New $190M Fort Worth factory makes equipment for data centers

• Gov. Greg Abbott is also pushing for more manufacturing jobs in Texas, particularly semiconductor manufacturing jobs.

The big picture: Dallas-Fort Worth's booming population and business growth represent a big draw for companies like Siemens.

• The company already has manufacturing facilities in North Texas, including two in Grand Prairie and a Carrollton factory that makes EV chargers.
• "We see Texas in general, and D-FW specifically, as a good place to do business," Siemens regional CEO of electric products Barry Powell tells Axios.

State of play: The equipment made at the Fort Worth factory is meant to be sold primarily in the U.S. market.

• The facility will also use vendors from Texas and North America as part of the company's move toward regionalizing production.

♻️ The intrigue: The 500,000-square-foot Fort Worth factory is carbon neutral. The paint production lines are electric, as opposed to being powered by natural gas.

• The facility uses renewable energy like solar and wind power.

Zoom in: Siemens employs about 4,500 Texans and will have more than 1,700 workers in Fort Worth.

• The company is focusing on recruiting locally and is doing in-house training. Siemens has hired former teachers and principals to create the curriculum.
• The average pay is expected to be $63,000. And prospective employees don't need prior training to get hired, according to the company.

What's next: The factory is near a Tarrant County College campus, and Siemens plans to initiate a workforce development partnership with the school.