MDC History & Future

The Midland Development Corporation (MDC), created in January 2002, offers incentives to qualified new and existing employers who create jobs for the community.  Midland voters made these incentives possible when they approved a quarter-cent increase in the local sales tax rate, with additional revenues earmarked to promote economic development and diversification.

The MDC's mission is to:

• Keep existing jobs and businesses in Midland
• Foster the expansion of existing Midland businesses
• Attract target industries and businesses to Midland
• Provide long-term employment opportunities for Midlanders
• Promote and develop industrial and manufacturing enterprises in order to reduce unemployment and underemployment
• Promote and encourage employment and the public welfare of, for, and on behalf of the City of Midland
• Develop areas of the City of Midland that meet the City's development objectives.

A five-member board appointed by the City Council governs the Midland Development Corporation. 

A letter from our past Board Chairman:

During 2010, Midland Development Corporation (MDC), with its board of directors, staff and many other partners, worked to strengthen Midland's position as the premier business center of West Texas.  We worked collaboratively to aggressively pursue business opportunities that would maximize the return on local tax dollars invested in growth and our community.

Even in a down economy, we achieved positive results on a number of fronts in promoting the economic well-being of Midland.  MDC's initiatives in our primary industry sectors, or Opportunity Zones, supported business growth, spurred innovation, promoted redevelopment, and stimulated job creation and capital investment in the Central Business District, La Entrada/Midland International Airport, and the Innovation and Commercialization of Energy - formerly the Claydesta/Midland College "O-Zone".

Through our focus on these "O-Zones," MDC has more tightly identified and pursued industries that are a natural fit for Midland, the Permian Basin, and West Texas.  And these industries are based on what we already know and know that we do well.  Wind and Renewable Energy, Aviation & Aerospace, Medical Manufacturing, Education and Commercial Real Estate Development.

These industries - both national and international - represent our best opportunity for Midland's ongoing success in business; industry sectors in which we, as a community, are invested, and ultimately businesses that are worthy of continued investment to produce results for future generations.

We strongly believe that whatever economic challenges we face, the MDC has helped position Midland to capitalize on even great opportunities in our future.  And we offer as proof the honoring of our collaborative work on the revitalization of the Central Business District for which we received Texas' top Community Development award from the Texas Economic Development Council in 2009.  It's a compelling example of our community's success when we combine our strengths to invest in our future.

J. David Mims
Past - Chairman of the Board, Midland Development Corporation

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