Samsung chooses Taylor as home for new chip manufacturing plant
TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas - Samsung is about to make a huge economic impact on Central Texas by building a massive $17 billion chip-making plant in Taylor. The facility is set to break ground in early 2022.
"Samsung electronics has chosen Texas to build a state of the art manufacturing facility," said Kinam Kim, Vice Chair and CEO for Samsung.
Side-by-side with Gov. Greg Abbott, Kim announced Tuesday evening that the South Korean tech giant will build the new semiconductor chip fabrication facility. It’s expected to create more than 2,000 jobs, and marks the company’s largest-ever investment in the United States.
"Today’s announcement is a testament to the economic environment that we have built in Texas," said Abbott. "It’s going to impact the entire world."
These semiconductor chips are used in everything from smartphones to appliances to defense weapons. By making more of them stateside, the hope is to make a dent in the global chip shortage, and close what some call a national security gap.
"We have no time to waste," said Sen. John Cornyn, speaking at Tuesday’s announcement.
Cornyn is confident Congress will pass the CHIPS Act, to level the playing field between the United States and Asia when it comes to chip production at facilities like this.
"I am confident that Samsung would not be making this announcement unless they anticipated additional assistance at the federal level," said Cornyn.
The new factory will be built on old farmland in southwest Taylor. The city’s mayor, Brandt Rydell, says this has been in the works since January.
"We were barely on the radar of Samsung at that point. There were six or seven other sites at that point. All we needed was the opportunity to compete, and we proved our merit," said Rydell.
The massive project solidifies the tech industry’s dominance in Central Texas, alongside Dell in Round Rock, Apple in North Austin, and Samsung’s two existing chip plants in Austin. "I think Williamson County is now the technology superhighway of the world," said County Judge Bill Gravell.
"This decision creates an economic dynamo for the City of Taylor," said Rydell.
Ian Davis, co-founder of Texas Beer Company, agrees. "The way it impacts us is it’s more customers," said Davis.
Davis says this is the kind of economic engine Taylor needs to truly revitalize its downtown. "Having that many folks arriving with Samsung and all its ancillary businesses and suppliers will be a huge shot in the arm," said Davis.
He’s already brewing up a way to welcome them to town.
"We’re going to make it a special beer for them and nickname it ‘The Sammy’," said Davis. "So we hope to be sharing a Sammy shortly with all the good folks at Samsung."
The plant is expected to open in the second half of 2024.
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