Waco-Temple-Bryan is ranked No. 3 on MSN Money’s list of 10 standout cities for credit scores. The analysis is derived from Experian’s 2012 State of Credit report and the cities were ranked by credit score change since 2007.  More

Lark United Manufacturing of Texas, LLC has opened a manufacturing facility in McGregor for the assembly of enclosed cargo trailers in various sizes, including single, tandem and triple axel gooseneck.

Lark United’s first plant opened in 2005 in Douglas, Ga. The company expects a 9% increase in production in 2012 compared to 2011 with the opening of the McGregor location. Lark United is the No. 8 company in the nation for enclosed cargo trailer manufacturing and anticipates the McGregor site to secure a top-five leading producer position.

Lark United’s McGregor plant employs seven and will increase to 60 to 80 skilled workers with an annual payroll of $1.5 to $2 million. Projected sales for the site are $12 million to $14 million annually. Read More

Waco cost of living, purchasing power rated against other cities

Waco Composite: 89.6  (U.S. Average Composite: 100)

The composite index is based on six component categories – housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, health care and miscellaneous goods and services.

PURCHASING POWER
House - 84.7
Groceries - 85.7
Utilities - 84.1
Transportation - 100.4
Health Care - 99.6
Misc. Goods and Services - 92.5

COMPARISON CITIES
Albuquerque N.M. - 96.7
Chattanooga, Tenn. - 93.7
Dallas - 96.4
Greenville, S.C. - 90.3
Oklahoma City - 90.5
Portland - 118.7
Raleigh, N.C. - 90.9

The Cost of Living Index is published quarterly by C2ER – The Council for Community and Economic Research.

The Cost of Living Index measures regional differences in the cost of consumer goods and services, excluding taxes and non-consumer expenditures, for professional and managerial households in the top income quintile. It is based on more than 90,000 prices covering 60 items for which prices are collected quarterly by chambers of commerce, economic development organizations and university applied economic centers in each participating urban area. Small differences should not be interpreted as showing a measurable difference.

The Princeton Review & Entrepreneur Magazine recently announced Baylor University’s undergraduate entrepreneurship program ranks No. 2 out of 25 for 2012. The rankings are based on levels of commitment to entrepreneurship, percentage of entrepreneurial success and involvement among faculty, students and alumni, mentorship programs, and funding for scholarships and grants. Programs within the Baylor entrepreneurship program include: Technology Entrepreneurship Initiative and i5 in China

Greater Waco’s medical sector is experiencing robust growth with more than $400 million in expansions since 2005. The Top 10 Health Care employers in the Waco MSA, more about each company and how they impact the community is available at WacoCustomReports.com. Listed under the “Target Industries” column is an up-to-date report: “Health Care.” Custom Reports also offers 83 intuitive and user-friendly reports.