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Proud To Be a Texan

From the Panhandle to the Gulf‚ from furniture to food – if it’s made in Texas‚ it can be found at Texas True.

The 6-year-old store on Highway 155 is aptly named: It’s devoted entirely to merchandise produced in the Longhorn State.

“We honor Texas‚” says proprietor Teresa Farish. “It’s all about Texas pride.”

Merchandise ranges from small souvenirs depicting the state to sturdy pieces of Texas-sized furniture. Even the store’s T-shirts are homemade – all produced from 100 percent Texas-grown cotton.

Farish also works with the state’s plentiful collection of artists and artisans‚ commissioning one-of-a-kind pieces for her store.

Customers range from local folks intent on supporting the state’s artists and manufacturers to displaced Texans eager for a little taste of home. Farish regularly ships items throughout the world to former residents or those who just wish they were.

“They’re very intense‚ and they’re very loyal‚” Farish says of those far-flung customers. “We’re just filling that need.”

Rising From the Ashes

Grilled hamburgers sound appetizing‚ but when their manufacturing facility also goes up in flames – well‚ it’s not the sort of finish anyone wants.

But for John Soules Foods‚ a devastating fire in 1994 didn’t mark the end of a thriving business. Instead‚ it was the beginning of what has grown into a true Tyler success story.

Though the blaze destroyed the company’s manufacturing facility and equipment‚ John Soules Foods was back in business within 30 days.

“The quick resumption of operations allowed the company to retain its customer base‚” says Gary Souter‚ the company’s director of human resources.

Moreover‚ the Soules family used the fire as an impetus to grow the business. A new facility‚ four times larger than the original plant‚ opened in 1996. And by 2000‚ the company shifted its product mix from generic hamburger to customized charbroiled and kettle-cooked products and portion-controlled fajitas. That last product has helped John Soules Foods build a nationwide reputation as “The Fajita Company.”

Today‚ John Soules Foods has 450 employees‚ a five-fold increase from 10 years earlier. The company is on pace to exceed $250 million in annual sales by 2010.

Keeping Folks Talking

Communication is of paramount importance to police officers‚ firemen and hostage negotiators. And public safety personnel all over the world can be more confident that their messages will be received thanks to a small company in Smith County.

The Genesis Group provides instrumental software to government agencies that use two-way radios for emergency communications; clients span the globe‚ from Australia to Canada‚ from Panama to Saudi Arabia.

The software was first introduced by Motorola to manage the infrastructure between towers used in two-way communications. But The Genesis Group was working on similar software‚ and Motorola turned over its program to the Texas upstarts.

“We’ve taken what Motorola did and put it on steroids‚” says Phil Burks‚ who launched the company in his bedroom in 1989 and now employs 15 at the company’s Tyler headquarters.

Motorola has become The Genesis Group’s biggest customer‚ with clients such as the Fire Department of New York‚ the State of Illinois and the City of Moscow among the benefactors of the software’s capabilities.

‘Tyler in the Tank’

Delek U.S. Holdings Inc. has been selling gas at its chain of convenience stores throughout the southeastern United States for several years. But with an investment in Tyler‚ the public company is moving up the petroleum supply chain.

In 2005‚ Delek purchased the La Gloria refinery‚ the company’s first foray into oil refining in the United States. The company has poured $100 million into the operation in the two years since‚ modernizing the aging refinery‚ improving its reliability and bringing it into environmental compliance.

One area of the facility that didn’t need an upgrade was personnel.

“The workforce has been incredible‚” says Fred Green‚ vice president and chief operating officer of Delek Refining.

“We have a great relationship with our employees.”

Delek employs about 230 people at its Tyler operation‚ an increase of about 20 workers since the acquisition. Employees work in four departments: crude oil pipeline‚ refinery‚ product terminal and trucking.

Delek Refining produces about 60‚000 barrels of oil per day.

A Tradition of Caring

When oil was the engine of the Tyler economy in the early part of the 20th century‚ the Genecov family was among its leading drivers.

Today‚ as the Tyler economy has diversified‚ so too has Genecov’s portfolio.

Genecov Group remains active in oil and gas investments‚ but also holds an array of commercial real-estate properties throughout Tyler and beyond. The company owns shopping centers‚ office parks and individual buildings‚ leasing to local and national tenants.

“We keep our properties well maintained‚” says Felicity Reedy‚ president of Genecov Group. “These are long-term investments for us.”

And the Genecov Group isn’t merely interested in the community’s economic development – it’s also concerned with its general welfare. The philanthropic spirit introduced by founder Aleck S. Genecov remains an integral part of the company’s mission.

“We believe in doing well by doing good‚” Reedy says.

Beneficiaries of Genecov Group’s goodwill include the East Texas State Fairgrounds‚ local Boys and Girls clubs‚ East Texas Crisis Center and Robert Muntz Library‚ among others.

Story by Dan Markham
Photo by Antony Boshier

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