By Andy Sevilla

International moving and storage company, PODS, will consolidate its Central Texas operations to one office in San Marcos, according to an area economic development group.

With the new office, PODS Enterprises Inc. will bring 15 warehouse operations jobs and a total capital investment of $9.5 million, the Greater San Marcos Partnership (GSMP) announced in a statement. 

“For PODS, location was the key as the company was looking to locate both their Austin and San Antonio markets into one main site,” GSMP President Adriana Cruz said. “San Marcos’ strategic location along IH-35 and proximity to SH-130 made it an ideal spot for the company to consolidate their Central Texas base.”

GSMP, in collaboration with the city of San Marcos, collaborated with and aided PODS’ leadership throughout their six-month long site selection process. 

“When it came time to consolidate our operations into one central location for our Austin and San Antonio markets, the San Marcos regional was an obvious choice,” PODS representative Glenn Couch, vice president of Uniprop, said in a statement. 

Couch said San Marcos’ access to two major highways that connect Austin and San Antonio, the availability of land and the help from GSMP and the city were all factors in deciding to locate in San Marcos. 

“The city’s access to Austin and San Antonio combined with build-to-suit opportunities will increasingly prove to be some of our biggest assets as we continue to recruit jobs to and increase investment in the two-county region,” Cruz said. 

GSMP is a regional economic development corporation serving Hays and Caldwell counties. The group focuses on directing quality future growth and positioning the region for a wider diversity of industry jobs for all with higher wages, GSMP states.

Presently there are four PODS storage centers in the ten-county region that make up the Austin and San Antonio MSAs (Metropolitan Statistical Area) located in New Braunfels, Pflugerville, Round Rock and San Antonio. 

The new 56,000 square-foot San Marcos facility will be located at 2821 Leah Avenue. 

PODS was founded in 1998 and presently provides moving and storage services in 48 U.S. states, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom through its company-owned and independent franchise network. 

Since Oct. 1, 2012, more than 500 new jobs have been announced in the greater San Marcos region through corporate expansions and relocations, including the 15 jobs PODS has said its San Marcos location will create, GSMP reports. 

The expansions and relocations represent industries spanning from general and advanced manufacturing materials to corporate and professional operations. The aerospace and aviation industry also has seen a boost in the region, as has supply chain management, according to GSMP.

San Marcos, Kyle, Buda and Hays County, along with Lockhart, Luling and Caldwell County contribute annually to GSMP, which is a 501(c)6. A myriad of private partners also contribute to GSMP’s efforts.