Upper East Texas Episodes

In the first of our special series of Gone To Texas, highlighting Kilgore, TX, Dave sits down with Lisa Denton, Executive Director of the Kilgore Economic Development Corporation. The conversation opens with a look at Kilgore’s history and its transformation from an oil boomtown to a diversified industrial center. Lisa shares how Kilgore’s industrial tax base has grown 551% since the formation of the Kilgore EDC in 1990, despite setbacks from the loss of legacy energy companies. The discussion ...

Super Dave Quinn is joined by Joe Wallace, plant manager of Saputo Foods in Sulphur Springs, Texas, for an engaging conversation on community, company culture, and business growth in a rural setting. Joe Wallace shares his personal journey from starting as a young, entry-level employee at the plant to managing over 550 employees today, reflecting on how curiosity, dedication, and a focus on people propelled both his career and the facility's success. They discuss the importance of holistic empl...

In this episode of Gone to Texas, "Super" Dave sits down with Eric Voyles, Executive Vice President and Chief Economic Development Officer of TexAmerica Center, to explore the transformation of a former military base into one of the largest mixed-use industrial parks in North America. Eric dives into the history, unique governance model, and strategic advantages of TexAmerica Center, including its impressive infrastructure investments and regional workforce. The conversation highlights how TexAm...

Dave sits down with Ronald Bekker, Managing Director for LU-VE Group North America, to discuss the company's journey expanding into the Jacksonville region of East Texas. The conversation highlights LU-VE's global expertise in industrial heat exchange and cooling solutions, their decision to build a significant manufacturing presence in Texas, and the challenges and opportunities of operating in a rapidly evolving market, especially with the explosive growth of data centers. Ronald shares candi...

In this episode, Dave welcomes Josh Hanna, President and General Manager of SCP Polymers and MYCO Plastics Inc, a custom injection molding company with operations in both Mississippi and Texas. Joshua shares his professional journey from studying polymer chemistry to joining his family’s business and expanding its footprint into Jacksonville, Texas. He discusses the decision-making process behind relocating the business, highlighting the advantages of operating in smaller Texas communities, incl...

In this episode of Gone to Texas, Dave welcomes Gary Dobyns, Founder of Dobyns Rods, based in Sulphur Springs, TX. Gary shares his inspiring story of moving his fishing rod company from California to Sulphur Springs over seven years ago and what made...

On this episode of Gone to Texas, Super Dave Quinn, CEcD, welcomes Ed Dominion, President of D6 Inc. Ed shares his experience first expanding to Sulphur Springs from Portland, OR, and eventually making it their headquarters.

In this special episode of Gone To Texas, "Super" Dave Quinn, CEcD is joined by powerhouse guests live from this year’s Economic Summit and Leadership Conference hosted by Marshall, TX. Dave talks to Dr. Ray Perryman, President and CEO, The Perryman Group, Carlton...

Expanding your company to a new state can have many challenges, but imagine expanding to a whole new country. It’s the story of Carsten Wagner, President and CEO of Wagner Tuning, and he joins Dave on this episode of Gone to Texas, to tell his...

Find a need, make a great product, provide excellent customer service, and a business is born. It’s the story of Priefert, a company founded by Marvin Priefert in 1964 and continues to be a staple in Mount Pleasant, TX. On this episode of Gone to...