Perry Welcomes Washington Mutual to San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO – Gov. Rick Perry today officially welcomed Washington Mutual and 4,200 new jobs to Texas. Last month, Governor Perry announced that, with a $15 million grant by the Texas Enterprise Fund, Washington Mutual had chosen to expand in Texas though a city had not yet been determined.

“Less than a week after the Spurs beat the Pistons to win the NBA Championship, San Antonio has brought home another national title: the largest job creation announcement in the United States for the first six months of 2005,” Perry said. “This huge expansion by Washington Mutual sends a clear message to employers worldwide that Texas is the place you want to be to grow a business.”

Perry thanked the city, county and business leaders who helped bring this new regional operations center to San Antonio and said that the Washington Mutual’s expansion into Texas had been secured, in part, by the Texas Enterprise Fund grant.

“As a result of this team effort, Washington Mutual is doubling its presence in our state and bringing 4,200 new jobs right here to Texas,” Perry said. “Every job Washington Mutual creates not only represents a new opportunity for a family to afford their dreams, but also puts more money flowing through the entire economy as paychecks are cashed and spent.”

Perry also noted that the state’s current tax structure is one that welcomes economic growth and expansion, as evidenced by recent statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis that show the Texas economy is outpacing the entire U.S. economy.

“There are a lot of reasons Texas is an attractive place to do business and it is important that, as we go through the school finance debate in Austin, the legislature remain mindful of our great economic climate,” Perry said. “The school finance plan I have proposed to the legislature maintains the economic certainty companies need while ensuring all corporations pay their fair share of the franchise tax. And it will allow our state’s economy to continue to grow with many more job creation announcements in the coming months and years.”