Supply Chain Management

The Greater San Marcos area's proximity along I-35 and I-10 provides businesses excellent access to major population centers and manufacturers.  Greater San Marcos is a strategic location for the supply chain management industry. 

Approximately 250 supply chain businesses employ more than 2,500 workers, some of which include: H-E-B Distribution Center, UPS and Berry Aviation. The region’s job growth projection for this industry from 2006-2016 is estimated to exceed 29%, well over the estimates for national growth of 11%.

Everything a supply chain management company needs to out perform the competition is in the Greater San Marcos region … airports, freight carriers, Interstates, ports, and rail.

Ports
Greater San Marcos is served by the Ports of Houston and Galveston, which are 166 and 190 miles away respectively.

Airports
The San Marcos Municipal Airport (KHYI) serves as a general aviation center and is the only reliever airport between Austin and San Antonio. The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is located approximately 30 minutes north of San Marcos, and the San Antonio International Airport (SAT) is located less than an hour south of San Marcos. Both provide national and international business and cargo flights on a daily basis.

Interstates and Highways
Import and export opportunities into northern Mexico are made possible because of easy accessibility to Interstate 35 – the central trade corridor between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.  I-35 also connects the San Marcos region to major cities such as Austin (30 minutes north), San Antonio (50 minutes south) and the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

San Marcos is also only minutes away from Interstate 10, the vital transportation link between the east and west coasts.  I-10 is the southernmost east-west, coast-to-coast Interstate.  It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at Santa Monica, California to the Atlantic Ocean at Jacksonville, Florida.

The interstates provide convenient access to major city services, in addition to providing a thoroughfare for exchange and ground travel within the United States.

Rail Service
Union Pacific Railroad can serve San Marcos sites with an average of 20 north and southbound trains per day. Union Pacific is one of the few U.S. rail lines that interchange cars with both Canadian and Mexican rail lines. Piggyback and switching services are available in nearby San Antonio.

Amtrak provides four northbound and four southbound trains through San Marcos each week.

Motor Freight Carriers
There are three motor freight terminals in San Marcos and several motor freight carriers.

Small Package & Air Cargo Services
Shippers can choose from among more than a dozen companies serving the San Marcos area.

Bus Lines
Greyhound Bus Lines, Inc., provides inter-city service to and from San Marcos.

Texas State University provides routed bus transportation (Bobcat Tram) for students and staff.

The San Marcos Transit System, or SMT, is a public fixed-route bus system, operating weekday hourly service and services every other hour on Saturdays.

Taxi, Automobile Rental & Leasing Service
Twenty-four hour taxi service, automobile rental and leasing is available.

General Aviation

The San Marcos Municipal Airport, serving general aviation and the only reliever airport between Austin and San Antonio, is positioned to become an important economic engine in Central Texas. The airport has solid businesses serving aviation, an interesting history, and a promising future that includes a 1,340-acre development for new businesses, a terminal building, and executive hangars.

San Marcos Municipal Airport Developments:

• Airport Businesses: 12 businesses including Fixed Base Operator, charter service, major maintenance and overhaul, avionics, aircraft paint and refurbishing services, restaurant, and Executive hangars with more than 200 aircraft based at San Marcos.
• Tower Project: 100-foot-tall control tower. Staffed by civilian controllers and funded by the FAA Contract Tower Program –provide an added measure of safety at the general aviation/reliever airport. 
• Security Perimeter Fencing Project. 
• Multiple developers in negotiation for Executive hangar communities in concert with the North Side Development Project.
• North Side Development Project: Seeking $4.725 million from FY 2010 federal appropriations for a new airport terminal building located in the North Side Development Project along Highway 21.

Berry Aviation

• Berry Aviation began operations in 1983 in Austin, Texas, with one pilot and a twin-engine Piper Seneca. Today, from San Marcos, TX (HYI), they operate 20 aircraft for a variety of customers throughout the U.S. and abroad.
• Their air carrier operation is FAA certificated (#HKGA701E) as well as United States Department of Defense (DoD) approved and ARGUS Platinum rated. They performed over 13,000 flight operations in 2006.

San Marcos Airport Approved for Landing High-Tech Flight Training School and New Fixed Base Operation

Redbird Flight Simulations, an Austin-based company and the world’s largest manufacturer of full motion flight simulators in the world is developing a new 27,000 sq./ft. training space, including a hangar.

Completion of the estimated $2.8 million facility is slated for November 2011.

The anticipated benefits of the project include:

• 25-30 jobs at the Skyport, with an average wage of $41,700-$50,000
• Nearly 1 million gallons in additional fuel flow, resulting in an additional $5.5 million in revenues over five years 

There are currently over 150 Redbird simulators operating in Universities and Flight Schools in more than 20 countries.  The Skyport will operate as a for-profit flight school, enabling Redbird to pursue its core mission of modernizing flight training. The Skyport will provide Redbird a location to test and improve its flagship product – flight simulators – while simultaneously promoting this training product with pilots.