Mayor says local merchants, contractors remain city’s ‘backbone’
BASTROP — A delegation of local officials made a recent trip to South Korea to encourage companies involved in healthcare, manufacturing, construction and technology to plant roots in Bastrop.
Mayor Ishmael Harris, City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino and Economic Development Corp. Chairman Gary Blake spent five days — Oct. 12-Oct. 17 — in South Korea meeting with business leaders as the city looks for ways to prepare for growth, they said.
“I’d rather be sitting across the table asking questions than standing outside wondering what happened,” Harris said in a social-media post.
South Korean firms have been flocking to neighboring Williamson County ever since Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. announced in November 2021 it was building a second plant in the Austin area.
Since that time, other area cities and governments have made overtures to Asian firms while seeking the potential for lucrative business relationships.
According to the post, the Bastrop delegation met with LG CNS, a South Korean technology company, to discuss its K-Bridge initiative, which aims to help Korean companies explore opportunities to enter the U.S. market.
Bastrop, Killeen and Henderson are among three Texas cities South Korean industries are considering for potential opportunities.
Discussions with the Bastrop visitors covered advanced manufacturing, logistics, biotechnology and healthcare. A company representative also expressed interest in visiting Bastrop while in Austin for a conference in November, Harris said.
The delegation also met with healthcare organizations CHA Biogroup and OrganoidSciences to discuss medical research and Bastrop’s vision for a regional hospital.
Officials visited Seoyon E-Hwa, which operates an auto parts facility in Hutto, and toured Plan M, a modular construction company.
Harris said the meetings were meant to build relationships and explore possibilities.
No agreements were signed, and no incentives or development projects were approved.
He also emphasized that international business opportunities should not overshadow local merchants and contractors.
“They are the backbone of development in our region and nobody knows our community quite like they do,” he said.
Any future proposals would need to be reviewed for their effects on infrastructure, water and wastewater services, transportation, the environment and local employment, Harris said in the post.
The mayor added he wants to prepare Bastrop for expansion while protecting the community’s history and character.
“I want a Bastrop that is prepared, not surprised,” he said.
