Kilgore’s economic development connects East Texas energy history with modern industrial growth.
Located in Gregg County on the I-20 corridor, the city gives CEOs, site selectors, EDOs, and investors access to regional labor, prepared sites, and lower-cost advantages near Longview, Dallas-Fort Worth, Shreveport, and Houston.
For companies evaluating business opportunities in Upper East Texas, the Kilgore business climate is a unique opportunity for manufacturing, logistics, distribution, and metalworking.
Synergy business park is Kilgore’s flagship site. The 672-acre Class A business park is about two miles from I-20 and offers:
Kilgore EDC lists 125kV electric service, Foreign Trade Zone 234 sub-zone access, Triple Freeport tax exemption benefits, and pre-permitting tools. Users include Camfil USA, CHEP/Brambles, Orgill, KeepRite Refrigeration, and other industrial employers.
Kilgore has diversified from its oil heritage into goods-producing and logistics-oriented sectors into:
23% of the regional labor force is employed in goods-producing sectors, above state and national levels, per Kilgore EDC. And major employers include:
The Kilgore region for business draws from a 12-county labor shed with more than 325,000 workers strong in:
Kilgore College supports employers through professional, career, certification, and contract training programs that help companies prepare workers before launch and continue upskilling after operations begin.
Kilgore’s location supports transportation and logistics in Texas, with I-20 providing east-west access to Dallas-Fort Worth, Shreveport, and southern U.S. markets, and U.S. 259/U.S. 59 connecting companies to north-south trade routes toward Houston and the future I-69 corridor.
In fact, more than 30 million people are within a half-day drive, supporting distribution, cold storage, and manufacturing, per Kilgore EDC.
Companies choose Kilgore because it offers prepared sites, Kilgore College workforce support, East Texas cost advantages, highway access, regional labor, and broader Texas business advantages.
For project-specific site selection, incentives, or expansion questions, companies should work with local Kilgore economic development partners and The Office of the Governor’s Texas Economic Development & Tourism Office. TxEDC can help companies connect with appropriate resources.