San Marcos has purchased nearly 200 acres from the U.S. Department of Labor to extend the runway at San Marcos Regional Airport, part of a broader effort to attract aerospace, defense, and manufacturing companies to the region, according to Helen Ramirez, the city’s economic development director. Ramirez detailed the projects on a recent episode of The Building Texas Show, hosted by Justin McKenzie.
The runway extension is funded by Federal Aviation Administration and Texas Aviation grants. The airport already hosts more than 18 tenants, including Berry Aviation, which is now owned by publicly traded Bristow Group (NYSE: VTOL). Adjacent to the airport is the 2,000-acre TriTexas site, a rail-served development with regional detention and utilities already in place before any tenant has signed.
Ramirez emphasized that San Marcos is not pursuing a spaceport with rocket launches. “We are looking at that future of space. It is not necessarily launching rockets,” she said. “You can have it in Starbase, SpaceX, but that’s not what we’re looking for. But we can be part of the intelligence of creating that ecosystem.” She pointed to Hawthorne, California—home to Raytheon, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman—as a model for the type of aerospace ecosystem Central Texas could build.
Supporting this vision is Texas State University’s Star Park, an incubator that houses the Innovation Corridor Defense Accelerator, run in partnership with Starburst Aerospace and the Hays Caldwell Economic Development Partnership. The university is also adding a hospitality program tied to a new 130-key boutique hotel downtown, on land Texas State donated, with a minimum-wage requirement tied to inflation written into the incentive deal.
A survey conducted by Ramirez’s office of 98 companies found that more than 90% reported stable or growing business, and about 40% are actively expanding. Epic Piping is adding 100 employees, Amazon continues to grow its footprint, and Collins Aerospace, which also operates in California, told Ramirez that business is better in San Marcos. Nabaco, a Texas State spinoff that went through a Rice University accelerator, now operates in Spain and still hires Texas State graduate students. US Aviation trains active-duty Air Force cadets at the airport.
Ramirez also highlighted the city’s pro-business approach: her staff has direct access to the city’s permitting software, allowing real-time responses to permit questions. Texas Building Supply, on track for roughly $40 million a year in sales tax once fully ramped, has no incentive package but benefits from this streamlined process.
The moves position San Marcos as a rising hub for aerospace and defense manufacturing between Austin and San Antonio, leveraging existing infrastructure, university partnerships, and a business-friendly permitting system to attract companies seeking to relocate or expand.
