Austin, Texas, welcomed the newest company to call the city home: Hanger Orthopedic Group. Formerly headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, the company’s relocation afforded a $500,000 economic development package to be distributed to the company over the next five years, as reported by News 8, Austin. According to a company press release, Hanger estimates that it will have 145 employees working at its new 75,000-square-foot location, of which approximately 100 are new, local hires. Over the next several years, Hanger said it anticipates having more than 250 employees working from its new headquarters.
Cutting the ribbon (from left): Tad Curtis, Texas Governor’s Economic Development Office; Marshall Cohen, board chair of the Amputee Coalition of America; Tony Whiteley, a local Hanger patient; Tom Kirk, CEO, Hanger Orthopedic Group; Lee Leffingwell, mayor of Austin; Cassie Calhoun from U.S. Representative Mike McCaul’s Office; Tom Crowley, chair of Opportunity Austin. Photograph courtesy of Hanger Orthopedic Group.Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell said, “We’re pleased to be raising our profile in the medical technology field…and having Hanger here is a big part of that. Job creation and economic development are fundamental issues, and Hanger’s headquarters will create opportunities for people and for other companies here in Austin. But in Austin, we also care about making the world a better place and helping people. So it’s fitting that we’re here to formally welcome to town a company that not only offers great jobs, but also does great things.”
Hanger CEO Tom Kirk said of the city, “We were drawn to the entrepreneurial spirit of Texas and especially of Austin. Our company has been in existence for nearly 150 years, but we still operate with a value of entrepreneurial and flexible operations that drove the founding of our company. These are also evident in Central Texas, and that is why this metro area is one of the most dynamic regions not just in the U.S., but also in the world.”
Hanger has launched an art competition as part of its introduction to Austin. The winner will receive $10,000 and the commission for a piece of public artwork to be displayed at the company’s new headquarters. The competition, called ARTroduction to Austin, calls for artwork that reflects the theme, “Moving Lives Forward.” The contest is open to artists within the five-country region of Central Texas (Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson), with emerging artists especially encouraged to apply.
