Buda, Texas, a small city south of Austin, is attracting aerospace and defense companies that might otherwise be expected to land in the state capital, according to a recent episode of The Building Texas Show. The episode, titled "The Aerospace & Defense Companies Picking Buda Over Austin," features host Justin McKenzie in conversation with Jennifer Storm, CEO of the Buda Economic Development Corporation, and Monica Davidson, CEO of the Greater Buda Chamber of Commerce and a Buda City Council member. The discussion highlights how Buda and other I-35 corridor cities are becoming the preferred locations for firms seeking 10,000 to 20,000 square foot spaces rather than large greenfield sites.
Storm notes that the prevailing narrative about aerospace and defense growth in Central Texas is misleading. "People are saying aerospace and defense is coming to Austin, but that's not true. It's coming to Buda and Bastrop and Lockhart and Kyle and San Marcos," she recounts a recent caller telling her. The episode delves into the mechanics behind this growth, including Buda's use of rebates instead of abatements, which are paid only after jobs are delivered, representing a low-risk taxpayer investment tied to economic prosperity. Davidson, who has doubled Chamber membership in two years, describes her role bluntly: "I want to be where business begins in Buda."
The conversation also covers The Hive incubator, which has moved 60 entrepreneurs through four cohorts in its first year, spanning industries from salons to AI apps to drones. A new retail incubator is opening in Buda's restored 1884 train depot on Main Street. Additionally, the Hays CISD teacher externship program placed 17 educators inside local businesses this summer. Storm was recently recognized by the International Economic Development Council at the Library of Congress, underscoring Buda's growing profile.
Davidson details how the Greater Buda Chamber rebrand widened its reach to include South Austin, Mustang Ridge, Luling, and Lockhart businesses, while partnering with anchors like US Foods, Texas Lehigh, and Jardine's. The pair also unpack the origin of Buda's trademarked title as the Wiener Dog Capital of Texas, a Lions Club idea from the 1980s that is now the city's largest annual event. The episode is available now wherever podcasts are heard.
