Amarillo, Texas

==Economy==
{{See also|List of companies in Amarillo, Texas}}
Amarillo is considered the regional economic center for the Texas Panhandle,<ref name="i27">{{cite web |author= United States Department of Transportation |url= http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/econdev/i27tx.htm |title= Economic Development History of Interstate 27 in Texas |access-date= May 4, 2006 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060507065632/http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/econdev/i27tx.htm |archive-date= May 7, 2006 |url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=At the Heart of Texas: Amarillo|url=https://www.dallasfed.org:443/research/heart/amarillo|access-date=2021-04-21|website=www.dallasfed.org|language=en}}</ref> as well as Eastern [[New Mexico]] and the Oklahoma Panhandle. The meat packing industry is a major employer in Amarillo;<ref>{{Cite web|title=Over 400 COVID-19 Cases Identified At Amarillo Tyson Plant ... So Far|url=https://www.hppr.org/post/over-400-covid-19-cases-identified-amarillo-tyson-plant-so-far|last=Haflich|first=Angie|date=May 14, 2020|website=High Plains Public Radio|language=en|access-date=2020-05-18}}</ref> about one-quarter of the United States' beef supply is processed in the area. The city is also the location of headquarters for the Texas Cattle Feeders Association. Petroleum extraction is also a major industry. The helium industry has decreased in significance since the federal government privatized local operations in the late 1990s. [[Bell Helicopter Textron]] opened a [[helicopter]] assembly plant near the city's international airport in 1999.<ref name="i27"/>

The city's largest employer in 2005 was Tyson Foods, with 3,700 employees. The [[Amarillo Independent School District]] was next with 3,659 employees followed by Pantex, Baptist St. Anthony's Health Care System, City of Amarillo, Northwest Texas Healthcare System, [[Amarillo College]], Wal-mart, and [[United Supermarkets]].<ref name="community">{{cite web |author= City of Amarillo's Community Development Department |url= http://www.amarillo.gov/departments/commdev/pdf/2005-2010%20Analysis%20of%20Impediments.pdf |title= 2005–2010 Analysis of Impediments |access-date= January 27, 2006 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080625054110/http://www.amarillo.gov/departments/commdev/pdf/2005-2010%20Analysis%20of%20Impediments.pdf |archive-date= June 25, 2008 |url-status= dead |df= mdy-all }}</ref> Other major employers include Bell Helicopter Textron, Owens-Corning, [[Amarillo National Bank]] and [[ASARCO]].

Approximately {{convert|14|e6acre}} of agricultural land surrounds the city with [[maize|corn]], [[wheat]], and [[cotton]] as the primary crops. Other crops in the area include [[sorghum]], [[silage]], [[hay]], and [[soybean]]s.<ref>{{cite news |author=Welch, Kevin |title=Farming changes |date=March 26, 2006 |work=Amarillo Globe-News |url=http://www.amarillo.com/stories/032606/spe_4109480.shtml|access-date= January 25, 2007}}</ref> The Texas Panhandle, particularly in [[Hereford, Texas]], serves as a fast-growing milk producing area as several multimillion-dollar state of the art dairies were built in the early 2000s.<ref>{{cite news |author=Levine, Steve |title=Cows in Hereford Are All Fired Up About Ethanol Plant |work=The Wall Street Journal |page=A1 |date=January 24, 2006}}</ref>

The Amarillo Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) is funded by a city sales tax, and it provides aggressive incentive packages to existing and prospective employers. In the mid-to-late 1990s, the AEDC gained notoriety by sending mock checks to businesses across the country, placing full-page advertisements in ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', and paying an annual $1 million subsidy to [[American Airlines]] to retain jet service.<ref>{{cite news |author=Curry, Kerry |title=Phone calls 'in the mail' for AEDC |date=September 9, 1997 |work=Amarillo Globe-News |url=http://amarillo.com/stories/090997/phone.html|access-date= January 25, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Amarillo renews American deal |date=May 29, 1997 |work=Amarillo Globe-News |url=http://amarillo.com/stories/052997/renews.html|access-date= January 25, 2007}}</ref> The AEDC is largely responsible for bringing Bell Helicopter Textron's development of the V-22 Osprey hybrid aircraft and the future site of [[Marine One]] assembly in Amarillo.<ref>{{cite news |author=Hartnett, Dwayne |title=Sky's the limit |date=February 27, 2005 |work=Amarillo Globe-News |url=http://www.amarillo.com/stories/022705/spe_sky.shtml|access-date= January 25, 2007}}</ref>

From 2020 to 2021, Amarillo experienced its greatest amount of economic development in 30 years.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mitchell|first=Taylor|title=Amarillo experiencing most economic development in 30 years|url=https://www.newschannel10.com/2021/02/24/amarillo-experiencing-most-economic-development-years/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-04-21|website=KFDA 10 News|date=February 24, 2021 |language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224011057/https://www.newschannel10.com/2021/02/24/amarillo-experiencing-most-economic-development-years/ |archive-date=February 24, 2021 }}</ref> [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]], Asset Protection Unit, and [[Texas Tech University]] Vet School were named some major organizations contributing to the city and metropolitan area's economic growth. Through the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Texas]], the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce announced a new initiative to help local businesses rebound from the pandemic.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gay|first=David|title=Amarillo Chamber of Commerce announces Supporting Small Business Initiative|url=https://www.amarillo.com/story/news/2021/04/06/chamber-commerce-announces-supporting-small-business-initiative/7089864002/|access-date=2021-04-21|website=Amarillo Globe-News|language=en-US}}</ref> Its tourism industry also rebounded.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Powell|first=Drew|date=2021-04-15|title=Amarillo tourism industry offers plan for future success|url=https://abc7amarillo.com/news/local/amarillo-tourism-now-and-the-future|access-date=2021-04-21|website=KVII}}</ref>