Seymour Community Development Corporation (SCDC)
The Seymour Community Development Corporation (SCDC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit proactive community-based organization. SCDC provides a united front for setting and achieving the long-range goals in Seymour/Baylor County’s economy.
SCDC is dedicated to making Seymour a vibrant community. We are committed to educational excellence and an enhanced quality of life in a safe, clean, crime-free environment. It’s our desire to provide growth and job opportunities through economic development. We encourage growth of diverse businesses and industry through enterprising use of community facilities, advanced technology, our airport and highways, our abundant water, reasonably priced land, and cost-saving energy resources.
About Us
The Seymour Community Development Corporation was officially created in October of 1999 in efforts to pursue new businesses to develop in Seymour Texas, bringing more jobs and a higher quality of life to the community. We currently have 60.54 acres in greenfield to entice new business with low property rates and various other incentives from local, state, and federal levels. Years later the SCDC board chose to partner with the United States Department of Agriculture to bring the Rural Business Enterprise Grant program to Seymour. These funds facilitate the development of small and emerging rural businesses, distance learning networks, and employment-related adult education programs. In 2015, we were able to help a Vet Clinic purchase land and establish a business in Seymour, meeting a desperate need for the community. Prior to that, we have helped plant several businesses including a resteraunt, a realty business, and a screen printing business. The SCDC has made contributions to the community of Seymour by paying for and constructing two “Welcome To Seymour” rock signs on the East and West entrances of Hwy 287 and paid for the 2015 advertisement in the Texas Midwest Community Network Guide that showcased our museums, lodging, resteraunts, and other attractions. The SCDC also made short term advances to the Whiteside Museum of Natural History and the City Hall Auditorium Restoration project in anticipation of their receiving additional funding.
The SCDC meets at least once each month.
Our board members are:
- Lauren Bush, Economic Development & Executive Director
- Leslie Hardin, President, Hospital CEO
- Michelle Belcher, Vice President
- Jeannie Allbritton, Secretary
- Jeff Gregg, Treasurer
- Reed Slaggle, Baylor County Commissioner, Precinct 4
- Sommer Portwood
- John Anderson, SISD Superintendent
- Kenneth Moline
- Todd Hrncirik
- Bill Brown
- Dana Winn
- Bryan Studer
SCDC offers the solution to your site location
with a large 70-acre Business Park.
Some of the special features of the Business Park are:
- City Utilities are in place.
- Convenient location – Adjacent to new US Highway 277 expansion project, completion date 2008.
- City utility incentives are available for qualified businesses.
- Location within the City limits assures quality Police, Fire, and EMS protection.
- Business lots are generous in size, but economical in price.
- Abundant water supply
- Within an Enterprise Zone
- Tax rate among the lowest in the area
City of Seymour and The Seymour Business Park Map
Low-Interest Rate Loan Program
The SCDC now offers a low interest Revolving Loan Fund for qualified businesses with start-up or expansion plans within Seymour or Baylor County. Also, many state and federal business assistance programs (i.e. Texas Capital Fund, Workforce Development) can be accessed through the SCDC organization. Education and training programs are available through Vernon College. We are eager to serve you. Just tell us your needs.
Let us show you what Seymour can do for your company! If quality of life, workforce, and investment value are what you desire, then our community will be your choice for a new location. Our schools are exemplary; our city infrastructure is superior, and our hospital is excellent. You will not find a safer or more attractive environment in which to work. We are open for your business.
Lauren Bush
City of Seymour,
Economic Development Director
940.889.0030
940.889.8882
lbush@cityofseymour.org
Seymour Business Park Property For Sale
Community Involvement
Thanks to a grant application made by the SCDC, Seymour now has its very own City Hall Cinema, located at 301 N Washington St, 2nd floor City Hall.
The Project:
The video system will be comprised of a 21’ ceiling-mounted projection video screen on the front of the stage behind the curtain line, an ANSI-Lumen ceiling-mounted video projector behind the curtain line, a presentation switcher for video input selection, a remote plate transmitter. Also we will have a Blue-Ray/DVD player and a wireless presentation device with two USB dongles for laptop content sharing. We will be prepared to further our community’s entertainment options by installing commercial grade movie theater equipment that can be used to show not only movies, but also recorded stage performances, art and history lectures, enhanced musical exhibits, and even educational programing like ESL (English as a Second Language) videos. The building’s historical significance has been placed in the forefront of this project so that all equipment will be hidden away and not distract from the beauty of the structure itself.
The Movies:
We have acquired a Motion Picture Licensing Contract that allows us to show movies from more than 400 distributors and producers ranging from Children’s producers, Faith-Based, Foreign & International, Independent, Major Hollywood Studios & Affiliated Labels, Spanish Language options, TV, and recently Pixar! These will not be first run movies that you would see in big box theaters, but they are the movies you wish you could see or see again on the big screen.
The Money:
All movies are FREE! Due to the licensing agreement we cannot charge for movie tickets however will have a donation station and a concession stand so that we are able to raise funds that are needed to maintain the cinema and the auditorium. As part of our outreach program to enhance the community and towns around us, we will partner with at least 6 nonprofit/civic/service groups a year from Seymour and surrounding counties to raise funds and awareness for their causes. An example may be showing The Sandlot as a fundraiser for the Seymour Youth Baseball Association and all donation monies raised that night would go to that organization.
The Marketing:
Please LIKE and SHARE our Seymour City Hall Cinema facebook page! There is a very short 4 question survey that can be taken there to help us determine the movies you want to see in the theater and we will use this page to market the movies selected to be shown and their dates. If you would rather receive updates via email, you may contact us at lbush@cityofseymour.org and we will put you on the mailing list.
Movies are shown the 2nd and 4th weekends each month. Fridays are single features at 7pm and Saturdays are double features at 6pm & 8pm. For movie titles and information, you can request by email or join our closed facebook page “City Hall Cinema”. Title information can also be acquired at the front desk of City Hall.
Older News
Our latest project was the with Leon Fan, owner of Kenning Energy Technology Global, Inc., signed property contracts with both the City of Seymour and the Seymour Community Development Corporation (SCDC) to locate and base his USA location in Seymour. The company purchased an approximately 25000 square foot building from the city. They also purchased an additional 10 acres in the SCDC Business Park to build and expand upon. Mr. Fan will assemble and distribute his “on site” wind generators from the Seymour location to the U.S. markets from a China manufacturing faciltity. Plans are to make a manufacturing facility here at some point in time. The renewable energy generators are about the size of a roof mounted air conditioning unit. They will generate electricity from available wind and utilize the electricity produced at the site where the unit is located. It promises to be efficient at low wind velocities and is low maintenance. The new company is projected to employ approximately 50 persons within one or two years. An exact schedule of when the company plans to start will come in the near future.
Contact us and let us show you what Seymour can do for your company.
Lauren Bush, President Seymour Community Development Corporation 940-889-0030 or lbush@cityofseymour.org.