Round Rock's rockin' economic boom

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) - A job report released Friday shows unemployment is on the rise in the U.S. with only 62,000 jobs created in the month of May and unemployment rates rising to 8.2 percent.

But it's a different story for the city of Round Rock where job-and-economic growth is thriving.

At a luncheon held by the Round Rock Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn praised the city's thriving economy that specifically looks at ways to attract companies to town.

“This is undoubtedly one of the very best places in the country, and in our state to work and to raise a family," said Cornyn.

Billion-dollar corporations like Emerson, a process management company that runs refineries and factories in 135 countries, decided to call Round Rock home to its new headquarters last month.

The company pumps out $7 billion a year into the Central Texas economy, and says the city of Round Rock was the best fit because they welcomed them with opened arms -- making the move easier on the large corporation. 

“The city did help us to ensure that we eliminated any bottlenecks to get to this facility, because this facility does meet our needs," said Jack Frazier of Emerson.

While the rest of the country’s job growth is seeing a decline, Round Rock isn’t. During the past eight years Round Rock has seen constant growth in job creation, gaining nearly 16,000 jobs -- jumping from 40,000 jobs in 2004 to 56,000 jobs in 2011. They are numbers that have Cornyn looking at the city's business concepts as models for the rest of the state.

“Round Rock has become a prominent symbol of the broader economic boom in our great state," said Cornyn.

With several construction sites popping up around town the city expects even more growth and development in the coming years, citing the city's Business Advocacy Committee as one of the driving forces for their success.