Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership

BAHEP was proud to host a no-cost Resilient Manufacturing Ecosystems (RME) Workshop & Additive Manufacturing Training from June 15–17 at our Houston office. The Barnes Global Advisors traveled to Houston to deliver this three-day, hands-on training, providing attendees with a practical and approachable look at how modern manufacturing technologies can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and drive innovation. Participants engaged in both an in-depth 20-hour course and a shorter fundamentals session designed to be valuable for all experience levels.

A special thank you to The Barnes Global Advisors and the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) for making this training possible. We greatly appreciate their partnership and their commitment to helping businesses across our region better understand and adopt next-generation manufacturing solutions.

Great time attending the World Cup Watch Party & Happy Hour hosted by ABIP CPAs & Advisors and Comerica Bank at Kirby Ice House in Houston. It was an engaging event with valuable conversations and a strong group of professionals from across the energy and business community.

Thank you to Amanda Sanchez and Heatherlee Peterman for the invitation and for bringing together such a great network.

Navarro Insurance Group hosted a fantastic World Cup Match Day Celebration in The Heights! ⚽🎉 BAHEP President Brian Freedman and Membership Director Harriet Pilgrim enjoyed cheering on the Mexico and South Africa teams, making new friends, and connecting with members of the community. Thank you to Navarro Insurance Group for a fun and memorable afternoon! Events like these remind us that sports have a special way of bringing people together from across our communities and around the world. 🌎⚽

For the past year, BAHEP’s Tourism Committee has been hard at work bringing regional partners together to prepare for all the excitement, energy, and festivities surrounding the month-long World Cup celebration. From welcoming visitors to showcasing all that Bay Area Houston has to offer, the committee has been focused on ensuring our region is ready to shine on the world stage! ⚽🌎🎉

BAHEP was proud to partner with Johnson Space Center’s Office of STEM Engagement and Space Center Houston for the inaugural OSTEM Industry Days, supporting the NASA SUITS Industry Fair Day at Space Center Houston and the Micro G NExT Industry Fair Day hosted at BAHEP.

Both events brought together top collegiate teams, NASA program leaders, and industry partners for hands on engagement, career conversations, and technical presentations. BAHEP played a key role in facilitating industry participation and supporting day of operations at both locations. Special thanks to ARES Corporation, Barrios Technology, Rice Space Institute, and Intuitive Machines for helping make these events a success.

We are excited to continue strengthening the bridge between education and industry, and we look forward to future collaborations that help shape the aerospace workforce of tomorrow. 🚀

Photo credit: NASA/David DeHoyos

We are deeply saddened hear the news of the passing of Charlie Hueber, the Economic Development Director for our partners at the City of Santa Fe City Hall, Texas.

Though we only got to know Charlie during his brief time in Santa Fe, he quickly stood out as an exceptional collaborator and teammate. This photo shows us looking serious during a site briefing at a prospect review meeting, but anyone who knew Charlie knows that wasn't the whole story. He was a natural storyteller who could always bring a smile or a laugh to the room when it was needed most.

Our thoughts, prayers, and deepest condolences go out to Charlie’s family, friends, and the entire Santa Fe community. We truly appreciate the opportunity we had to work with him.

Mayor Brandon Noto, Pam Schwertner

BAHEP was honored to host NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Administrator Jared Isaacman and Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson yesterday following NASA's Artemis III crew announcement.

We had a productive discussion covering NASA’s workforce directive, tactical alignment for the upcoming Artemis III mission, and Houston’s pivotal role in leading the future of human spaceflight.

Thank you to Administrator Isaacman and Deputy Administrator Anderson for their leadership and engagement with our regional space ecosystem.

Go NASA Artemis III!

A number of our members recently had the incredible opportunity to tour the upcoming Texas Space Institute facility and meet with the Texas A&M University leaders who are turning this visionary building into a reality.

Shout-out to Wayne Rutledge with Rutledge Commercial Real Estate for helping set up this fantastic tour and connecting our members with this groundbreaking project.

We also want to extend a huge thank you to Dr. Rob Ambrose and Dr. Nancy Currie-Gregg with Texas A&M, who are leading the charge on this monumental initiative.

It is an incredibly exciting time for our region and our state. Texas is officially leading the way to getting humans back to the Moon and on to Mars!

What an incredible turnout for BAHEP’s June General Membership Meeting! Our members had the opportunity to hear from Philip Burns O’Brien, CEO of Davie Defense and Interim CEO of Gulf Copper, who shared plans for a transformative shipbuilding initiative to build U.S. icebreakers on Pelican Island in Galveston. Davie Defense is investing $1 billion on Pelican Island to establish an American Icebreaker Factory, a project expected to create more than 2,000 jobs and generate significant opportunities for industry, workforce development, suppliers, and regional economic growth. A special thank you to our meeting sponsors: Moody Bank, San Jacinto College, Lone Star College System, College of the Mainland, Harris County Precinct 2, and Joiner Architects, Inc. We also extend our sincere appreciation to Davie Defense and Gulf Copper for their commitment to our region and the future of U.S. shipbuilding.

Proud to join regional leaders today to celebrate the groundbreaking of Davie Defense’s site modernization project in Galveston. Following its acquisition of Gulf Copper, Davie is transforming this facility to construct the next generation of heavy Arctic icebreakers for the U.S. Coast Guard.

This project represents a critical expansion of our domestic maritime industrial base, bringing over 2,000 high-skilled manufacturing jobs and long-term economic resilience to the Texas Gulf Coast.

A project of this scale requires tremendous collaboration. Thank you to the exceptional lineup of leaders who joined the groundbreaking to champion this effort:

- Philip Burns (CEO, Davie)
- U.S. Senator Ted Cruz
- U.S. Representative Congressman Randy Weber (TX-14)
- Russell Vought (Director, Office of Management and Budget)
- Governor Greg Abbott

The Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership (BAHEP) has been a vocal advocate for strengthening our region's maritime and defense capabilities. This modernization ensures Texas remains at the forefront of national security infrastructure.

A special congratulations and thank you to our partners who spearheaded this initiative:

Galveston Economic Development Partnership (GEDP) for their outstanding leadership in securing this investment.

The Port of Galveston for providing the critical infrastructure and support to make this project a reality.

We look forward to seeing the transformation of the shipyard and the future icebreakers that will soon sail from Texas waters.