As part of its overall investment of $10 billion in the U.S. manufacturing sector, German global technology giant Siemens electronically cut the ribbon on its new $190 million electrical equipment manufacturing plant in Fort Worth on March 6.
The 500,000-square-foot facility, at 7200 Harris Legacy Drive at Carter Park East, has already created 480 jobs and is expected to add a total of 800 by 2026. The highly automated plant makes electrical switchgear equipment such as low-voltage switchboards primarily for data center customers, said Barry Powell, regional CEO of electrical products for Siemens smart infrastructure North America division.
“We’re making all the electrical infrastructure in between that allows the data center to connect up to various sources of power,” Powell said.
Powell said Siemens electrical products group employs 3,000 to 4,000 in North Texas, including workers at two plants in Grand Prairie.
Powell said the location in the southern sector of Fort Worth was perfect for the company given its easy access to Interstate 35W and Tarrant County College being just down the road. Siemens officials said they are working to establish a program with the school to train workers for the plant.
According to Siemens, the Fort Worth facility is its most advanced in terms of energy efficiency, including carbon-neutral features such as an all-electrical powder-coat paint line, electric forklifts, low-energy-consuming HVAC systems, photovoltaic streetlights, advanced energy monitoring and energy-efficient windows.
The plant uses several manufacturing techniques borrowed from the automotive industry to make it more efficient, said Powell.
Fort Worth City Council member Chris Nettles said the plant’s opening and hiring plans will help his constituents on the east side of Fort Worth.
“These jobs, averaging (pay of) more than $50,000, will help raise our median income,” he said. “That will help us attract the restaurants and grocery stores we want.”
Fort Worth City Council approved incentives for the company in September 2023, including a 10-year tax abatement of up to 70% of incremental real and business personal property. In a report, city staff said the incentive — worth an estimated $6 million — likely would be paid back in 6½ years.
The average salary is expected to be $63,000, according to Siemens.
The Fort Worth plant is only a small part of Siemens investment in the U.S. As the plant here opens, the company is also celebrating the opening of another one in Pomona, California. Together, both plants represent an investment of $285 million. The plants will more than double Siemens production capacity of electric equipment to power critical infrastructure such as AI data centers.
Siemens is also making investments in software related to manufacturing, after signing an agreement in October 2024 to acquire Altair, a Michigan-based software company that helps companies speed up their design and manufacturing processes.
“The industrial tech sector is the basis to boost manufacturing in America and there’s no company more prepared than Siemens to make this future a reality for customers from small- and medium-sized enterprises to industrial giants,” said Roland Busch, president and CEO of Siemens AG, who was in Fort Worth for the opening.
Siemens’ announcement follows that of chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which said this week it plans to invest an additional $100 billion in the U.S., on top of $65 billion in investments the company had previously said it would make. That investment will be for three more chip manufacturing plants, along with two other sites in Arizona.
It’s part of an overall trend to manufacture domestically that has been occurring for several years. According to a 2023 U.S. Department of Treasury report, real manufacturing construction spending has doubled since the end of 2021. The boom is principally driven by construction for computer, electronic and electrical manufacturing, similar to those announced by Siemens.
Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.