Mark A. Willingham

Mark Willingham, secretary of BID, said the former Gerber Childrenswear plant has been unoccupied for the past year and his organization wants to help a business grow.In a corporate merger last year, Gerber was purchased by the Kellwood Company of St. Louis, Mo., which eventually moved the distribution center.

"They were sitting here with this Texas plant and they had no real reason to own it," Willingham explained.The board negotiated the donation of the facility to BID, and the deal was completed in late December 2002.

The facility was on the market for $650,000 for the past year, but now that it has been donated to BID, a tenant is being sought.The county and city are also working with BID to offer tax abatements.

"We'll give them well below the market rate on the lease," Willingham said."We're here to encourage job growth and industrial development."

Willingham said the plant could be used for any type of light manufacturing or warehousing.

"We would like to use the facility as an incubator for a business," he said."We are going to help them grow by giving rent concessions."

In 1974, Industrial Development Inc. of Ballinger bought a five-acre parcel at 1308 Hutchins Ave., off Highway 67, in the hopes that a large manufacturer would eventually move to Ballinger.In 1982 BID negotiated with Kent, Inc., which agreed to build a 60,000 square-foot facility for the manufacture of baby clothes, creating 150 jobs initially.

As part of the deal, BID donated the land for the project.
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"Total employment at the plant rose to 300 then," Willingham said."At that time, Gerber was Ballinger's largest employer."

The end began in 1999 when the sewing portion of the operation was moved to Mexico as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

"We lost about 200 jobs at that point," Willingham said.

Mark A. WillinghamWillingham Realty was established in 1994 by Mark Willingham after 9 years of practicing Real Estate in the Austin , Texas area.Mark has an extensive background in both commercial and residential real estate starting his career with Nova Investment Group in Austin as a commercial property specialist concentrating primarily in raw land partnership syndication and retail brokerage.After the economic downturn in the late 1980's , Mark went to work for Henry S. Miller Realtors and proceeded to market foreclosed properties ( primarily residential ) of the many surrounding banks.As his business grew, so did his recognition as one of the top agents in the Austin area and certainly within the Henry S. Miller company where he was consistently recognized as a top ten producer out of five offices and over 150 sales agents.

Mark and his wife Lisa, both Ballinger natives, reside in Ballinger with their three girls, Meagan, Jessica and Katelyn.Mark and Lisa made the decision to move in 1994 after their second child was born just 17 months after the first, knowing Ballinger was the place they wanted to raise their children and they have thoroughly enjoyed being back in "The Greatest Little Town in Texas" ever since.

Mark is a 1981 graduate of Ballinger High School and a 1986 graduate of Texas Tech University with a B.B.A. in Finance with an emphasis in Real Estate.His wife Lisa is also a 1981 graduate of Ballinger High School and a 1985 graduate of Texas Tech University with a degree in Elementary Education.She is now an at home mom after teaching 1st grade for seven years.

Since being back in Ballinger, Mark has been active in community affairs having served on the Ballinger Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for three years serving his last year as 2nd Vice President.He is also the current President of Industrial Development Inc. of Ballinger, a non profit organization organized in the 1960's to promote the community to new businesses and industry.He is a member of the Ballinger Noon Lions Club where he has served as President, Zone Chairman, Regional Chairman, and is currently Director of the Lions Colorado River Bikefest / Journey for Sight fund raising campaign.Mark has also served as Chairman of the "Friends of Scouting" fund raising campaign and is currently a sponsor of the local Explorer Pack.Mark and his family are members of the First Baptist Church where he and his wife Lisa are Sunday School teachers.Mark also serves as Treasurer of the church and is Vice Chairman of the Building and Grounds committee.

When away from the office Mark enjoys hunting, fishing, golf, watching his girls in their many activities and helping out on the family ranch where there is always something that needs to be done.

Mark Willingham - Broker