“Fastest Growing Community in America.” “Center of the Universe.” “Hippo Capital of Texas.” These are just some of the tag lines that capture the robust business and cultural activity in Hutto, TX, a city in dynamic Williamson County, on the eastern edge of the famous Texas Hill Country region. From 1995 to 2005, the population in Hutto increased an astounding 866%—20 times the increase in the “high-tech Mecca” of Austin during the same period. (Central Austin is about 20 miles southwest of Hutto.) Hutto, long an agricultural town of fewer than 1,000 people, has developed into a diverse community of more than 18,000 residents. The city expects to hit 35,000 residents within the next decade. Light manufacturing is fast becoming a substantial part of Hutto’s economy as businesses learn of the many reasons why the city is perfectly located for them. Located on the new State Highway 130—which will eventually be a component of the Trans-Texas Corridor—Hutto is strategically located with ideal access to major transportation corridors in all directions. With its proximity to Austin and Round Rock, Hutto is the ideal lower-cost alternative for many small and mid-size companies. Hutto is where site selection consultants and their clients have already discovered affordable real estate, a relatively young and well-trained workforce, safe neighborhoods, quality schools, abundant recreational opportunities, and an overall family and business friendly environment. The Hutto Economic Development Corp. (EDC) can be your ally in finding an ideal location for your business. A wide variety of business incentives is available and will be packaged to best suit your needs. Just one example of how the Hutto EDC has helped local businesses grow is Precision Engineering Ceramics, Inc. (PEC). From its origin in Hutto six years ago as a two-person operation with meager sales of ceramic components to the semiconductor industry in Austin and Dallas, PEC has now grown to a 17-employee firm with more than $2.5 million in annual sales and rapidly growing. The Hutto EDC is helping PEC grow even more by assisting the company with construction of its 25,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. With continued robust sales in the semiconductor industry, PEC has now entered the offshore petroleum exploration market, which is expected to double sales volumes almost immediately.