From a sugar mill to a hospital, Sugar Land's top employer continues to focus on community

SUGAR LAND, Texas (KTRK) -- From sugar to medical, the job landscape has changed in Sugar Land, but the effort to serve the community hasn't.

Drive along Highway 90 in Sugar Land, and it's hard to miss what looks like a piece of history frozen in time. The walls and windows are weathered, but the city wouldn't be what it is today if it wasn't for them.

"We started off as a town that produced sugar in the 1800s," Alba Johnson, Sugar Land's economic development manager, said.

It's the product that gave the town its name and identity. The railroads and mills created jobs and a sense of community that was on display during the Great Depression.

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"The company, the town, and the refinery, everyone came together to make sure everyone kept their jobs as much as they could," Johnson said.

Now, only 6% of the city's jobs are in manufacturing, proving that a switch has arrived with its growing population.

Nearly 20% of jobs in Sugar Land are in the medical field. The largest employer isn't a mill but a hospital, which has changed a lot in 15 years.

"We were a 54-bed hospital, and we've now grown to 350 beds, with a plan to expand that to 550 beds over the next 10 years," Houston Methodist Sugar Land CEO Chris Siebenaler explained.

Houston Methodist Sugar Land is the city's largest private employer. It's not a sugar mill, but its employees have a similar mentality.

"At the end of the day, we are taking care of this community, and really, that's an awesome responsibility, and we cannot take it lightly," Siebenaler said.

Sugar Land also has a growing technology community, and local leaders are racing for new ways to attract new companies.

"Our priorities are focused on things like quality of life, shorter commutes for employees and employers, so they can attract those types of employees," Johnson explained.

The city hopes the growth will make residents not forget about their history and how it became a sweet place to work.

"It's the perfect example of how work has changed over time," Michelle Castrow, a spokesperson for Workforce Solutions, said. "How we've gone from being a muscle-driven economy to being a knowledge-driven economy."

Sugar Land is also a place where you'll find a low unemployment number. It dropped a percentage point since last year, and currently, unemployment stands at 3%. Economic leaders said this is a good thing for job seekers.

"Many employers are adding different kinds of benefits to entice workers to come and work for them, particularly in such a competitive environment," Castrow said.

Houston Methodist Sugar Land is looking to hire 250 workers for its hospital and clinical facilities. City economic leaders have a website where other companies are looking as well.

Another way to land a job is through our ABC13 Who's Hiring Job Fair with Workforce Solutions. On Thursday, Feb. 9 at 10 a.m., we'll feature immediate hire positions in the Sugar Land area. To participate, just head to our website, or wherever you stream ABC13. To view the jobs, visit the Workforce Solutions website, and look for the "As seen on ABC13" section.

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