Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced this past week the statewide 2023 Governor’s Small Business Summit, and Zapata County will be one of the hosts.
According to the governor’s office, the annual summit is hosted throughout the state in 15 different cities, as the Governor’s Small Business Summit aims to help Texas small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs reach new heights by connecting them with the resources and information needed to start, strengthen and grow a business.
Zapata will actually be the last host of the summit, as the governor and the various economic development partners will meet in the county on Dec. 7, 2023.
The Governor’s Small Business Summit offers a variety of sessions bringing together local, state and federal resource partners to provide key insights on critical business topics. The summit also provides participants the opportunity to network with other business owners and meet experts who will share timely, relevant and actionable advice on a multitude of small business topics.
“Small businesses are the very heart of our mighty Texas economy,” Abbott said. “More than 95% of Texas businesses are small, and they employ nearly half of all working Texans. From our big city centers to our smaller rural communities, the state of Texas is focused on developing an environment where entrepreneurs have the freedom to aspire, grow and prosper.”
The governor further stated in his announcement that he looks forward to continuing to work with small businesses in every region of the state to ensure they have the tools needed to succeed for an “even brighter Texas of tomorrow.”
Reactions from Zapata County have been positive as they welcome the Governor’s Small Business Summit to help not just bring more attention to small businesses in the area but also to help showcase how small businesses are also doing in rural areas.
“The Zapata County Chamber of Commerce is both excited and proud to be hosting this summit in December,” said Paco Mendoza, the county commissioner for Zapata County’s Pct. 1 and also the head of the Zapata County Chamber. “This summit is an amazing opportunity for small businesses because its purpose is to expand local businesses and supply small business owners with all available resources to help them succeed in providing goods and services to our community. We are grateful to the governors office for this opportunity and partnership, and look forward to continuing to work with them to bring more opportunities to Zapata County’s small business owners.”
The other two South Texas locations where the governor will host the business summit include Kingsville on June 29 and McAllen on Aug. 10.
