“Aggie Owned And Operated” Program Continues To Grow

After Rick Dudney, Class of 1990, heard about Texas A&M University’s newly launched Aggie Owned and Operated program while on campus for a football game, he knew the New Braunfels-based business he operates along with two partners — including Brannon Brooke, Class of 1985 — would soon be a participant.

Joining the program was an easy business decision, said Dudney, a managing partner of TCOR Management.

“Our motivation for doing this was, 1) we hope that our Aggie brothers and sisters are utilizing such resources, which we believe they will if they haven’t already, and 2) we want to support programs like this from the university,” Dudney added. “Brannon and I both believe that it’s good for alumni to stick together when we’re trying to make our way as entrepreneurs in the business world.”

Since its launch in May, Aggie businesses like Dudney’s in a variety of Texas cities including Abilene, Katy, Plano, Port Lavaca and Waco, as well as Bryan and College Station, have registered. The program has also attracted out-of-state businesses, with participants located as far as San Diego. The range of business endeavors is equally as diverse, including restaurants, physicians, realtors, retailers, auto repair shops, jewelers and even a microbrewery.

The Aggie Owned and Operated program aims to support the more than 200,000 Texas A&M graduates now in the workforce, especially as more and more of them are proving themselves to be entrepreneurs and are advancing up the leadership chain.

The program allows for businesses to be instantly affiliated with the university, said Texas A&M President R. Bowen Loftin.

“By participating in Aggie Owned and Operated, Aggie business owners are able to align themselves with the university and have an instant relationship with Aggie patrons,” Loftin said when announcing the program earlier this year. “This program focuses on Texas A&M’s core values, and the university is pleased to be involved with this effort.”

Jason Cook, Texas A&M’s vice president for marketing and communications, added that the Aggie Owned and Operated program is intended to aid Aggies in business, as well as the university.

“The Aggie Owned and Operated program allows Texas A&M to engage with businesses across the state of Texas and tap into the passion that exists through our former students,” Cook said. “When patrons walk into an Aggie Owned and Operated business, they will know that their experience will be based on Texas A&M’s core values “that they will have an excellent experience and will be treated with the highest levels of integrity and respect. We also see this program as an excellent entry point to a more extensive relationship with Texas A&M, either through athletic sponsorships, sponsored research agreements or scholarship contributions.”

Texas A&M partnered in the marketing venture with two key Aggie entities: The Association of Former Students and TexAgs, an Aggie-owned and operated web-based news service that focuses on Texas A&M athletic, academic and community activities. Both groups had previously partnered to create the Maroon Book by TexAgs, an online listing of Aggie Owned and Operated businesses.

Aggies who participate in the program receive exclusive rights to publicly affiliate their business with Texas A&M for a full year through the Aggie Owned and Operated marketing bundle, which includes a 2″² x 4″² banner, a table tent, a window cling and access to the Aggie Owned and Operated logo for online use, as well as a business listing through MaroonBook.com to more efficiently and effective reach the Aggie Network.

Participating in the program is already paying off for TCOR Management — Aggie clients now know they are doing business with Aggies, and the instant Texas A&M connection has already opened up opportunities for landing large clients, Dudney said.

To register your own Aggie Owned and Operated business or to find out more information about the program, visit www.MaroonBook.com/AggieOwned.