Samsung says it's on track for 2026 opening On-site transition from Austin campus to Taylor started in November
While the Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. semiconductor research and fabrication foundry is in the final phases of construction, the Taylor site already has begun staffing up and plans to be fully operational later this year.
The facility on 1,200 acres at the edge of Taylor expects to have about 1,500 permanent employees there by the end of 2026, but has several hundred, many from the Austin campus, transitioning to the new fab site.
“Samsung’s project in Taylor plans to be operational by the end of year,” said Michele Glaze, a spokeswoman for Samsung Electronics, in a written statement.
Officials indicated this is good news for the city and the region after two delays.
The company initially planned for a late 2024 opening. In April 2025, Samsung officials told the Taylor Press the new target would be end of 2026.
In the interim, Taylor city staff and the City Council renegotiated terms of the tax abatements and incentives agreements with the new target in mind.
“A key step in our progress is transitioning employees responsible for fabrication engineering, infrastructure and support operations from our Austin campus into the Taylor Office Building starting in November of last year. By the end of the year, we anticipate our Taylor head count will be 1,500,” Glaze said.
Samsung established its original Austin facility in 1996.
The Taylor site is expected to eventually ramp up to at least 1,800 employees.
Depending on the outlook for advanced semiconductor sales in the future, the South Korean company could spend another $27 billion in the next 20 years to build additional fab units in Taylor and on 600 acres of available land.
The $17 billion Taylor project still stands as the largest single investment by a foreign company in Texas.
The market for semiconductors softened somewhat since construction began in 2022, but Austin-based Tesla struck a deal with the chipmaker last year to be a major client for a new generation of chips for Tesla electronic vehicles in a contract that goes into 2033.
According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, that deal is worth at least $16.5 billion and he has vowed to participate in the process.
In addition to company investment and a reduction in property taxes from the city, Williamson County and the Taylor Independent School District, the Samsung project also received a federal CHIPS Act grant worth more than $4 billion and another $250 million grant from the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund run by the Governor’s Office.
Suppliers of materials, components and services to the semiconductor industry are now flocking to Taylor, Hutto and neighboring cities and the companies are expected to bring thousands of jobs to the area.
“
“Samsung’s project in Taylor plans to be operational by the end of year.”
— Michele Glaze, Samsung spokeswoman
