 July 29, 2009 – British manufacturer Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon has opened a new 12,000-square-foot office and factory on Columbia Memorial Parkway (FM 1266). In April 2004, the League City Economic Development Corporation (LCEDC) started a conversation with Gilkes Inc., which is the U.S. subsidiary of Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon. At the time, the company had moved from Seabrook to League City and was leasing a 6,000-square-foot building on Dickinson Avenue. With a growing business, Gilkes was looking to buy property and make room for expansion.
 The League City team talked with David Priestly, vice president of Gilkes, several times, and the company eventually decided to expand to League City permanently. That agreement came earlier this year. Since Gilkes primarily sends its products and services outside of the area, it was an ideal prospect for the LCEDC.
Gilkes' new facility has 4,000 square feet of office space and 8,000 square feet dedicated to factory use. The property has a remaining 12,000 square feet of unused land that will allow for expansion. Although the LCEDC and Gilkes discussed financial incentives to expand their operations within League City, Gilkes declined to apply.
Gilkes manufactures pumps for industrial manufacturers like Caterpillar, Cummins, General Electric and Electro Motive Diesel. The primary focus of the plant in League City is to repair and refurbish those pumps. Gilkes is also a leader in hydropower systems — generating electricity from water. The company is also exploring the refurbishment of locomotive pumps for GE and EMD, which make a large portion of the trains in the U.S.
For more information on Gilkes, visit www.gilkes.com.
About the League City Economic Development Corporation
The League City Economic Development Corporation’s mission is to recruit, retain, expand, and create business investment for its namesake. The goal is to assure a high quality of life for citizens. Since incorporating in 1984, the City of League City has become the largest city in Galveston County. In 2008, based on population growth, income, employment and crime, it was named one of America’s Top-Rated Smaller Cities (by Grey House Publications). For the past two years, the LCEDC has been recognized for Economic Excellence by the Texas Economic Development Council. For more information on League City and the EDC, visit www.leaguecityedc.com.
For more information…
Melody Manlove Farkas
John Manlove Marketing & Communications
(281) 487-6767
mmfarkas@johnmanlove.com
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