Saturday's Internet Edition, May 17, 2008.
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The new 3.5 to 4 billion dollar expansion will manufacture semi-conductor chips for Samsung, the world’s second largest chip maker.
Because of the close proximity of the Manor plant to Lee County, many Lee County residents will have another opportunity close to home for employment.
Another affect this expansion will have on our economy will be the trickle-down affect of the congestion in the Manor and Elgin areas. This will encourage many families, that once considered Manor and Elgin rural, to move further out to capture a rural setting for their families.
The local economy will also be affected by the improved transportation that the Samsung plant has requested from the State of Texas. Both Hwy 130, which is due to be complete in two years, and the newly announced preferred route for the Trans Texas Corridor, that runs adjacent to I35, will make Lee County very accessible to people working in and around Austin.
Part of Samsung’s decision to expand had to do with the state’s transportation plans for the next decade and beyond. Samsung ships every silicon wafer by truck out of Austin to Dallas. The chips are then flown from Dallas to South Korea for final testing and assembly. Traffic snarls can cause a very expensive delay in their chip manufacturing.
Officials with the company were very concerned about the growing congestion on I35. Texas’ 130 and the newly announced preferred route for the Trans Texas Corridor have gone a long way to alleviate Samsung’s concerns about congestion.
A $10.8 million grant from the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) helped close the deal, which will ultimately create 900 high-paying jobs.
Perry said last week’s announcement demonstrates that Texas is becoming a leader in emerging technology. Under the terms of the TEF agreement, Samsung will create 900 new jobs, including 300 on-site contractors.