Buda, Texas, a small city south of Austin, is quietly becoming a magnet for aerospace and defense companies, according to the latest episode of The Building Texas Show, published July 13, 2026. Host Justin McKenzie sat down with Jennifer Storm, CEO of the Buda Economic Development Corporation, and Monica Davidson, CEO of the Greater Buda Chamber of Commerce and a Buda City Council member, to challenge the narrative that Central Texas aerospace and defense growth is an Austin story.
“People are saying aerospace and defense is coming to Austin, but that's not true. It's coming to Buda and Bastrop and Lockhart and Kyle and San Marcos,” Storm recounted a recent caller telling her. The episode argues that the real footprint is landing in smaller I-35 corridor cities that offer right-sized space, workforce access, and lower rent.
Storm explained that firms are often seeking 10,000 to 20,000 square foot spaces rather than greenfield developments, choosing Buda over Austin, Round Rock, and Pflugerville. The Buda EDC uses rebates rather than abatements, paying incentives only after jobs are delivered, which Storm framed as a low-risk taxpayer investment tied to a single mandate: economic prosperity.
The episode also highlighted local initiatives driving growth. The Hive incubator moved 60 entrepreneurs through four cohorts in its first year across industries from salons to AI apps to drones. A new retail incubator is opening in Buda's restored 1884 train depot on Main Street. The Hays CISD teacher externship program placed 17 educators inside local businesses this summer.
Davidson, who has doubled Chamber membership in two years, described her role bluntly: “I want to be where business begins in Buda.” She detailed how the Greater Buda Chamber rebrand widened the tent to include South Austin, Mustang Ridge, Luling, and Lockhart businesses, while partnering with anchors like US Foods, Texas Lehigh, and Jardine's.
Storm also discussed her recent recognition from the International Economic Development Council, accepted at the Library of Congress, and the pair unpacked the origin of Buda's trademarked title as the Wiener Dog Capital of Texas, a Lions Club idea from the 1980s that is now the city's largest annual event.
The episode is available now wherever podcasts are heard, and new episodes release weekly across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
