Bowie County’s ‘AA’ Rating denotes very high prospective viability of Feedstock Supply and Infrastructure and low expectations of default risk in the Zone. Bowie County’s sustainably managed timber resource, where annual net growth far outpaces annual removals, has left a substantial surplus of pine pulpwood and thinning material. Anchoring the Zone is the Boone-Copeland Industrial Park, a 140-acre, light-and-heavy-industrial site in Hooks, within the TexAmericas Center. The site is well served on every major utility, with on-site rail access and easy access to US Hwy 82/I-30 and US Hwy 59/I-369, positioning Bowie County as a top-tier location for bio-based industrial development.
Scott Norton, Chief Executive Officer, TexAmericas Center, stated, “This ‘AA’ rating validates something we have long understood about our region: Northeast Texas has the natural resources, infrastructure, workforce and industrial capacity to compete for the next generation of bio-based industries. The strength of our timber resource extends well beyond Bowie County, and when combined with the transportation and industrial assets available across the greater Texarkana region, it creates a compelling platform for new investment, job creation and long-term economic growth.”
Eric Voyles, Executive Vice President and Chief Economic Development Officer, TexAmericas Center, stated, “For companies evaluating biofuels, renewable chemicals, advanced materials and other wood-based manufacturing opportunities, this report converts a perceived resource advantage into a quantified and independently assessed business opportunity. Developers can now see the scale and risk profile of the available feedstock alongside the infrastructure and development capacity at TexAmericas Center. That gives us a powerful tool to move conversations from ‘Could this work here?’ to ‘How do we make the project work here?’”
Jordan Solomon, Chairman of the BDO Zone Initiative, stated, “Bowie County is one of the strongest woody biomass BDO Zones we have rated: a large, underutilized surplus backed by real infrastructure. We expect it to accelerate serious conversations with developers evaluating the Gulf South.”
To see the full BDO Zone Rating for Bowie County, please click here, or visit www.bdozone.org.
