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EIC moves to close James Avery incentive agreement after executive session; board says company met terms
Summary
After a closed session, the EIC board voted that James Avery met the terms of its incentive agreement. Company and staff recapped employment impacts, capital investments and pandemic-era disruptions; the board adopted a motion that the contract is satisfied and terminated.
The Kerrville Economic Improvement Corporation voted in open session following an executive session to conclude that James Avery has met the terms of its incentive agreement and that the agreement is satisfied and closed.
James Avery executives described how the company and its workforce were affected by the COVID-19 period, noting temporary shutdowns, exceptional turnover and a later rebalancing of operations. Company representatives said the original 2015 agreement and a 2021 amendment were negotiated before the pandemic and that the business experienced a significant disruption to its hiring and production cadence when operations slowed and then demand surged.
Company presenters reported historical and recent employment numbers during the public briefing: 388 employees were reported in 2015 under the original agreement; the company reported about 330 employees in the prior year and supplied a figure of 212 in its most recent annual submission. James Avery executives said wage and benefit growth means a smaller number of higher-paid positions can represent comparable economic impact; one presenter noted that payroll increases amount to wage levels “well up over 70% of the target that was in the original agreement.” The company also described more than $10,000,000 in capital investment and additional facility investments, including a separate investment in Corpus Christi.
City staff said the original contract term concluded and the board met in executive session to discuss whether to trigger contractual clawbacks or to accept the company’s reported performance and investments. After returning to open session, a board member moved that the EIC “agree that James Avery has met the terms of their contract and the contract is satisfied and closed terminated.” The motion was seconded and approved by the board by show of hands; the meeting record did not include a roll-call vote or a detailed roll-call tally in the public transcript.
EIC staff and company leaders thanked one another for the partnership; company leaders said they remain committed to locally based operations and noted planned, modest headcount additions in 2025 tied to manufacturing and corporate positions.
