Perryman Group: Kilgore Rangerettes Responsible for $8B Industry

KILGORE � The Kilgore Rangerettes inspired an industry responsible for more than $8 billion per year, according to economist Dr. Ray Perryman. In a Wednesday press conference at Kilgore College’s Devall Student Center, Perryman stated the study was an in-kind donation to the Rangerettes’ 75th Anniversary Committee. KETK reports the Perryman Group, located in Waco, did the study at no charge. �What are now cornerstones of halftime shows across the country � precision dance and drill teams � owe much to the innovative Rangerettes,� Perryman said. “This industry as a whole generates a sizable economic stimulus of an estimated $8.3 billion in total expenditures and $4.0 billion in gross product each year, as well as more than 50,700 permanent jobs across the nation.”

The report stated, “For the Kilgore area, they (Rangerettes) have enhanced the visibility and positively contributed to national and international perceptions of the city. Of far more lasting significance, they have been the incubator for the development of a major industry that has positively influenced countless lives and careers and brought economic benefits to communities throughout the world.� Perryman said, �Even beyond the entertainment provided by these groups, they also lead to notable gains in business activity.” The economic study reveals numbers for 2013, reflecting public and private elementary and secondary school precision dance teams, as well as public and private college and university and professional sports franchise precision dance teams.

Perryman is a Lindale native who travels internationally as an economic consultant. He is widely regarded as one of the world�s most influential and innovative economists with his complex modeling systems for corporate and governmental planning around the globe. The Rangerettes� first halftime performance was Sept. 15, 1940, under the direction of Miss Gussie Nell Davis. The press conference was a precursor to the beginning of the Rangerettes� 75th Anniversary with the selection of the 75th line. Visit http://www.kilgore.edu/images/messages/RayPerryman_DanceDrillTeamImpact_Study20149008.pdf for more information on the study.