LEDA announces 187 new Lubbock jobs - KCBD NewsChannel 11 Lubbock

From Lubbock Economic Development Alliance:

The Lubbock Economic Development Alliance (LEDA) announced the creation of 187 new jobs at a press conference Monday afternoon. The additional jobs come as a result of the expansion of five local businesses and two new businesses.

The five local expansion projects include Supply Chain Management, Inc., Research and Testing Laboratory, PathoGenius Laboratory, Raw Oil & Gas, Inc. and Covenant Health. The two new expansion projects include Michelin North America and Quality Buildings, Inc.

"We are thrilled to bring more high-paying jobs to the Lubbock community that fit three of our four target industries: headquarters/back office, advanced manufacturing, alternative energy and research and development," John Osborne, CEO of LEDA and Market Lubbock, said. "We are fully committed to partnering with each of these companies announced today to help retain and grow their business."

Supply Chain Management, Inc., a third-party transportation provider and one of the five expansion projects, is headquartered in Lubbock and is now operating coast to coast and border to border. The company is adding 14 new jobs with incented annual salaries equaling $574,000. Also included in the five expansion projects is Research and Testing Laboratory, a full-service molecular lab, announcing 19 new jobs with a capital investment of more than $800,000 in the next four years. PathoGenius Laboratory, a clinical molecular microbiology laboratory providing microbial testing, is adding 12 new jobs with incented annual salaries of more than $600,000. Raw Oil & Gas, Inc., a locally headquartered oil and gas company, announced 17 new jobs and Covenant Health, the largest health institution in west Texas and eastern New Mexico, announced 84 new jobs.

Covenant Health, a member of St. Joseph Health System in Orange County, is moving the California Patient Financial Services Operations Unit to Lubbock. The 84 new jobs will create incented annual salaries of more than $2 million.

"We are excited to add new and qualified people to join our already fantastic team," Rodney Cates, vice president of Human Resources for Covenant Health, said. "Covenant Health is a wonderful place to work, and we value our employees' hard work and dedication they bring every day."

The two relocation projects include Michelin North America, a nation- and world-wide tire manufacturer, creating eight jobs at a new distribution center and Quality Buildings, Inc., a portable building manufacturer, creating 33 jobs with incented annual salaries of more than $1 million.

"Lubbock's location and ongoing growth made it the right choice for us as our first expansion venture in Texas," Steve Merrill, sales manager of Quality Buildings, Inc., said. "The LEDA team has been and continues to be instrumental in helping grow our services and capabilities in an area that compliments our line of business."

The jobs created from these projects equal more than $7 million in incented salaries with a capital investment of more than $1.2 million.