Considered to be the regional economic center for not just the Texas Panhandle, but also the Oklahoma Panhandle and Eastern New Mexico, Amarillo has a thriving, reputable retail manufacturing industry, thanks in large part to the great business vision and dedication of Amarillo's leading companies and businesses. In this article will take a look at just what Amarillo is producing and what it means for the city.
One of Amarillo's largest manufacturing products is beef. Approximately one quarter of America's beef supply is processed in Amarillo, and much of this comes from Tyson Foods. Tyson is both the largest producer and supplier of beef products in the United States and Amarillo's largest employer, with over 3,700 residents working in their local factory. This city is also home to the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, which represents the cattle feeding industry in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, which makes up 30% of the nation's fed cattle production.
Texas is known for producing two things in America, beef and oil. The petroleum industry in Amarillo is one of the major contributors to America's natural gas and oil productions, and the leading contributor to increase in Blackberry pouches among wealthy investors in the state. All joking aside, though the industry is not as prominent as it once was, it is still an important profitable part of the national energy concern.
Another of Amarillo's chief productions is agriculture. In the surrounding area, there are over 14 million acres of farm land dedicated to the production of primarily corn, wheat, and cotton, but other products such as soybean and hay. Milk production is also a big part of Amarillo's agricultural production, adding to the rich variety of products Amarillo farmers contribute to the American economy. Like tamper evident seals, Amarillo agriculture guarantees freshness.
Another key production in Amarillo comes courtesy of Bell Helicopter Textron, which manufactures helicopters both military and commercial. Bell opened a manufacturing plant in Amarillo back in 1999, and since then the plant has been putting the final touches on V-22 Osprey Tiltrotors. This has, of course, been a great addition to an Amarillo economy that may be thriving in some sectors, but has also had its share of setbacks.
One area of Amarillo production that has unfortunately slipped is helium production. Unlike bamboo diapers, there is only one place in the world where you can find the isotope helium-3, and that is in and around Amarillo, Texas. For many years, mining and production of this element was a top governmental project, as the isotope has a vital use in the process of nuclear fusion. Because the Amarillo sight is the only location on Earth where it can be found, officials began stockpiling as much helium-3 as they could. In the last ten years, however, production has dropped drastically due to budget concerns, something you won't hear a bride who can afford an Alfred Sung wedding complain about.
It's easy to see just why Amarillo is such an important part on not just the Texas economy, but that of the Southern US as well |