Economic development updates for Corpus Christi covering recent months include:

The Port of Corpus Christi will begin monthly, dedicated ship service with Venezuela later this year.  The port will provide up to 50,000 square feet of dock space specifically for Saint-Gobain NorPro, a Venezuelan manufacturer of ceramic pieces used in oil and gas drilling.  The dedicated service to another country is a first for the port.  The director of business development for the port expects more trade with Venezuela, as it will become easier for U.S. vendors to sell and ship their products to that country.

Flint Hills Resources recently announced a project at their plant in Corpus Christi that will increase the amount of low-sulfur diesel it can produce.  The project will not add to the daily output of the plant, but will rather allow the plant to produce more of the cleaner burning low-sulfur diesel.  Construction on the new sulfur recovery unit and diesel desulfurization unit is scheduled to begin this fall, with completed slated for 2010.  Over 500 construction jobs will be created, with six full time positions available once construction is complete. 

The new LCS Detention Center, scheduled to open later this summer, will be a boon for the local economy.  Over 200 new jobs will be created, including guards, kitchen staff and medical staff.  The facility is expected to bring more than $1 million a year to the county.

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