Russ: This is the PKF Texas Entrepreneur’s Playbook. I’m Russ Capper, this week’s guest host, and I’m here once again with Rick Ellis, the Vice President of the Katy Area Economic Development Council. Welcome back to the Playbook, Rick.

Rick: Great to be here again, thanks.

Russ: You bet. You’ve been telling us about this growth, and it looks and sounds significant, but share some numbers with us.

Russ:  Well, growth in the Katy Area has just been phenomenal, and the Katy Area EDC follows the boundaries of KISD, which is 181 square miles, bigger than the city of Pittsburg. We are now home to 325,000 residents, with projections taking us to 370,000 by the year 2021. In the year 2000, the decade between 2000 and 2010, we saw 84% growth in our population; just crazy stuff. We have 10 master-planned communities, in 2015 there were over 3,500 home sales. So, why Katy?

Russ:  Right. Well, tell us then. What is the quality of life?

Russ:  Well, it’s the size, the location, the proximity to Houston. You’ve got amenities, but if you want sports teams you’re right down the road from Houston. You’ve got a great quality of life, master-planned communities, highly acclaimed educational offerings, great workforce, proximity to the energy and oil centers down the energy corridor. We’ve got attractions; we’ve got Typhoon Texas that just got built this summer, great water park, we’ve got an indoor trampoline park coming, indoor rock climbing, we are finishing up our second YMCA, and then the Katy Boardwalk is coming soon that is going to have offices and retail, and a conference center and a hotel. So, lots of growth.

Russ:  Sounds like the place to be.

Russ:  It is.

Russ:  Rick, thanks a lot.

Russ:  Great, thanks a bunch.

Russ:  You bet. And that concludes my discussion with Rick Ellis, the Vice President of the Katy Area EDC. This has been another Thought Leader Production, brought to you by PKF Texas Entrepreneur’s Playbook.