Location intelligence indicates the coalition of small and medium-sized towns that comprise the TexasEDConnection are intelligent places to be.
A look at corporate facility project data in Site Selection’s Conway Projects Database since January 2024 shows the following leaders among the organization’s 20 communities:
All told, available figures for the 63 projects tracked across all TexasEDConnection communities come to nearly $2.5 billion invested and nearly 1,650 jobs created.
Trek through the countryside and you’ll see plenty of good old-fashioned manufacturing and industrial development in this particular project portfolio. You’ll also see pioneering signs of new-fashioned innovation and the economy of tomorrow.
Silicon Prairie
Of the more than 500 data center jobs Oracle is hiring for across the nation, 150 of them are in Texas, where the company is pursuing campuses in Red Oak and in Abilene. Sixty of those job openings are in Abilene. More will be coming to the area from Microsoft, after the company leased 900 MW of forthcoming capacity from Crusoe when Oracle and OpenAI decided in early 2026 not to pursue further expansion just yet.
“As customer demand for AI continues to grow, Microsoft is focused on ensuring access to reliable and responsible infrastructure at scale,” said Noelle Walsh, president, Cloud Operations & Innovation at Microsoft, in a Crusoe release early this year. “Crusoe’s Abilene facility reflects the type of large-scale infrastructure that supports next generation AI while contributing long term value to the local community.”
The new campus is located adjacent to Crusoe’s existing Abilene AI factory infrastructure, bringing the total projected capacity across the full Abilene site to 2.1 gigawatts (GW). “Land clearing and site preparation for the new campus are already underway, with the first building expected to be energized in mid-2027, continuing Crusoe’s record-setting pace that energized the first two buildings of the Abilene campus in under one year,” said Crusoe of the first two 100-MW buildings. The second phase, which added six additional buildings to bring total campus capacity to 1.2 GW, is expected to reach completion by the end of 2026.
TexasEDConnection Organizations
| Morse Haynes | Andrews Economic Development Corporation | mhaynes@cityofandrews.org |
| Susan Sankey | Big Spring Economic Development Corporation | susansankey@bigspringtx.com |
| Teresa Morris | Big Spring Economic Development Corporation | info@bigspringtx.com |
| Amy Story | Boerne Kendall County EDC | amy@bkcedc.com |
| William Myers | Bonham Economic Development Corporation | wmyers@cityofbonham.org |
| Janis Crawley | Bowie Texas Economic Development Corporation | Janis@BowieTexasEDC.com |
| Mindi Hurley | City of Coppell Economic Development Division | mhurley@coppelltx.gov |
| Kaley Frye | City of Elgin | kaley.frye@elgintexas.gov |
| Terrell Smith | City of Melissa | tsmith@cityofmelissa.com |
| Jason Little | City of Melissa | JLittle@CityofMelissa.com |
| Robert Andrade | City of Smithville | randrade@ci.smithville.tx.us |
| Misty Mayo | Development Corporation of Abilene | misty.mayo@abilenedcoa.com |
| Julie Johncox | Development Corporation of Abilene | julie.johncox@abilenedcoa.com |
| David Fowler | Fairfield Economic Development Corporation | dfowler@fairfieldtx.com |
| Dave Quinn, CEcD | Fairview Economic Development Corporation | dquinn@fairviewtexas.org |
| Shane Pace | Jacksonville Economic Development Corporation | jacksonvilletxedc.com |
| Katherine Kirkpatrick | Kilgore Economic Development Corporation | kkirkpatrick@kilgore-edc.com |
| Lisa Denton | Kilgore Economic Development Corporation | ldenton@kilgore-edc.com |
| Susan Gill | Lindale Economic Development Corporation | Susan.Gill@LindaleTexas.com |
| Midge Dockery | Marble Falls Economic Development Corporation | mdockery@marblefallseconomy.com |
| Christian Fletcher | Marble Falls Economic Development Corporation | cfletcher@marblefallseconomy.com |
| Claribel Banda | Mount Pleasant Economic Development Corporation | claribel@mpedc.org |
| Janeth Moreno | Mount Pleasant Economic Development Corporation | janeth@mpedc.org |
| Kevin Carter | Mount Pleasant Economic Development Corporation | kevin@mpedc.org |
| Ramon Sanchez | Muleshoe EDC | rsanchez@muleshoetx.org |
| EricVoyles | TexAmericas Center | eric.voyles@texamericascenter.com |
| Christy Stewart | Wylie Economic Development Corporation | christy@wylieedc.com |
“West Texas has become the Silicon Prairie for AI and the backbone for America’s most consequential innovation,” said Jodey Arrington, chairman of the House Budget Committee and U.S. Representative from the 19th Congressional District of Texas. “This major expansion of the campus in Abilene by Crusoe and Microsoft is a testament to the hardworking people and pioneering spirit of the Big Country, ensuring America — not China — will lead the next frontier of information technology.”
“We’re excited to welcome Microsoft to the Abilene community. Crusoe’s existing data center campus has already contributed thousands of direct jobs to Abilene and fueled the local economy,” said Abilene Mayor Weldon Hurt. The development is expected to create thousands of additional construction and hundreds of permanent jobs in the Abilene region, furthering the campus’ role as a vital economic engine for West Texas.
At Crusoe’s flagship 1.2 GW Abilene, Texas campus — purpose built for Oracle — the first two buildings are operational and an additional six buildings are under construction. Crusoe recently broke ground on a second 900-MW campus in Abilene for Microsoft. The company is also contracted to build two additional large-scale campuses in Texas and a fifth in Missouri.
“The first eight buildings of Crusoe’s existing data center campus in Abilene are expected to deliver up to 32% of the City of Abilene’s and up to 25% of Taylor County’s current FY 2025 Budgeted Property Tax Revenue,” says Crusoe. “With this newly announced expansion of the campus, Crusoe anticipates the economic and tax contributions to significantly increase, creating even more positive impact in the Abilene community.”
The supply chain continues to unfold. In November 2025, the region welcomed Wesco International, the Pittsburgh-based Fortune 500 provider of business-to-business distribution, logistics services and supply chain solutions that employs 20,000 worldwide, operates more than 700 sites and had $22 billion in sales in 2024. Wesco is establishing a 240,000-sq.-ft. operation and creating 107 jobs in a facility it is leasing from Development Corporation of Abilene (DCOA) at Five Points Business Park. The operation will include final assembly, distribution, light manufacturing and testing of electrical components for hyperscale data center customers. A DCOA release stated that Abilene’s central location was pivotal in Wesco’s decision.
“We are grateful to the DCOA for their partnership and support as we expand our footprint to provide mission-critical on-site services to our data center customers in Abilene and the West Texas region,” said Wesco Executive Vice President of Supply Chain and Operations Hemant Porwal.
The Italian Connection
The Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office reports that over the last decade, Italian companies have reported 46 investment projects in Texas, expected to create nearly $5 billion in capital investment and nearly 2,500 new jobs. Since January 2025, at least two of them have come to TexasEDConnection territories.
In February 2025, Welbilt, an Ali Group company and global leader in foodservice equipment solutions, announced the construction of its new Welbilt Experience Center in Coppell, minutes from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The facility is now complete and ready to, as the company put it, “redefine customer engagement by providing an interactive, hands-on environment for operators, dealers, distributors, manufacturers’ representatives, consultants and end users.”
The Center showcases cutting-edge kitchen technology, smart automation and sustainable foodservice solutions in an immersive space offering settings that closely replicate real-world foodservice environments. It also features a training facility that is home to Welbilt University, and warehousing totaling more than 130,000 sq. ft.
The Welbilt Experience Center in Coppell showcase advanced technologies that include fully connected, smart kitchen ecosystems; industry-leading automation; and energy-efficient solutions that address the evolving needs of foodservice operators worldwide.
Photo courtesy of Welbilt
“This project represents a transformative step in how we engage with our customers and partners,” said Filippo Berti, chairman and CEO of the Ali Group, headquartered in Milan. The vision is no less for LUVE, the HVAC company headquartered in Uboldo, Varese, in the Italian region of Lombardy. LUVE derives its initials from founder Iginio Liberali, who tagged his original project LUcky VEnture.
In May 2026, LUVE inaugurated the new production area of its plant in Jacksonville, located in East Texas. The site was expanded threefold to more than 30,000 sq. meters (nearly 323,000 sq. ft.), with plans to add approximately 200 new positions over the next 18 to 24 months. Its purpose fills yet another niche in the data center ecosystem, manufacturing “outdoor” products, based on a single platform for units covering multiple applications from data centers to power generation and refrigeration.
“In recent weeks, LUVE signed a multi-year framework agreement worth over €100 million with a global ‘hyperscaler’ for the supply of advanced cooling solutions for next-generation data centers,” the company said at the grand opening. “The expansion of the Jacksonville production area will provide the capacity needed to support the growth of this market, driven by applications such as artificial intelligence, data mining, colocation, IoT and machine learning.”
“The U.S. market represents a strategic growth area,” said LUVE Chairman and CEO Matteo Liberali. “The expansion of our Texas facility is an important step in our international growth journey and reflects our ‘glocal’ approach — thinking globally and acting locally.”
Local action in Jacksonville goes beyond LUVE. The Jacksonville Economic Development Corporation (JEDCO) in September 2025 announced that TUBEFAB, a Jacksonville-based fabricator of copper tube components, would invest nearly $30 million and generate at least 40 new jobs (potentially 80 over time) in a new 100,000-sq.-ft. facility in Norman Industrial Park.
“TUBEFAB’s commitment to expand in our community is a direct result of our city’s strong workforce, pro-business climate and growing reputation as a manufacturing hub in East Texas,” said Shane Pace, president of JEDCO, which offered to the company up to 12 acres of land and a performance-based incentive package of up to $650,000, tied directly to job creation and salary benchmarks.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott himself announced another major Jacksonville win: a $28 million, 120-job manufacturing operation from Cancoil USA that will benefit from a Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) grant of $648,000 and the offer of a $10,000 Veteran Created Job Bonus. Cancoil USA manufactures commercial and industrial heat transfer products.
“This new facility will serve as a cornerstone for Cancoil USA’s operations, supporting manufacturing and delivering industry-leading heat transfer solutions to our customers in the United States,” said Cancoil USA spokeswoman Monika Datta, noting the cooperation of JEDCO and state partners.
The Roundup
Here’s a tour of projects landing in other TexasEDConnection destinations, drawn from announcements over the past year and a half:
Texas New Materials Inc., a Houston-based manufacturer of specialty polymers, in October 2025 announced plans to build a 200,000-metric-ton-per-year polyacrylamide production facility in Big Spring, with NNA Polymers as the channel to market. Startup is expected by late 2026.
“Big Spring was selected for its logistics infrastructure, proximity to key customers and access to energy and resources,” the company said. “The site will serve as a hub for polyacrylamide supply across North America, strengthening domestic manufacturing and reducing reliance on global supply chains.”
With unanimous support from the Mount Pleasant City Council and the Mount Pleasant Economic Development Corporation (MPEDC), Aluminz Corp. announced it had secured a 155-acre site and signed a 30-year lease and performance agreement to develop the nation’s first zero-landfill aluminum tolling facility. Aluminz is a portfolio company of 1V1sion Capital, a New York City–based private investment firm. Among the helpful infrastructure is direct rail access to Union Pacific Canadian Pacific Kansas City lines via NETEX Rail and proximity to Interstate I-30.
“The project is expected to create over 130 permanent, above-market-wage jobs and 75 skilled construction roles, revitalizing the manufacturing base in Titus County,” said the company, with commercial operations targeted for mid-to-late 2027. “This initiative isn’t only good for Titus County and Aluminz,” said Richard Mayenknecht, CEO of Aluminz. “It will help drive growth for a wide ecosystem of partners and customers. Our ability to cost-effectively meet the needs of businesses in the region and beyond will power a wide range of enterprises. Aluminz is proud to partner with MPEDC to make it happen.”
In Jarrell, located in central Texas north of Austin along I-35, the Williamson County Commissioners Court in July 2025 approved a Chapter 312 tax abatement incentive agreement for Labatt Food Service, LLC, a San Antonio-based company that is the 10th largest food service distributor in the nation. Labatt aims to create 150 new jobs at a new $42 million, 150,000-sq.-ft. complex located near I-35 southbound and Ronald Reagan Boulevard in Tax Abatement Reinvestment Zone No. 2. If the terms of the agreement are met (including occupancy by late July 2027), Williamson County will abate 30% of the assessed value of the land and improvements and tangible personal property for 10 consecutive years.
Special zones also are afoot in Bonham, the county seat of Fannin County located 60 miles north of the DFW metroplex and 30 minutes east of Sherman’s growing tech hub. In April 2026, the Bonham City Council and Fannin County Commissioners Court approved the joint creation of a new Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ), TIRZ #3, with a focus on revitalization of downtown Bonham, redevelopment along major transportation corridors and enhancement of key gateway areas over a 30-year period. The county and city each will contribute 50% of the incremental tax revenues generated from the zone’s future, increased property values.
“Based on current projections, it is estimated that total, 30-year contributions into the Tax Increment Fund (TIF) will be $74.1 million,” said a release from Bonham Economic Development Corporation (BEDCO).
“TIRZ #3 will contribute to achievement of our shared economic development objectives,” said Bonham Economic Development Corporation (BEDCO) Executive Director William Myers, “which include realizing our Downtown Master Plan vision, while also attracting and incentivizing quality projects that meet our community’s needs.”
The zone arrived around mere weeks after a major investment did: Vector Systems Inc., a global manufacturer of industrial process equipment with nearly $35 million in annual revenue, is relocating its headquarters from McKinney, Texas, to a site near Jones Field Airport in Bonham. A BEDCO announcement said Vector Systems’ production at its new HQ will leverage global data center growth, as well as the company’s work in the renewable energy, power generation, emerging technologies and refinery sectors. Vector Systems is projected to reach $100 million in revenue within three years, with plans to increase its workforce from 129 employees to approximately 230 during this period.
“Bonham’s strategic location along major corridors, Sam Rayburn Highway (Hwy 121) and U.S. Highway 82, a competitive operating environment and access to a skilled workforce make it ideal for continued growth and reaching our customers throughout Texas and beyond,” said Vector Systems CFO Lorie Clark. “The community’s quality of life and strong workforce partnerships, including programs with Grayson College’s welding program, also give us confidence for expanding efficiently and investing here long term.”
The city of Gonzales, located east of San Antonio, in January 2025 welcomed the news that Synergos had closed on 28 acres of rail-served property at Texas Gonzales and Northern Railway (TXGN), a subsidiary of TNW Corporation. TXGN owns and manages 12 lead miles of track between Harwood and Gonzales, and approximately 67 miles of storage and loop track in Gonzales.
Synergos will create 145 jobs at a new structural building materials operation on the site, owing to collaboration among TXGN, the Gonzales Economic Development Corporation, the City and County of Gonzales, and GVEC electric cooperative.
“At Synergos, we are committed to fostering meaningful growth in the areas we serve. Gonzales offers the perfect blend of opportunity to bring this vision to life,” said Rich Gallagher, CEO of Synergos Companies. “This new facility represents more than just an investment in infrastructure. It is an investment in people, partnerships and the community.”
EnergyX continues to move forward in Texarkana.
Photo courtesy of TexAmericas Center
In October 2025, the Wylie Economic Development Corporation announced that Cates Control Systems, a provider of process automation and control solutions, had selected Wylie, Texas, for the construction of its new corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility. The company plans to invest approximately $8.5 million, build a 60,387-sq.-ft. facility, and create and retain more than 120 jobs at a site along the FM 544 Gateway Addition, a major commercial corridor.
“Having lived in Wylie for over 45 years, we are excited to finally get to move our business into our community,” said Cates Control Systems President and Owner Chris Smith. “My wife Emily and I have already had three of our daughters graduate from Wylie High, and our youngest is currently at Davis Intermediate. We love Wylie and can hardly wait to have our corporate headquarters here, allowing us to invest even more in our own community, which will include offering opportunities for students in Wylie ISD and Collin College, as well as making jobs available for those wanting to work closer to home.”
Things Come Together in Texarkana
Texarkana, the place that touches two states and is near a third (Arkansas) knows what can happen when things come together. TexAmericas Center, which owns and operates a huge rail-served industrial park there, knows how to bring deals together.
In June, the Center was selected by COIM USA, a specialty chemical manufacturer, for a $50 million expansion of the facility it initially established in 2024. The expanded facility will serve as the company’s Mid-South manufacturing and distribution platform. A release from TexAmericas said the project came about through collaboration among Bowie County, Texarkana College, Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas (WSNET), TexAmericas Center and other regional stakeholders. Bowie County Commissioners Court and the Texarkana College Board of Trustees approved property tax abatement agreements supporting the new investment.
Industry statistics support the project too. As TexAmericas pointed out in its announcement, “Texas produces more than half of all U.S. chemical output, and together, Texas and Louisiana account for approximately 80% of the nation’s primary petrochemical supply. Within a 75-mile radius of TexAmericas Center, chemical manufacturing and petroleum-related industries employ nearly 33,000 workers across more than 50 companies.”
“The TexAmericas Center location broadens our geographic reach, expands our sustainable portfolio and enhances COIM USA’s ability to serve customers with greater speed, efficiency and resiliency,” said COIM USA President Michelangelo Cavallo.
Among other projects moving forward on the 12,000 acres at TexAmericas:
Project Big Pine is a campus-scale, mission-critical infrastructure platform planned on approximately 500 acres positioned on the Texas side and designed to serve data centers, AI infrastructure and other power-intensive commercial users that require scale, speed, and operational certainty.
“The project represents an estimated $3.5 billion in projected investment and approximately 120 permanent jobs at full operational scale,” says TexAmericas, and benefits from a layered incentive environment that includes Foreign Trade Zone No. 258, Opportunity Zone designation (2017), New Markets Tax Credit eligibility, no municipal property or freeport taxes, multiple jurisdiction goods-in-transit exemption, Texas Enterprise Zone designation, and the Texas Large Data Center Sales and Use Tax Exemption.
In April, TexAmericas announced the recent commissioning of EnergyX’s Project Lonestar Lithium demonstration facility. EnergyX’s $30 million demonstration plant has the capacity to produce 250 tons of lithium annually using its proprietary direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology. The facility serves as a key validation phase ahead of a planned commercial-scale operation that could produce up to 50,000 tons per year within the next five years.
“The reason we are here in Texarkana and in northeast Texas is because the lithium is literally underneath our feet,” said Teague Egan, founder and CEO of EnergyX.
In June, a joint venture was announced between EnergyX and Wildcat Discovery Technologies that plans to advance a commercial-scale lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode active material manufacturing facility. EnergyX has invested approximately $20 million to date in its existing demonstration-scale project and has site control of approximately 330 acres. The larger commercial-scale project under evaluation at TexAmericas Center represents approximately $500 million in potential investment if advanced.
“Projects of this scale require more than available land,” said Eric Voyles, executive vice president and chief economic development officer of TexAmericas Center. “They require infrastructure, utility planning, transportation access, permitting clarity and a local partner that understands how to move at the speed industry requires.”
Those sorts of local partners can be reliably found in TexasEDConnection communities across the state.
Jennifer Storm, CEO of Buda Economic Development Corporation, in February 2026 was named 2025 Economic Developer of the Year by the International Economic Development Council. She is the first Texan to receive the award. In the announcement, the IEDC noted projects led by Storm and the Buda EDC include Perseus Defense, a Y Combinator-backed aerospace and defense company that established its national headquarters in Buda; the $120 million expansion of US Foods; and entrepreneurial initiatives such as the Buda HIVE incubator and THRIVE small business loan program.
In April 2026, the Buda EDC hosted the inaugural Heritage Sessions, which convened community members, business leaders, and Hays Consolidated ISD students for an immersive celebration of Central Texas Asian American culture. “What we experienced tonight was exactly what Buda is all about — neighbors coming together, sharing a meal and leaving with a deeper appreciation for one another,” said Storm. “Tonight was just the beginning. We look forward to making this a cornerstone tradition that reflects the heritage of Central Texas.”
