Lured by $225K in incentives, two companies select Austin suburb for regional HQ’s

More than 100 jobs and $8.8 million in capital investment are headed to Pflugerville after officials approved incentive agreements to lure two regional headquarters to the suburban city just north of Austin.

Per the agreements, Kansas-based general contractor MW Builders Inc. will construct a regional headquarters at Pflugerville’s 130 Commerce Center mixed-use business park while Accent Food Services is moving its regional HQ from its current site at 16209 Central Commerce Drive just outside Pflugerville city limits to 2919 A.W. Grimes Blvd., in a mixed residential and industrial area just south of the State Highway 45 toll road.

According to the MW Builders agreement, the company will receive up to $75,000 so long as it spends at least $4.8 million on the 20,000-square-foot facility, moves its regional headquarters there and hires or relocates 30 full-time workers with health benefits at an average annual salary of $86,000 no later than July 31, 2018.

MW Builders handled the construction of notable local buildings such as the FedEx Ground building and the Cortec Precision Sheetmetal manufacturing facility, both in Pflugerville. It currently operates Texas offices in Temple and Midland. MW Builders expects to break ground later this year at the property at the southwest corner of State Highway 130 and Pecan Street.

According to the Accent Food Services agreement, the company will receive up to $150,000, split into five annual grants of $30,000 apiece, so long as it builds the 55,000 square-foot facility and moves in by July 1, 2018, hires or relocates 85 full-time workers at an average salary of $55,000 per year and hires at least five workers per year at the site over the next four years. The company plans to spend $4 million on the facility, according to an announcement from the Pflugerville Community Development Corp.

Accent Food, which provides snack and beverage services including vending machines for office break rooms, employs 500 people nationally.

Pflugerville City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved both incentive agreements.

Michael Theis, Staff Writer, Austin Business Journal, 3/29/17, bizjournals.com/austin