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ROCKWALL, TX
WORKFORCE

EXCEPTIONALLY SKILLED

2.92 million
Labor Force within 45 minutes of Rockwall
190,000
MANUFACTURING LABOR FORCE WITHIN A 45-MINUTE DRIVE OF ROCKWALL
More than 15.9 million
Texas has a young, skilled, diverse and growing labor force
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Primary Employers

MPact Home Services
IKEA
Materi’Act/Forvia
Signature Back Office Solutions
ChocXO Chocolatier
Shipman Fire
Rayburn Electric Cooperative
Morpak Specialties
Warehouse-Pro
Master Video Systems, Inc.
S&A Systems
Lime Media
SNAP Insurance Services
TrendHR
Archer OpTx
Integrated Defense Products (IDP)
Hatfield & Co.
Texas Specialty Underwriters
Atosa USA
Graham Packaging
Interstate Wire Co. Inc.
The Baldwin Group
Precision Sheet Metal Products
Flexpipe Systems
Falcon Fine Wire
NFI Industries
Multi-Metal & Manufacturing Co.
KE Andrews
RTT Engineered Solutions
Pratt Industries
SPM (Special Products & Mfg.)
Whitmore / Shell
Bimbo Bakeries
SPR Flexible Solutions
Karat by Lollicup
Channell Commercial
Pegasus Foods
L3Harris
A factory worker wearing a navy shirt and a cap carefully arranges metal components on a tray in a manufacturing facility with machinery and industrial equipment in the background.

Workforce Concentration

Employment Concentration

Architecture & Engineering

109% higher than Nat'l Avg.

Sales

58% higher than Nat'l Avg.

Legal

94% higher than Nat'l Avg.

Management

48% higher than the Nat'l Avg.

Industrial Concentration

Plastics & Rubber Product Manufacturing

578% higher than Nat'l Avg.

Paper Manfacturing

139% higher than Nat'l Avg.

Bread & Bakery Product Manufacturing

480% higher than Nat'l Avg.

Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing

88% higher than Nat'l Avg.

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Partnerships & Education

Training your company's future workforce is too important to do alone. Rockwall's workforce and education partners help shoulder that responsibility, from high school career pathways to college technical training.

Dr. Gene Burton College & Career Academy

Rockwall ISD's career academy gives students pathways and professional certifications in manufacturing, robotics, STEM, construction, and business, plus dual credit in fields like automotive and welding. Many Rockwall companies partner with the academy on curriculum, internships, and apprenticeships to build their future workforce.

Collin College Technical Campus

Collin College serves more than 50,000 students across 11 locations, including the Burton Academy. Its 340,000 SF Technical Campus in Allen, about 35 miles from Rockwall, trains students in electronics, automation, robotics, drafting, and welding. REDC-led tours there have produced educate-to-hire partnerships with area companies.

Nearby Higher Education

Beyond Collin College, nine more colleges and universities sit within easy reach of Rockwall, giving employers a deep regional pipeline of graduates and continuing education for their teams.

Workforce Solutions of North Central Texas

The local branch of the Texas Workforce Commission serves a 14-county region. It helps new and existing Rockwall companies with recruiting and training programs, laborshed data, child care financial aid for qualified workers, and tax credit opportunities.

Why The Wage and Concentration Numbers Matter

1. Labor Costs

Rockwall manufacturers benefit from competitive regional wages. Production occupations average $23.83 per hour, approximately 4% below the national average, while installation, maintenance, and repair occupations average $29.86 per hour.

Factory worker inspecting a metal part beside a CNC machine and a robotic arm in a manufacturing setting.

2. Production

Manufacturing employs one in ten Rockwall residents with expertise spanning defense, plastics, packaging, food production, and metal fabrication.

Wide view of a factory floor with rows of CNC machines and workers operating them.

3. Logistics Labor

Rockwall offers access to more than 190,000 manufacturing workers within a 45-minute drive, including skilled talent in production supervision, food processing, and packaging operations.

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“The hidden benefit we didn’t recognize initially when we scouted out the territory was really how great the skilled, hourly workforce was going to be. …
I’ve worked in twelve manufacturing facilities in corrugated and this is by far the best group I’ve ever had.”

— John Batts, Pratt Industries

John Batts, Pratt Industries
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Frequently Asked Questions of Rockwall Economic Development Corporation

REDC is a Type A corporation funded by a half-cent sales tax with proceeds statutorily dedicated to primary jobs, and its core product is the 550-acre Rockwall Technology Park with sites from roughly 3.5 to 70 acres, a quarter mile off I-30, targeting defense/aerospace, food and beverage, and advanced manufacturing.

Rockwall employers draw from both the local population and the broader Dallas-Fort Worth labor market, providing access to hundreds of thousands of workers across multiple industries.

Yes. Rockwall's desirability as a place to live and work helps employers attract skilled professionals, technical workers, and executive talent.

Rockwall has strong concentrations of talent in management, engineering, manufacturing, logistics, business operations, healthcare, technology, and professional services.

Businesses benefit from local K-12 education, Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, regional community colleges, workforce initiatives, and nearby universities.

Yes. Companies in manufacturing, aerospace, packaging, and industrial production successfully operate in Rockwall due to workforce availability, a lower cost of doing business, and transportation access. Due to Rockwall’s North Texas location, with close proximity to the DFW metroplex, and multiple major thoroughfares and airports, Rockwall makes getting raw materials, shipping products, and business travel easily accessible. Rockwall EDC’s Rockwall Technology Park, an industrial business park featuring available land owned by the Rockwall EDC, where many manufacturers are already located, is less than one mile from I-30.

Many employers recruit workers from throughout eastern Dallas County, Rockwall County, Collin County, Kaufman County, Hunt County, and the broader DFW region.

Rockwall's highly educated population and proximity to major employment centers provide access to a deep pool of professional and managerial talent. More than 48% of Rockwall Residents hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher, and more than 86% of residents are currently commuting out of the area and into DFW for executive, professional positions, of which many would prefer to work closer to home.

Rockwall offers workforce accessibility, quality of life advantages, and a less congested business environment while maintaining connectivity to the broader DFW economy.

Exceptional Talent.
Extraordinary Opportunity.

See Why Employers Choose Rockwall

Companies are drawn to Rockwall for more than its location. They come for access to a highly educated workforce, regional labor shed, and a community committed to supporting long-term business success.

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