LITEON, a Taiwanese based technology company, will establish their North American headquarters in McKinney. The $919 million investment is said to establish more than 600 new jobs in Collin County, and represents one of the largest investments in the city's history.
McKinney's Mayor Bill Cox joined NTX Now's Ron Corning and Miranda Suarez to explain what exactly this project is.
These interview highlights have been edited for length and clarity. To hear the full conversation, click the 'listen' button above.
What is this facility?
LITEON is an electronics company, not a data center. According to a press release from Governor Greg Abbott's office, this facility will focus on the design and manufacture of AI power and infrastructure-related solutions.
Cox says the job opportunities that are to come will benefit all of North Texas.
"This is a win for the region," Cox said. "It's bigger than McKinney. While we get to claim LITEON as one of our own, it is a benefit for North Texas."
Economic and city growth
The new headquarters is set to bring 600 new job opportunities to McKinney, ranging in advanced manufacturing, engineering and technology.
The establishment of this headquarters also comes after McKinney announced commercial flights will begin taking off from their airport later this year.
Cox explains this new growth was a big reason LITEON chose McKinney.
"It just goes to show that the region has the educational level, the housing opportunities, and we check all of the boxes for companies like LITEON to even consider McKinney," Cox said.
Growing pains
As McKinney's population continues to grow, resources for people experiencing homelessness in Collin County are not keeping up.
Camping and sleeping in public places has been banned in Collin County, but there are no emergency housing options as an alternative.
Cox says while homelessness is a national concern, the city of McKinney is working on a solution.
"There's no easy answer," Cox said. "We are working regionally with other cities and trying to determine what's the next step that's best for everybody."
Currently, McKinney offers the Better Together Initiative, a city-wide program that focuses on strategic planning and community engagement, as well as cooling stations and a street outreach program.
Miranda Suarez and Ron Corning are the hosts of KERA's NTX Now. Got a tip? Email Miranda at msuarez@kera.org or Ron at rcorning@kera.org.
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