GO TEXAN program spurs Texas businesses on to growth and achievement

Austin –Today, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller proudly announced the 2024 rodeo season marked an outstanding triumph for GO TEXAN partners. Sales across all six events totaled nearly half a million dollars, offering crucial support to small Texas-based businesses. Partners showcased their Texas-made products from January to May at kiosks and GO TEXAN Pavilions in Fort Worth, San Antonio, Houston, the Rio Grande Valley, Austin, and San Angelo. Particularly noteworthy was the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo General Store, which saw remarkable profits of $208,579 for its 48 Partners.

"For a quarter of a century, our GO TEXAN program has been championing Texas businesses, propelling them toward greater success and accomplishments,” Commissioner Miller noted. “These rodeos serve as valuable platforms that allow our partners to directly engage with customers and retail buyers. I want to congratulate all our partners and TDA’s dedicated GO TEXAN marketing team on a truly remarkable rodeo season.”

In addition to the success at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo General Store, other impressive results included:

1. Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo: 30 Partners earned $195,841.
2. San Antonio Livestock Exposition: 6 Partners earned $11,758.
3. Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show: 3 Partners earned $11,788.
4. Rodeo Austin: 18 Partners earned $21,205.
5. San Angelo Rodeo: 6 Partners earned $11,241. 

All in all, 111 GO TEXAN Partners collectively brought home $460,442.

“The GO TEXAN Pavilion saw another extremely profitable year at the 2023 State Fair of Texas as well,” Commissioner Miller said. “TDA’s GO TEXAN Pavilion, presented by Southwest Dairy Farmers, saw nearly $1 million in gross sales for GO TEXAN partners.”

The GO TEXAN program is a TDA initiative dedicated to identifying and supporting Texas-based businesses and connecting them with customers across the Lone Star State and around the world. 

GO TEXAN partner products spanned a diverse range, from coffee and salsas to housewares and body care items. Partners have the option to have their products featured in GO TEXAN marketplaces or engage directly with rodeo attendees. The revenue generated at each event underscores the invaluable role of the GO TEXAN program, fostering growth opportunities for small businesses in terms of both revenue and reputation.

Melissa Yarborough of Ennis-based Big Daddy Beard, a Partner since 2021, said the benefits of selling their beard care products at GO TEXAN rodeo pop-up shops and marketplaces go further than immediate sales. “The numbers are just incredible for us. It’s exposure that a small business like ours could never get on our own,” she said. 

Created in 1999, GO TEXAN promotes the products, culture, and communities that call Texas home. For more information on GO TEXAN, visit GOTEXAN.org.