Tesla, SpaceX, Samsung, Saronic and other manufacturers are accelerating semiconductor, energy storage and maritime investment across Texas
Texas is strengthening its position as a national center for semiconductor production, advanced manufacturing, energy storage and autonomous maritime technology as four major industrial campuses advance across the state.
Tesla, SpaceX and Saronic Technologies alone are associated with approximately $20 billion in announced investment and more than 13,000 potential jobs. Samsung is also preparing to begin construction on a second semiconductor fabrication plant at its Taylor campus before the end of 2026.
The scale and geographic reach of the projects—from North and Central Texas to the Gulf Coast—signal growing demand for manufacturing sites, infrastructure, energy capacity and supplier space.
Major Texas Manufacturing Projects
- $16.8 billion initial investment planned for the Tesla-SpaceX TeraFab campus
- At least 3,000 jobs associated with TeraFab
- Construction of Samsung Taylor Fab 2 expected to begin before the end of 2026
- 50-gigawatt-hour Tesla Megapack manufacturing operation in Brookshire
- $3.2 billion Saronic Technologies shipyard planned in Brownsville
- Up to 10,000 jobs connected to Saronic’s Port Alpha project
- Additional manufacturing investments planned by Siemens and Blue Origin
- Billions of dollars flowing into Texas data center and power infrastructure
Tesla and SpaceX Plan $16.8 Billion TeraFab Campus
Tesla and SpaceX plan to make an initial $16.8 billion investment in a semiconductor manufacturing complex in Grimes County near College Station.
The TeraFab campus is expected to create at least 3,000 jobs and has received a $30 million Texas Enterprise Fund grant. The vertically integrated operation is intended to bring semiconductor manufacturing, packaging and testing together at one location.
The companies expect the facility to produce advanced chips supporting Tesla vehicles and robotics, SpaceX systems and other computing-intensive applications. The initial project could eventually expand significantly beyond its first phase. Reuters
A tax agreement executed with Grimes County commits SpaceX to investing at least $5 billion by 2030 and creating at least 1,800 full-time jobs by 2035, although the broader project announcement carries higher investment and employment projections. KBTX
Samsung Prepares to Begin Taylor Fab 2
Samsung Electronics plans to begin construction on its second semiconductor fabrication plant in Taylor before the end of 2026.
The announcement follows years of investment in Samsung’s Central Texas semiconductor campus. The company’s first Taylor fabrication facility is expected to begin production as Samsung prepares to expand its advanced chipmaking capacity.
Samsung has indicated that mass production at Taylor Fab 2 is targeted for 2030. The project is supported by a $250 million Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund grant announced in 2025. Samsung Taylor Fab 2 project update
Continued development in Taylor is expected to attract additional semiconductor equipment, materials and service companies to Central Texas.
Tesla Expands Energy Storage Manufacturing in Brookshire
Tesla has begun Megapack 3 production at its Brookshire megafactory, expanding the state’s role in utility-scale energy storage manufacturing.
The facility is designed for approximately 50 gigawatt-hours of annual production capacity. Megapack systems are used by utilities, renewable energy projects and other large power users to store electricity and stabilize the grid.
The Brookshire operation adds another major manufacturing node to the corridor while supporting the power infrastructure required by data centers, semiconductor plants and other energy-intensive developments.
Saronic Selects Brownsville for $3.2 Billion Shipyard
Saronic Technologies plans to invest $3.2 billion in Port Alpha, a new autonomous shipbuilding and manufacturing complex at the Port of Brownsville.
The company expects the project to create as many as 10,000 jobs in areas including:
- Welding and machining
- Advanced fabrication
- Robotics and automation
- Software engineering
- Naval architecture
- Research and development
- Production and maintenance
The shipyard will manufacture medium- and large-class autonomous and autonomy-capable vessels. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2026, with operations expected to launch in 2028. Saronic Port Alpha project details
The Port of Brownsville’s deep-water access, workforce, transportation infrastructure and available development acreage contributed to the company’s site selection.
Suppliers Could Drive Additional Industrial Demand
Advancing four large manufacturing campuses within the same period could create substantial secondary demand for industrial properties.
Semiconductor plants, battery factories and shipyards typically require networks of:
- Component and materials suppliers
- Equipment manufacturers
- Construction contractors
- Maintenance providers
- Warehouses and distribution centers
- Truck and equipment storage yards
- Specialized logistics operators
As suppliers move closer to anchor facilities, demand could increase for manufacturing buildings, distribution space and industrial outdoor storage in Grimes County, Taylor, Brookshire and Brownsville.
Siemens and Blue Origin Add to Texas Manufacturing Growth
The momentum extends beyond the four anchor campuses.
Siemens is developing a $19 million, 96,000-square-foot facility in Grand Prairie as part of a broader $200 million investment across several Sunbelt states.
Blue Origin has also secured incentives from the City of Hutto for a proposed $650 million manufacturing and logistics facility along the Interstate 35 corridor.
Together, these projects reinforce the continued expansion of aerospace, energy technology, semiconductor and advanced manufacturing operations across Texas.
Private Capital Targets Texas Industrial Assets
Institutional investors are also directing capital toward Texas manufacturing companies and industrial properties.
KKR agreed to acquire Plano-based medical device manufacturer Integer Holdings in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $5.7 billion. The agreement represented a 51.8% premium to the company’s previous share price and was expected to close by year-end.
Other major industrial transactions with Texas exposure include:
- PCCP and Stonemont Financial Group’s acquisition of a $1 billion industrial portfolio with assets in Dallas and Austin
- BKM Capital Partners’ deployment of $2.1 billion in industrial acquisitions
- TPG Angelo Gordon and Redfearn Capital’s purchase of a $628 million multistate industrial portfolio
- Savills’ $1.1 billion acquisition of Eastdil Secured
- Prologis’ proposed acquisition of Segro, valued by Prologis at $18.8 billion
These investments reflect continued institutional interest in industrial real estate serving high-growth manufacturing and logistics markets.
Power and Data Center Investments Follow Manufacturing Growth
Texas’ expanding industrial economy is also generating significant demand for electricity and data infrastructure.
Major projects cited across the state include:
- A proposed $1.5 billion, 760-megawatt CyrusOne campus in Fairfield
- Flexential’s acquisition of 110 acres in Kaufman County
- A planned 1.1 million-square-foot, 300-megawatt PowerHouse campus in Westlake
- A $14 billion Meta and BlackRock joint venture supporting a data center campus in El Paso
The scale of these projects illustrates the relationship between advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and power availability.
For communities competing for future projects, access to reliable electricity, water, transportation, developable land and expedited permitting will remain central to site-selection decisions.
Texas Builds a Statewide Advanced Manufacturing Network
The latest projects are not concentrated in one metropolitan area. Investment is advancing across the Metroplex, Central Texas, the Gulf Coast and West Texas.
Named capital commitments associated with the manufacturing, industrial and infrastructure projects exceed $40 billion. Employment projections extend into the tens of thousands when direct, construction and supplier jobs are considered.
The activity demonstrates that Texas’ competitive advantage is increasingly supported by a statewide network of semiconductor production, energy storage, shipbuilding, aerospace, logistics, data centers and power infrastructure.
About the Author
Eric Paul Sokolowski is a TREC-licensed commercial real estate broker based in Plano, Texas. He covers Texas industrial capital markets in the weekly Dallas Industrial Brief.
Sokolowski is a Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and previously worked in real estate investment management and capital markets at Blackstone and RBS.
He can be reached at ericpaul@dallasindustrialbrief.com.
