Young County Small Business Leaders Look to Future at Governor’s Summit in Graham

GRAHAM — Small business owners, entrepreneurs, and economic development leaders from across Young County gathered Thursday, July 9, at North Central Texas College for the 2026 Governor’s Small Business Summit. The event brought together state agencies and local leaders to discuss workforce development, business growth, and the future of rural economies.

Hosted by the Texas Economic Development & Tour- ism Office in the Office of Gov. Greg Abbott, the daylong summit featured a networking breakfast, educational workshops and a keynote address by Southern Bleacher Company CEO David Proctor II. The Graham Chamber of Commerce and the Texas Workforce Commission partnered with the Governor’s Office on the event.

Attendees heard presentations from representatives of the Texas Farm Bureau Insurance, Graham Chamber of Commerce, Texas Workforce Commission, and the Governor’s Economic Development & Tourism Office before choosing from breakout sessions on topics including smart hiring and employee retention, leveraging state and local resources, and disaster preparedness for small businesses.

Jarvis Brewer, the Governor’s Office small business advocate who organized the event, said he was impressed by both the turnout and the engagement from Young County participants.

Among those attending was Olney Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Tom Parker, who said the summit provided valuable information about workforce development programs and training opportunities that could benefit local employers.

“The training opportunity was what I came for,” Mr. Parker said, noting that state agencies presented several programs that can help businesses develop new skills among existing employees and improve retention.

The keynote address by Mr. Proctor focused on the challenges facing rural manufacturers, particularly the difficulty of recruiting skilled professionals such as engineers, accountants, and technical specialists.

“The number one issue is housing,” Mr. Proctor said after his presentation. “We need to do things for our infrastructure and our schools and all of those things in both Graham and Olney. Until we put in what’s necessary to be attractive to someone who wants to move here and start a family, that’s what they’re looking at.”

Mr. Proctor said many rural communities are wrestling with how to generate the tax revenue needed to improve roads, utilities, schools, and health care while attracting the next generation of workers.

“You need some type of boom,” he said. “Organically, you’re not going to bring in enough new industry to solve these problems.”

Mr. Parker said Mr. Proctor’s remarks highlighted a broader challenge facing communities like Olney and Graham.

During the discussion, Mr. Parker described the importance of building what he called an “economic ecosystem” that supports manufacturers while also providing the amenities families expect.

“You’ve got to have daycare, you’ve got to have a hospital, restaurants, and all the quality- of-life things people need,” Mr. Parker said. “If the community doesn’t come together and create what I call an economic ecosystem, it

After the summit, Mr. Parker said those quality- of-life investments are just as important as recruiting new employers.

“In order for manufacturers to be successful, you’ve got to attract and keep good talent,” he said. “Organizations like ours have to help bring those things to fruition. No one’s coming to help us. We’ve got to build them ourselves.”

A video replay of the summit is expected to be posted within the next few weeks on the Texas Economic Development YouTube channel at

youtube. com/@TexasEconomicDevelopment- State.

“You need some type of boom. Organically, you’re not going to bring in enough new industry to solve these (infrastructure) problems.”