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A city known for a pair of iconic frames, Lubbock, Texas is home to businesses that turn a passion for creating into solutions for real world issues. Meet three companies whose commitment to quality are generating significant economic growth in the Hub City.
Serving people and solving problems is the driving force behind Mandry Technology. What began twenty years ago in the back shop of Thomas Mandry’s father’s business, Mandry Electric, is now a thriving enterprise.
Business is booming and Mandry predicts that his company, and the Hub City itself, will enjoy continued, steady growth. “Here, businesses thrive because the city is filled with leaders who are incredibly talented and intelligent, yet open, friendly and willing to stop what they’re doing to help,” said Mandry.
In bigger markets, that’s not always the case. This is just one example of how doing business in Lubbock is better.
“Compared to larger markets, Lubbock shares many of the advantages, without the high cost of living [and] congested traffic,” said Mandry. “While bigger cities are bombarded with fly-by-night competition, we have sufficient competition to lead to excellence, yet a business can succeed by building a solid reputation through consistent customer service.”
Mandry Technology has built a reputation on more than customer service. Like the city itself, the company thrives through a tight-knit culture and working together to support clients and the city itself.
At Arbor Eyewear, vision brings the company to life through its leadership and passion to create the first “Made in the U.S.A.” eyewear company.
A steady focus propelled Arbor Eyewear to launch two new lines: Coda Optical and For All Optics. The name For All Optics pays tribute to the phrase “with liberty and justice for all,” underscoring the satisfaction in pioneering U.S. based frameworks.
Rick Taylor, founder of Arbor Eyewear, is confident the Lubbock area will enjoy continued growth while retaining the aspects that offer an unmatched business community.
“Lubbock is bigger than people think. The ability to grow and expand, the ease of doing business and the people make it unique,” said Taylor.
XFAB is one of the world’s leading specialty foundry groups for semiconductor technologies. With a focus on automotive, industrial and medical applications, their semiconductors are used worldwide. For the past 23 years, XFAB has quietly and steadily maintained 400-500 semiconductor jobs in Lubbock without putting their name on a single product.
Support from the city and the ability to make an impact are just two of the key perks to a Lubbock location. Whetzel sees another major plus in the easy access to talent, partnerships, and collaborations with Texas Tech University.
That hits close to home for this Texas Tech grad, who returned in 1976 to work for Texas Instruments. He’s here to stay, crediting the cost of living, short commute times and quality of life.
“We have a small town feel in a city approaching 300,000 and West Texans live up to their reputation as being the friendliest people in Texas,” said Whetzel.