Gov. Perry: We Must Continue to Promote an Environment of Job Creation

HARLINGEN – Gov. Rick Perry today credited Texas’ competitive economic climate with attracting businesses to the state and creating jobs. The governor spoke at a press conference announcing the opening of UnitedHealth Group’s Ovations service center.

“This announcement is affirmation that our efforts to foster a culture where new jobs can be created and sustained are paying off,” Gov. Perry said. “Businesses like UnitedHealth Group come to the Lone Star State seeking the best possible location to invest and risk their capital, the best available workforce, regulatory systems that protect without stifling innovation, and tax structures that allow folks to keep more of what they earn. We have worked hard to establish these key characteristics of Texas’ business climate, and will continue to protect these job creating elements in the months to come.”

The governor was joined by Harlingen Mayor Chris Boswell and Ovations CEO Larry Renfro for the announcement.

Gov. Perry credits the same job creating forces with helping the state weather the national economic downturn. This session, he is also requesting that lawmakers replenish the Texas Enterprise Fund and Emerging Technology Fund and continue to support policies that will promote the state’s economic development and job creation.

UnitedHealth Group will partner with Texas State Technical College and Workforce Solutions Cameron to begin training employees as early as June. The service center will be operated by Ovations, UnitedHealth Group’s health and well-being branch for seniors, and will initially employ 100 to 150 employees, with the potential to add an additional 600 employees over the next three to five years. The center is scheduled to open by August of this year.

Texas was recently ranked the top state for job growth and business development for the fourth year in a row in a survey of CEOs by Chief Executive Magazine. The Lone Star State is home to more Fortune 500 companies than any other state, and the U.S. Department of Commerce named Texas the top exporting state in the nation for the seventh year in a row based on 2008 export data. Additionally, Texas created nearly 94,000 jobs between December 2007 and December 2008.

For more information on the announcement, please visit http://www.governor.state.tx.us.