What makes Gillespie County such a good place to do business?
It's a great place to live! 

It just makes sense! The things you look for in a place to live for you and your family are really the same things that make your business prosperous: the support of good neighbors; a safe, healthy environment; modern health care; affordable housing; a superior educational system; a trained work force with a strong work ethic; and a thriving business and financial sector.

First time visitors to the Texas Hill Country are impressed with the large number and wide variety of trees, scenic hills, flowing rivers and green grazing pasture land. At over 1700’ above sea level, Fredericksburg (pop. 10,087) and Gillespie County (pop. 22,502) offer crisp, clear, low pollution skies and moderate temperatures and humidity. Gillespie County’s low crime rate, low taxes and low utility costs, as well as proximity to metropolitan areas, makes it an ideal location to live in and do business.

For Economic Development inquiries, please contact Tim Lehmberg at edc@fbgtx.org.

Manufacturing
There is a quiet revolution going on outside of big city America. Business and industry have learned that with modern telecommunication equipment and good transportation you can locate almost any business where you want to live instead of where you have to live. Many manufacturing companies have discovered this fact and have moved to Gillespie County and Fredericksburg. They are taking advantage of a high quality of life, low cost of living, and an educated, skilled workforce to produce precision machines and parts, clothing, food products, furniture, aircraft repair, wood products, feeds, and sporting equipment.

Gillespie County and Fredericksburg are also home to a large number of talented crafts people who produce a wide variety of popular items such as hand woven rugs, jewelry, blown glass, musical instruments and customized furniture.

Many artists reside in Gillespie County including the nationally acclaimed G. Harvey.

"The good life is good business."

Agriculture
Agriculture was the first business to locate in Gillespie County over 150 years ago and continues to be a thriving part of today’s prosperity. Food and fiber crops, livestock and all hunting account for annual cash receipts in excess of 50 million dollars. Nearly every crop can be grown in the rich soil of the Pedernales Valley in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. In Addition to being the number one peach producing county in Texas, there are apples, pecans, plums, berries and every conceivable table vegetable. There are several vineyards and five wineries in Gillespie County producing nationally and internationally acclaimed wines.

Education
"An education system ready to meet the demands of the 21st Century."
Education is the cornerstone of any progressive community. Gillespie County schools take pride in producing the highest quality students as evidenced by the many national merit scholar winners and finalists. With a student enrollment of nearly 4,000, Fredericksburg, Harper, Stonewall and Doss schools offer a quality classroom education, gifted and talented classes as well as vocational and technical courses.

Gillespie County schools have a tradition of working closely with a local business and community groups to develop up-to-date programs to meet the children’s needs as well as those of the community. Fredericksburg ISD has an extensive adult and community education programs in rural Texas which translates into wide community support for schools as well as delivering basic, technical and personal interest classes to adult learners. These programs are being expanded to include accredited college level academic, vocational and technical courses.

In addition to a College accredited Nursing School, there are several private schools in the county offering alternative education options. Gillespie County boasts many state certified child care centers to accommodate the needs of working families.

The Hill Country University Center is an academic partnership among several schools offering several bachelors degrees as well as masters and two PhD programs. The partners include Austin Community College, Texas Tech University, Angelo State University and Concordia University.

Austin Community College (ACC) offers dual credit courses and core curriculum for students seeking a college degree and LVN, RN, and ADN nursing programs. Texas Tech University (TTU) at Fredericksburg, a recognized higher education teaching site, offers upper division undergraduate courses leading to a Bachelor of General Studies, BS in Multidisciplinary Studies (Teaching) and graduate degree programs in Educational Leadership and many others. The School of Nursing at TTU Health Science Center offers online undergraduate and graduate degree programs in nursing including BSN and MSN. Concordia University is now offering an Accelerated Business Degree for adults 22 years and up. Angelo State University offers Masters Degrees in Guidance and Counseling, Curriculum and Instruction and Student Development and Leadership in Higher Edcuation.

Health Care
With its fresh Hill Country air and healthy environment, Gillespie County is rapidly growing into a center for health-care-related industries. Thanks to generous community support, Hill Country Memorial Hospital (HCMH) continues to expand.

Serving an eight-county area centered in Fredericksburg, the 88-bed medical center has more than 130 local physicians on its medical staff who are all independent practitioners, offering more than 30 medical specialties. The hospital opened its 14,000 square foot Women's Pavilion birthing center in 2003 and its 10-bed Don and Julie Holden Intensive Care Unit in 2006.

Quality patient care is important at HCMH, and, through regular surveys, we continuously monitor how we're doing. Patients across our service area consistently rate our quality of care as plus-four on our five-point scale.

The health system also includes Hill Country Memorial Community Services, a regional outreach designed to meet an extensive range of area health care needs including home care, hospice, regional clinics, WIC, the Community Health Center and Hill Country Memorial Wellness Center, a state-of-the-art facility providing a range of health education and land and water fitness programs.

Another component of the system is Hill Country Memorial Medical Office Buildings that provides offices for our growing family of health professionals.

To learn more about Hill Country Memorial Health System and its facilities, visit their web site at www.hcmhs.org.

Gillespie County is prepared to meet the needs of a growing community. Gillespie County has two staffed Emergency Medical Service units serving Fredericksburg, Doss and Harper around the clock.

Tourism & Festivals
The charm and heritage of Fredericksburg and the scenic hills of Gillespie County have turned this area into one of the top small-town tourism destinations in Texas. Visitors enjoy eating at over 60 restaurants, visiting more than 150 shops and stores and attending over 60 festivals and special events through out the year. Wineries, state parks, day spas, a municipal golf course, antique and art galleries, museums and historic sites offer a variety of activities for all age groups.

Lodging options include over 1000 hotel/motel rooms, over 325 bed & breakfast/guesthouse locations and six RV parks.

A new Visitor Information Center, located at 302 East Austin Street, just one block off of Main Street in downtown Fredericksburg, opened in 2003. Visitors must like what they see in Fredericksburg --- nearly 50 percent have been here more than four times!