AUSTIN COLLEGE IS AMONG THE STATE ’ S OLDEST INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING . THE CAMPUS HELPS SUPPLY SHERMAN ’ S HIGHLY TRAINED TECHNICAL WORKFORCE .
Hefton , the city manager . “ We are able to chart our own course when we need to make hard decisions . And we ’ re very fortunate in Sherman that our leaders have traditionally had the foresight to make sure we would have all the water we would need . And God continues to bless our community in ways that are unimaginable .”
Now , the floodgates are open . Literally hours after the TI announcement , Hefton ’ s phone was already ringing . Companies large and small have reached out to learn what made Sherman so attractive , and to be next in line to take advantage of what it has to offer .
“ It ’ s easy for your eyes to get crossed on the $ 30 billion , but there ’ s going to be a very large impact , we believe , on other businesses that may be vertically aligned with TI — suppliers or customers — that want to be close to this plant and will be looking to relocate to Sherman ,” Hefton told The Dallas Morning News . “ And we ’ re prepared for them as well .” So , water ? Check . Jobs ? Check . Affordable housing ? Write a small check . And as for quality-of-life , well , that ’ s the mayor ’ s forte . Sherman hosts perhaps the largest free concert series in Texas , with big-names like 70s disco king KC and the Sunshine Band , 80s powerhouse . 38 Special , 90s chart-toppers Fuel , and Texas-country superstar Koe Wetzel , just to name a few .
“ I mean , Elvis has played in Sherman ; we have a tradition to uphold ,” said Plyler with a laugh , referencing a possibly-apocryphal 60s visit by The King . “ People can pay their fifty bucks and see a lot of these country acts in Dallas whenever they want , but to see some of these big-name rock acts — that ’ s just not something that anyone else is offering . And we do it for free .”
Add to that a brand-new high school that opened last year , a re-blossoming historic downtown chockfull of locally-owned shops and restaurants , and city property taxes that are among the lowest in the state , and what you have is a recipe for sustained success that extends far beyond the big-tech headlines .
“ It ’ s pretty remarkable , how quickly it ’ s all come together ,” said Plyler . “ You spend all these years preparing for growth , but when it arrives is out of your hands . All you can do is plant the seeds and wait for nature to do its thing .”
Those seeds needed water , and that part was already taken care of . They needed a nutrient-rich medium to take root , provided in this context by the aforementioned work in public education and conservative government . But they needed something else to sprout ; some combination of luck and opportunity that would provide Sherman ’ s moment in the spotlight .
It was Hemingway who coined “ Gradually , then suddenly ,” in his 1926 book The Sun Also Rises , and it seems an apt phrase for what ’ s happened in Sherman in the last few years — incremental growth , followed by a day in the sun in which everything comes together .
And now that the sun has risen in Sherman , it seems the day may have only just begun .
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