The latest episode of The Building Texas Show, published July 13, 2026, challenges the narrative that Central Texas aerospace and defense growth is centered in Austin. Host Justin McKenzie sits down in Buda, Texas, with Jennifer Storm, CEO of the Buda Economic Development Corporation, and Monica Davidson, CEO of the Greater Buda Chamber of Commerce and a Buda City Council member. The conversation highlights how cities like Buda are becoming magnets for firms seeking 10,000 to 20,000 square foot spaces rather than large greenfield sites, offering lower rent and right-sized space.
"People are saying aerospace and defense is coming to Austin, but that's not true. It's coming to Buda and Bastrop and Lockhart and Kyle and San Marcos," Storm recounts a recent caller telling her. The episode delves into the mechanics behind Buda's rapid growth, including The Hive incubator, which moved 60 entrepreneurs through four cohorts in its first year across industries from salons to AI apps to drones. A new retail incubator is also opening in Buda's restored 1884 train depot on Main Street, further supporting local entrepreneurship.
Storm is candid about her recent recognition from the International Economic Development Council, accepted at the Library of Congress, and equally candid about the community's positioning against its larger neighbor. She explains that the Buda EDC uses rebates rather than abatements, paying incentives only after jobs are delivered, which she frames as a low-risk taxpayer investment tied to a single mandate: economic prosperity. Davidson, who has doubled Chamber membership in two years, describes her role bluntly: "I want to be where business begins in Buda." She details how the Greater Buda Chamber rebrand widened the tent to include South Austin, Mustang Ridge, Luling, and Lockhart businesses, while partnering with anchors like US Foods, Texas Lehigh, and Jardine's.
The pair also unpack the origin of Buda's trademarked title as the Wiener Dog Capital of Texas, a Lions Club idea from the 1980s that is now the city's largest annual event. The episode is available now wherever podcasts are heard, offering an insider look at how Buda built momentum in under a year and why it is emerging as a key player in the region's aerospace and defense landscape.
