – with airport hubs and key ports easily-accessible on major transportation corridors. Rail access, broadband, utilities and more all check the data points for primary employers looking to put down roots in a new location or to expand where they are.
“Within a half day to a day’s trip, you can hit so many markets,” Seitz says, which makes us ideal for industries like logistics and distribution.”
It boils down to a simple message.
“Call KEDC,” Seitz told the industry leaders, advocates, supporters and well-wishers gathered Thursday evening for Kilgore EDC’s 2026 Industry Appreciation Reception. When a new opportunity starts to take shape, “Call KEDC early.”
According to KEDC Marketing Director Katherine Kirkpatrick, business retention and expansion is a cornerstone of the EDC’s ongoing efforts, reminding the companies who have already made significant investments in this community that the organization values them and wants to help fuel their success here.
Seitz gets it, she added: “Isn’t it great to see someone with fresh eyes be so excited?”
Collaborating with the City of Kilgore, Gregg County, Kilgore ISD, Kilgore College and others, Kilgore EDC has a myriad of resources available to assist new and existing companies, from incentivizing to streamlining their efforts.
“If you’re looking for an affordable way to get into that market, you need to talk to Katherine and me because we’re going to put together a deal that you absolutely can’t believe,” Seitz says. “It’s as simple as this: We want to fill the funnel with leads and opportunities that are going to pay a sustaining wage so that we can make a community where people want to live.”
There are challenges, too, of course. They often go hand-in-hand with the opportunities.
Take the electricity rates, for example. It’s a chicken-and-egg conundrum, Seitz says, with a local need for more power while SWEPCO’s hands are tied by legislation restricting speculative development.
It’s a challenge that’s being addressed: “In our program of work and our strategic plan we’ve got things we’re working on with SWEPCO to do exactly what we’re talking about.”
Likewise, KEDC wants to ensure interested prospects find exactly what they want and need in Kilgore without delay.
“Do we have enough product to sell? Do we have enough buildings? Do we have enough land? Land with all the infrastructure?” he noted. “A lot of companies don’t want to purchase and construct a new building, they want to occupy something that has already been built, something that’s available to occupy yesterday. They can get up and running faster; they can employ people faster.
“That’s challenge number one. Do we have the product to sell? How do we become shovel-ready at any point in time?”
Meanwhile, the EDC is focusing on drawing employers who will enhance the quality of life here, for everyone.
From oil-and-gas roots, the next generation is coming of age: “We have this workforce that knows how to work, and we have this workforce that’s innovative,” he said. “Now, how do we get them prepared for the kinds of jobs that pay a living wage?
“It’s working collaboratively with Kilgore College, it’s working collaboratively with Kilgore ISD and other folks involved in workforce development and making sure people get the skills they need so that when jobs come to town they can take advantage of them.”
It’s not about reinventing the wheel, Seitz says. It’s about keeping it turning and filling the funnel. It’s about taking a successful organization to the next level with a refined message, a sharpened focus and measurable objectives.
The resulting 2026-2029 Strategic Plan sets the course for the coming years. The FY 2027 Program of Work lays out how KEDC intends to get there, with specific actions, deadlines and performance measures to track progress.
The goal is to bring more prospects to Kilgore, turn their interest into site visits and ultimately convert those visits into capital investments, new jobs and additional opportunities for the people who live and work here.
Getting there requires more than a good sales pitch.
“We actually on a daily basis are working to fill that funnel with leads,” Seitz said. “We’re looking to determine whether or not those leads are an opportunity then we’re working to convert that opportunity to a site tour.”
Once a prospect lays eyes on this community and its strengths, he added, a high percentage of them will see the value in investing in Kilgore and creating jobs here.
That’s the goal, and Kilgore EDC is putting in the work.
“I think it’s important for people to know there’s a group of passionate people that are working for them and are not just sitting here waiting on the phone to ring.”
