The first phase of a new chemical manufacturing plant in Taylor and the South Korean company’s U.S. corporate headquarters just got a $12 million boost from the Governor’s Office to strengthen the state’s semiconductor industry supply chain.
Soulbrain TX LLC, the U.S. subsidiary of South Korea’s Soul Brain Co. Ltd., is spending as much $600 million for its headquarters, first U.S. plant and an eventual expansion in the RCR Taylor Logistics Park.
The company first announced its location two years ago and has since secured several million dollars in property-tax abatements from Williamson County and the city in exchange for job creation and investments that will increase the taxable value of the property for decades to come.
Soulbrain’s production of high-purity phosphoric acid will play a major role in the creation of advanced semiconductors for the Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. foundry nearing completion in Taylor and for other semiconductor- manufacturing clients across Texas and the country.
That initiative earned the company $11.6 million from the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund created in 2023 through the Texas CHIPS Act.
“Texas remains a national leader in semiconductor manufacturing as we further build a strong and resilient semiconductor supply chain,” said Gov. Greg Abbott in announcing the grant. “The Taylor facility produces new high-skilled jobs and meets industry demand for specialized materials essential to the production of next-generation chips and electronic components produced in Texas.”
Abbott added, “Through this grant, Texas will further solidify our dominance across the full semiconductor supply chain.”
The state incentives for Soulbrain “demonstrates, not just to Texas and the U.S., but to the world, that Taylor is a major component of the semiconductor ecosystem,” said Ben White, CEO of the Taylor Economic Development Corp.
The company’s acids are used in the sensitive etching and cleaning process that are part of the production of advanced semiconductors, such as the ones Samsung Austin Semiconductor will be making for electric vehicle and robotics company Tesla.
The terms of the grant call for the creation of at least 20 jobs and $120 million in capital expenditures. Samsung is so far the only other company in Taylor receiving a grant from the fund.
Phase 1 entails annual production capacity of 28,800 metric tons of high-selectivity and high-purity phosphoric acid, also known by the symbol H3PO4.
The manufacturing and engineering jobs numbers aren’t great in number, but are considered high paying and critical to the supply chain that supports thousands more jobs in the area.
“With this partnership, we will expand advanced materials capabilities in Texas, strengthen the domestic semiconductor ecosystem, and create highvalue manufacturing and engineering opportunities for Texans,” Soulbrain President Jon Park said in a written statement thanking the governor and the state.
White lauded Soulbrain as a great company to work with and hopes that the state’s financial support will serve to hasten the implementation of Phase 2, which comes with an even greater capital investment and more high-paying jobs.
A $2 million tax abatement from Williamson County was granted in October 2024 for the first phase with an expectation of creating jobs and $175 million in capital spending resulting in facilities and equipment with a taxable value of at least $100 million in the first phase.
A second 10-year property tax abatement, which is based on paying no taxes on 25% of the improved property value, will kick in for Phase 2 if the company meets job totals of at least 50 high-paying jobs, additional capital investment of $400 million and implementation of an internship program for local residents.
Taylor weighed in with a similar deal in early 2025.
“Today, we see another example of how this tool is being used to spur job creation, domestic manufacturing and further technological innovation right here in our own community,” said state Rep. Caroline Harris Davila, whose district includes Taylor. “I look forward to seeing the innovation, job creation and positive economic impact that this allocation will create for the city of Taylor and Williamson County.”
