Austin, TX
‘Austin is known for being the blueberry in the tomato soup of Texas’
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/EU7Z4IMXENELZDW7EZTVZZPWAU.jpg "‘Austin is known for being the blueberry in the tomato soup of Texas’")
Eoin Sorohan, global account manager, Overhaul, Austin, Texas
If Eoin Sorohan’s phone rings in the middle of the night, it’s not good news. His job is to keep expensive freight safe from cargo criminals, and they don’t sleep.
The Longford native, based in Austin, Texas, works for Overhaul, an Irish-founded supply chain software company headquartered there. The company’s elevator pitch is the stuff of movies.
“We track and monitor expensive freight for the world’s leading companies and stop bad guys from stealing it,” says Sorohan.
“Sometimes, you will get the dreaded phone call to say there is a theft in progress on a customer’s shipment. It can be exhilarating when you are on a call with law enforcement trying to outsmart criminals, enact a recovery and save a customer millions of dollars, justifying our return in investment in the process.”
The theft of high value freight, like pharmaceuticals and electronics, while it’s in transit is big business.
“Cargo crime is a thriving industry. It’s a huge problem for companies that have highly sought-after, fungible products, in high-risk regions like the US, Mexico, Brazil and South Africa,” says the Lanesborough, Co Longford native.
Enterprise Ireland’s goal is to grow Irish exports so it definitely pushed the right buttons where my patriotism is concerned
“These cargo criminals are some of the best logisticians you could find. They are highly sophisticated, and it’s our job to stop them from stealing freight.”
Sorohan landed in the Lone Star State capital six years ago, having nabbed a spot on Enterprise Ireland’s international graduate programme.
“My impression before moving to Texas was that everyone was a gunslinging, cowboy hat-wearing Trump fan. To be fair, that is true of a lot of the state, but Austin is known for being the blueberry in the tomato soup,” says Sorohan. “It’s like a liberal oasis in the big red state of Texas.”
On the Enterprise Ireland scheme, he worked with Irish companies aiming to start up, grow, innovate and win export sales in global markets.
“Ultimately, Enterprise Ireland’s goal is to grow Irish exports so it definitely pushed the right buttons where my patriotism is concerned,” says Sorohan. “It gave me a great insight into what companies get right and get wrong when they are trying to export.”
These cargo criminals are some of the best logisticians you could find. And it’s our job to stop them from stealing freight
A meeting with Overhaul’s chief executive Barry Conlon led to a job and coveted visa sponsorship that enabled Sorohan to remain in Austin.
Overhaul was in start-up mode back then and it was all hands on deck. The company has since grown to 650 employees and has become a leader in supply chain risk management.
Austin is a “hive of opportunity”, says Sorohan. “There’s been a huge migration of tech companies out of California to Austin. It’s become a very attractive place to set up from a tax standpoint, but also the University of Texas is here and the city really does have an eclectic vibe.”
The annual SXSW conference and the Austin City Limits music festival bolster the city’s reputation for being a place to convene and talk about big ideas and innovation.
“Way back when Austin developed a reputation for being a liberal oasis, it attracted a lot of artists and musicians, and that creates a cool vibe that everyone wants to be part of. That’s when you get the migration of people and companies into the state that can then dilute the vibe that everyone is looking to obtain,” says Sorohan.
The city is protective of alternative culture and is famed for its slogan, “Keep Austin weird”, he says.
Sorohan has risen the ranks to become global account manager at Overhaul. The company’s software monitors client warehouses, transportation vehicles and cargo, flagging up rogue events.
There is definitely a big work culture in the US that is different to home
“We track products for every major electronics manufacturer you can think of,” says Sorohan. “Products on the back of a truck could be worth $1 to $3 million. Pharmaceuticals could be worth $10 million.”
With pharmaceuticals, it’s not just about theft but ensuring the integrity of the product isn’t in doubt when it reaches the customer.
The area within 200 miles of where cargo originates is where theft is most likely to occur, says Sorohan. This is called ‘the red zone’.
“If we can prevent stoppage in the red zone, we can dramatically reduce the risk of theft.”
Another mantra is that freight at rest is freight at risk. The company collects data about transportation provider performance, enabling manufacturers to hold carriers to account.
When freight does go rogue, it’s often an inside job, says Sorohan. “They’ve got people at the warehouse telling them what’s in the truck,” says Sorohan. “We’ve got a web of global law enforcement contacts who we would deploy to recover stolen freight. There is never a dull moment.
“In many cases, in regions like South Africa and Mexico, you’ll get armed hijackings and you’ll see pictures after the incident and there will be bullet holes through the windscreen.”
Working for an Irish company provides a buffer from US work culture, he says.
“The US has a reputation for being always on, long hours and very much a ‘live to work’ mentality. I’m glad there is a strong Irish current that runs through Overhaul. We’ve got unlimited time off and much more liberal policies, but there is definitely a big work culture in the US that is different to home.”
Austin attracted a lot of artists and musicians, and that creates a cool vibe that everyone wants to be part of
Getting a visa isn’t easy, he says. “The visa landscape is a total minefield. There are hoops you have to go through. My American friends can’t understand how you can live here for so many years and for your position to be still in jeopardy. That’s one thing to really consider,” he says.
“I’ve been lucky that Overhaul has sponsored me but, even with their sponsorship, it was a one in three chance I got the visa. It’s a total lottery.”
His advice to people doing business Stateside is: “Keep politics out of it. It’s just something you don’t speak about any more. You don’t want to get into that conversation. Things are pretty polarised here.”
He adds: “I’ve observed where you have an Irish person meeting an American in a business context and the Irish person will flippantly say, ‘Well, what about Trump?’ It’s not the conversation you want to get into.”
Sorohan has sometimes caught himself saying “y’all”, but involvement with the Cowboys GAA team, a hub for Austin’s tight-knit Irish community, has kept full cultural Americanisation at bay. “Having a strong Irish network here keeps me rooted,” he says.
High speed rail proposal in Texas moves forward
Austin lawmakers are putting a proposal in motion that has been in the works for years; plans to build a high-speed rail on I-35.
AUSTIN, Texas – Austin lawmakers are putting a proposal in motion that has been in the works for years; plans to build a high-speed rail on I-35.
The goal of House Bill 483 is to connect Dallas, Austin, and San António, using high-speed rail.
“The excitement and enthusiasm around this bill has been kind of overwhelming. I am surprised how much everyone is paying attention to it. I’m excited and encouraged. I think Texas is a booming state, with a booming economy, but we are far behind infrastructure options for residents,” says State Representative House District 136 John Bucy.
House Bill 483 submitted by lawmakers in Austin spells out plans for a high-speed rail expected to reach speeds of 110 miles per hour, connecting Dallas to Austin to San Antonio along interstate 35.
Passenger rail service from Austin to Mexico
The Texas Passenger Rail Advisory Committee is considering expanding passenger rail services between Austin and Mexico.
“The interconnection of these major hubs that we are all traveling all the time would benefit our day-to-day lives. It is a way to a different mobility of travel then flying or driving in a car, it would be faster than driving in a car it would be safer. Many years ago, Rick Perry had plans to add more lanes and add a train up the I-35 corridor. We are not doing enough for infrastructure, and it needs to get done,” says Bucy.
Last year, Travis County Commissioner’s Court Judge Andy Brown met with officials in Bexar County to discuss the possibility of a passenger rail between Austin and San Antonio, pending an environmental study.
Mayor Watson also highlighted opportunities for developing an inner-city passenger rail to congress, in November 2023.
This year, The Texas Passenger Rail Advisory Committee discussed plans to add a high-speed passenger train along the corridor between Austin, San Antonio and Monterrey, Mexico.
Is a CTX passenger rail possible?
Travis County Judge Andy Brown is trying to get a passenger rail plan for Central Texas back on track.
This month, State Senator Sarah Eckhardt joined in efforts to get house bill 483 passed.
“This is going to be a long process. We are going to try to get this bill by first continuing to raise awareness, asking for a hearing in committee that won’t be until February or march at the earliest, so that process will be beginning, committee hearings and then hopefully we can continue to build support for it,” says Bucy.
According to the bill, high-speed rail would be constructed through state funds.
“What we are doing is directing the Texas Department of Transportation to enter into an agreement so they would have a bid process, people would make their bids for building and maintaining this line, so it would be like public private partnership,” says Bucy.
Rep. John Bucy says the goal is to get the bill to the governor’s desk.
“I know the governor loves to talk about Texas’s innovation and moving forward I would think a new high-speed mobility would be right up his alley,” says Bucy.
The bill would take effect in September 2025 if it is passed.
Austin, TX
Texas Supreme Court overturns ruling that state Attorney General Ken Paxton testify in lawsuit
(AP) – The Texas Supreme Court on Friday overturned a lower court ruling that state Attorney General Ken Paxton testify in a whistleblower lawsuit at the heart of impeachment charges brought against him in 2023.
The court on Friday said Paxton’s office does not dispute any issue in the lawsuit by four former Paxton employees and agreed to any judgment in the case.
“In a major win for the State of Texas, the state Supreme Court has sided with Attorney General Paxton against former OAG employees whose effort to prolong costly, politically-motivated litigation against the agency has wasted public resources for years,” a statement from Paxton’s office said.
An attorney for one of the plaintiffs declined immediate comment, and a second attorney did not immediately return a phone call for comment.
The former employees allege they were improperly fired or forced out for bringing to the FBI allegations that Paxton was misusing his office to protect a friend and campaign donor, who in turn, they said, was helping the attorney general to conceal an extramarital affair.
The Supreme Court ruling noted that the Texas governor and Legislature have expressed a desire to hear testimony from the witnesses prior to agreeing to appropriate funds to settle the lawsuit.
The court said forcing Paxton, First Assistant Attorney General Brent Webster, Chief of Staff Lesley French Henneke and senior advisor Michelle Smith to testify earlier could improperly be used for legislative purposes in deciding any appropriation.
Under the preliminary deal, Paxton agreed to apologize to the former employees for calling them “rogue” employees, settle the case for $3.3 million and ask the state to pay for it, prompting the state House to reject the request and begin its own investigation, leading to the vote to impeach him.
Paxton was ultimately acquitted after a Senate trial.
The Supreme Court termed its ruling conditional upon the lower trial court complying with the decision, while saying it is “confident the trial court will comply” with the order.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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A Texas city has been named among the top ten U.S. cities to live in over the next two years.
Ten Texas cities were included in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-2026 Best Places to Live list. For the annual rankings, U.S. News analyzed 150 major cities in the U.S. based on quality of life, job market, value of living and people’s desire to live in the area.
How did your city fare on the list? Here’s a breakdown of the data.
LIST: 10 best US cities to live
Texas’ capital secured a spot in the top 10 places to live, as determined by U.S. News.
- Naples, Florida
- Boise, Idaho
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Greenville, South Carolina
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Huntsville, Alabama
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Austin, Texas
- Boulder, Colorado
Austin offers healthy balance of work and pleasure, US News says
Austin had an overall score of 6.8 out of 10, compared to Naples’ score of 7.1. The Texas capital also scored 6.8 in the quality of life index, with a value index score of 6.3.
“With the slogan ‘Keep Austin Weird,’ this Texas city is laid-back to the point that if you’re dressing up, it must be a life event,” the U.S. News analysis says. “People here enjoy the outdoors, even more so with their dogs. Austin has a contagious vibrancy and enthusiasm.”
U.S. News notes Austin’s strongest assets are a mix of work and pleasure. The number of companies headquartered in Austin makes it attractive to working professionals, especially those in technology, government, education, and health care. But the capital is far from being “all work, no play.” Its claim as the live music capital of the world invites music lovers to take a listen, whether at the airport, along streets downtown, or at one of the approximate 200 venues throughout the area.
Austin also ranked no. 32 on U.S. News’ Best Places to Retire in 2025 list.
LIST: Best Texas cities to live
Here are the rankings and scores U.S. News gave for the ten Texas cities included in the list:
Ranking
City
Overall Score
Quality of Life
Value Index
#9
Austin
6.8
6.8
6.3
#48
McAllen
6.4
6.6
7.6
#62
El Paso
6.3
6.5
7.3
#77
Corpus Christi
6.2
5.8
7.0
#87
Brownsville
6.2
6.2
7.7
#89
San Antonio
6.1
6.1
6.8
#95
Dallas
6.1
6.4
5.6
#97
Houston
6.1
5.9
6.2
#99
Beaumont
6.1
5.5
7.3
#107
Killeen
6.0
5.9
7.3
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