Texas Wins 12th Gold Shovel Award for Job Creation and Business Investment

Texas earns top honors for its business-friendly policies and economic growth.

FEATURED

6/18/20251 min read

Austin, TX — On June 18, 2025, Governor Greg Abbott announced that Texas has received its 12th Gold Shovel Award from Area Development magazine, recognizing the state’s outstanding job creation and business investment, as detailed in a press release on gov.texas.gov.

The Details:

  • The award highlights Texas’s business-friendly policies, infrastructure improvements, and $65 billion in capital investment from 110 projects in 2024, creating over 14,000 jobs.

  • Key projects include Samsung’s $40 billion Taylor semiconductor plant and Tesla’s $1 billion Gigafactory expansion in Austin.

  • Governor Abbott stated, “Texas again brings home the gold… attracting high-value business investments that create good-paying jobs for hardworking Texans.”

  • The state’s economic development partners, including the Texas Economic Development Corporation, were praised for their collaboration.

Why It Matters:
This recognition reinforces Texas’s status as a top destination for global business and job growth.