April in San Antonio is a reminder of who we are. Each April for over 130 years, San Antonio has been celebrating Fiesta, a city-wide party with a purpose, that brings our neighborhoods together in celebration of culture, history, and pride. It’s a visible expression of what has always defined this community: people first, working together, showing up for one another.  

That same spirit is reflected in our 5-time NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs’ return to the playoffs. Built intentionally, their success reflects what this community knows well: sustained results come from investing in fundamentals, developing talent, and collectively committing to a long‑term vision. That rhythm of preparation, partnership, and pride in our place, also defines this moment for our economy.  

At greater:SATX, we’ve been building toward this moment. For 50 years, our organization has set the pace for business recruitment, retention, and growth, focused on one mission: creating jobs that provide real pathways to economic mobility for San Antonians. The results we’re seeing today are not accidental. They are the product of consistent work—aligning partners, strengthening our talent pipeline, and staying disciplined around a clear regional strategy.  

Our strategy is centered on industries where San Antonio is positioned to win: advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity and new technologies, defense and aerospace, life sciences, and headquarters. Over the past five years, among the nation’s top 50 metros by job growth, our progress has been measurable. We moved from 20th to 2nd in manufacturing and logistics, from 47th to 19th in life sciences and healthcare, and from 39th to 25th in cyber and IT. Those gains reflect intentional alignment between employers, education partners, workforce programs, and site readiness investments.  

Momentum is showing up in the data. In 2024, San Antonio ranked among the three fastest-growing major job markets in the country and led all Texas peer metros. Average weekly earnings grew faster than nearly every major U.S. metro—outpacing the national average by 440 basis points. Since 2021, greater:SATX has helped secure more than $7.1 billion in capital investment and 18,000 new jobs, driven by advanced manufacturing, bioscience, healthcare, cybersecurity, and financial services.  

Behind those outcomes, we’ve continued strengthening the pipeline. Today, more than 25% of jobs in our active project pipeline are in final decision stages, representing continuous strong engagement with companies as project timelines shifted over the past year. Manufacturing accounts for over half of those projects, with aerospace and new technology close behind as we work to grow these target sectors more intentionally through MOMENTUM:2030. Globally, our targeted engagement has generated 35 foreign direct investment projects since 2021—creating more than 6,100 jobs. With nonstop service taking flight this week from San Antonio International Airport to Toronto, we’ll continue leveraging our direct connection to drive additional opportunities.  

Economic development only succeeds in serving our community when local talent can access the jobs being created. That’s why workforce development has been embedded in our work for more than a decade, aligning workforce training and career pathways to the industries we recruit. San Antonio is raising educational attainment and lowering poverty at one of the fastest rates among our peer metros. And we’ve aligned our university partners for the first time around a shared goal of educational attainment of 45% by 2030. This kind of change doesn't come from short-term wins; it comes from sustained collaboration.  

Our MOMENTUM:2030 strategic framework reflects that same discipline: ambitious goals grounded in proven performance. Over the next 5 years, together, we aim to add more than 20,000 new direct jobs with $100,000 average wages, $5 billion in new capital investment, and connect 25,000 young people in work‑based learning.   

Like our Spurs, success is built on preparation, partnership, and pride in place. San Antonio’s momentum is real—and we’re just getting started.  

Greater Together (and Go Spurs Go!),  

Investor Spotlight: Corgan 

Corgan is a global architecture and design firm with more than 25 years of experience in the San Antonio region, shaping environments that support connectivity, resilience, and long-term economic growth. Working across aviation and transportation, data centers, education, health, government, multifamily, and workplace design, Corgan’s projects reflect San Antonio’s cultural identity while responding thoughtfully to climate, infrastructure needs, and evolving industry demands. From workplace environments for major employers to transformative regional infrastructure projects, Corgan’s work plays a visible role in how the region lives, learns, and grows. 

Fiesta, Past, Present & Future: A 50-Year Story Told Through a Medal 

At this year’s Fiesta, one medal carried special meaning: marking 50 years of greater:SATX’s role in shaping the region’s economic landscape. From its founding at the Gunter Hotel in 1975, the organization has continually strengthened the city’s workforce, drawn in major employers, and guided regional strategies like All In. As Fiesta unfolds, the medal reminds us that San Antonio’s growth is rooted in enduring partnership and shared vision. 

CBP Launches Tariff Refund Portal 

In April, U.S. Customs & Border Protection introduced the new CAPE system, enabling importers to claim refunds on tariffs invalidated under IEEPA. Aircraft, manufacturing, logistics, and electronics businesses in San Antonio stand to benefit—potentially recovering duties (plus interest) within 60‑90 days of approval. This move supports the competitiveness of regional employers tied to global supply chains. 

• Toyota after dark: Officials talk workforce, virtual training tools during mayor’s tour of Southside factory: Toyota Manufacturing Texas showcased its South Side plant during a nighttime tour with Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, highlighting how night-shift operations mirror daytime production and the company’s focus on worker retention, training, and support for non‑traditional work schedules. Officials emphasized new mentorship programs and advanced tools like augmented-reality welding training, which have helped improve retention and prepare workers for expansion, including hundreds of new hires tied to upcoming production.  

• Silver Ventures aims to juice weekday traffic at San Antonio’s Pearl District with new retail:  A major development plan is underway at San Antonio’s Pearl District, where Silver Ventures and its Oxbow Development subsidiary are launching a large-scale expansion to add approximately 20 new retail tenants on the eastern edge and 140,000 sq ft of office space, aiming to convert the district into a vibrant, year-round urban hub and support consistent weekday traffic and economic growth. 
• San Antonio International Airport Opens Terminal A Expansion: The San Antonio International Airport officially opened its major Terminal A expansion, adding new gates, enhanced international processing capacity, and expanded operational flexibility. Leaders emphasize its role in strengthening business travel and corporate recruitment.
• Two local businesses are finalists for Entrepreneur Of The Year honors presented by EY:  Tomball Controls, a Texas-based manufacturer specializing in custom generator enclosures, and Stirista, a marketing technology company that uses proprietary data tools, are two of the innovative businesses vying for Entrepreneur Of The Year in the Gulf South region. The winner of the region will compete for the national award.
• Air Force selects Joint Base San Antonio for nuclear microreactor program: The U.S. Air Force has selected Joint Base San Antonio as a pilot site for its Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations program, potentially bringing a micro nuclear reactor to the base to strengthen energy resilience for critical national security missions. Local leaders say the project reinforces JBSA’s long-term strategic importance and could open future opportunities for regional energy, research, and defense collaboration.  
• From hotel suites to sub-surface transit: Gordon Hartman details future of Morgan’s expansion: Morgan’s founder Gordon Hartman detailed plans for the world’s first ultra‑accommodating hotel, a $25 million, 93‑room project set to open later this year that is fully designed around the needs of people with disabilities and their caregivers. The hotel is part of a broader expansion of Morgan’s campus that includes new inclusive amenities and a proposed underground transit tunnel connecting to the site, selected as a finalist in the Boring Company’s Tunnel Vision Challenge. 
• Affordable apartment complex to neighbor Project Marvel site: Construction has begun on Central at Commerce, a seven‑story, 279‑unit affordable apartment complex near the proposed Project Marvel site, with homes reserved for low-income residents across a range of income levels. Backed by Opportunity Home, city housing bond funds, and tax credits, the $107 million project aims to keep downtown housing accessible for workers and vulnerable residents as major redevelopment accelerates.  

Stay up-to-date with news from the region by subscribing to the News of the Week.