The pages in this section are dedicated to the Alliance's Industry Task Force.  Here, you will find information about the Task Force's goals and accomplishments, as well as helpful links for employers and job seekers in the petrochemical industry.

About the Industry Task Force

Each year, the petrochemical and refining industry generates $114.5 billion in expenditures and $20 billion in personal income in the Houston Gulf Coast region.  The Industry task Force project aims to sustain this tremendous engine of jobs and commerce far into the future.

Established in 2004, the Industry Task Force addresses economic, workforce and infrastructure issues related to the Port Region's petrochemical industry.  The U.S. Small Business Administration provided the Alliance with a grant to fund the Industry Task Force's work.

The Industry Task Force has engaged in a three-phase project to understand trends and affect change in areas critical to the petrochemical industry's vitality. During Phase One (2004-2005), the Task Force conducted research about the issues impacting the industry.  A statewide survey of plant managers was conducted which resulted in a Refining and Petrochemical Manufacturing Economic Study.

During Phase Two(2005-2006), the Task Force formed six Solutions Teams of industry leaders, each dedicated to addressing on of six major topics that emerged from the statewide survey.  Each solution Team was tasked with developing and building consensus for one or two initiatives aimed at addressing their topic.

The final Phase Three began in 2007.  To conclude the project, the Alliance conducted a survey of businesses and residents in the Port Region. The survey weighed local opinions about the initiatives  developed by the Solutions Teams.  In September 2007, The Alliance and other economic development entities will lead four Town Hall meetings in which the Solutions Teams share their results.

Goals of the Industry Task Force

• To build a hand-in-hand relationship between Port Region communities, public officials and petrochemical industry leaders.

• To develop unique, effective solutions to trends affecting life and business in the Houston Port Region.

• To build momentum that will carry these solutions through implementation.