Serving as a popular destination for relocating and expanding companies worldwide, Texas has a proven track record in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). According to a report from Site Selection Magazine, which analyzed country-wide FDI data since 2015, Texas is the #1 FDI Project State in the nation and is home to two of the top 10 FDI metros in the U.S.: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington.

Despite a severe disruption to the global business landscape in 2020, we found that FDI remained relatively strong in the Lone Star State. IMB's recent Global Location Trends report showed that most organizations experienced an insignificant immediate impact on their investment plans in 2020. In fact, companies canceled only 3% of foreign country projects around the world. The most current data from FDI Markets shows Texas recorded 140 greenfield FDI projects between January and November of last year. These projects are expected to create a total of $5.7 billion in capital investment and more than 9,100 new jobs.

As we look towards the future of global investment trends, we expect to see heightened interest from international firms exploring opportunities in Texas. According to the Global Location Trends report, 94% of foreign investment projects planned for the next two to three years were not affected by the pandemic in 2020. Due to the state's strong history of business attraction, it is evident that Texas will remain a leading destination for FDI well into the future. The state's unique combination of competitive advantages, including a business-friendly climate, large and diverse workforce, robust infrastructure and access to global markets, will continue to allow international businesses to flourish.

The pandemic forced many businesses to reevaluate their ability to find success in their current location. Many companies are now looking at the future with the idea of adapting their business models, rethinking access to customers, employees and supply chains. As companies consider consolidation and cost-cutting efficiencies, we have seen numerous business operations move out of high-cost areas such as California, the Northeastern U.S. and other regions of the country to explore opportunities in Texas.

This trend spotlighted our state's highly diverse economy, attractive business climate, lower operating costs and strategic geographical location. That's why firms in diverse industries such as e-commerce, logistics and supply chain, food and beverage, advanced and general manufacturing, biopharma, telecom and corporate operations are engaging with our office to explore site options for expansion or relocation in the Lone Star State. Below is a listing of some of  the most recent announcements in Texas:

Oracle in Austin: Tech-giant and Fortune 500 company, Oracle, announced the relocation of their headquarters from California to Austin.

Peloton in Plano: Peloton announced plans to significantly grow their campus in Plano, creating up to 1,600 new jobs.

Envases Group in Waco: Envases Group, a global aluminum can manufacturer, announced plans to open to a new $100 million facility in Waco, creating 121 new jobs in the area.

Optimal Elite Management in Grand Prairie: Sign manufacturer, Optimal Elite Management, acquired a new office and warehouse in Grand Prairie with plans to relocate corporate headquarters and production facilities to North Texas from California.

Facebook in Fort Worth: Facebook announced a $1.5 billion expansion to their data center complex in Fort Worth, which is slated for completion in 2022.

Lowes in New Caney: Lowes announced plans to locate a new distribution center on the northern outskirts of Houston, creating about 200 jobs and $65 million in capital investment.

Tata Consultancy Services in Austin: Tata Consultancy Services, a global IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, announced plans to expand its operations in Austin, creating 130 new jobs and more than $100 million in capital investment. 

Amazon in Missouri City: Amazon announced expansion plans in the Missouri City area with a new fulfillment center, which is expected to create more than 500 new full-time jobs.

Regroup Mass Notification in Dallas: Regroup Mass Notification, a provider of mass communications solutions, announced the relocation of their headquarters to Dallas from California.

Whole Foods in Austin: Whole Foods will be expanding its footprint in downtown Austin with a $38 million expansion of their corporate headquarters.

Prairie Dog Pet Products in Abilene: Prairie Dog Pet Products announced expansion plans for new equipment across facilities, including their plant in Abilene, for a total of $18 million in capital investment in 2021.

Hello Bello in Waco: Diaper manufacturer, Hello Bello, announced plans to invest $31 million in a factory in Waco, creating 110 new jobs.

TaskUs in Rio Grande Valley: Tech services company, TaskUs, announced plans for a new location in Rio Grande Valley, where they plan to create more than 1,000 new jobs.

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) provides oversight for various occupations, businesses, facilities and equipment. The agency protects Texans' health and safety and ensures they are served by qualified professionals. EDT works with TDLR through our Business Permit Office to help small businesses and entrepreneurs obtain timely and relevant information and address concerns about permits and licensing in the state. For information more on TDLR, visit their website.

Axiom Space plans to partner with the Houston Spaceport at Ellington Airport to build the world’s first commercial space station in Texas. The endeavor will create more than 1,000 new jobs. More here.

Baylor Scott & White Health, the largest not-for-profit health system in Texas, announced plans to partner with Baylor College of Medicine to open a medical school campus in Temple. The new campus is slated to open in fall 2023 with an inaugural class of 40 medical students. More here.

Raytheon Intelligence & Space (RIS) announced a new collaboration with SkyGrid, a Boeing, SparkCognition company. SkyGrid will deploy RIS revolutionary next-generation air traffic controller workstation, called Multi-platform ATC Re-hosting Solution or "MARS". As part of a long-term strategic relationship, the companies will integrate the MARS platform with SkyGrid’s AerialOS. SkyGrid took delivery of its first MARS system at its Austin, Texas, headquarters. More here.

The University of Texas at San Antonio's Institute for Economic Development has partnered with Retail Strategies LLC to host the Texas Retail Academy. The academy will educate city leaders on retail and business recruitment, real estate and small business support. The program is made possible by a grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which fully funded six communities' participation. More here.

The newly-formed North Texas Center for Mobility Technologies, led by the Texas Research Alliance, is a collaboration including DFW area research universities—The University of North Texas, The University of Texas at Arlington, The University of Texas at Dallas, and Southern Methodist University. The partnership will provide the expertise and talent North Texas needs to continue improving mobility in the region. More here.

Southern Methodist University's Darwin Deason Deason Institute for Cyber Security has received more than $1 million in new research grants aimed at breakthroughs in cybersecurity and quantum computing. The grants were awarded by Anametric, Inc., an Austin-based company developing new technologies and devices for chip-scale quantum photonics, with a focus on cybersecurity. More here.

Jared Cruz joined the Texas Economic Development & Tourism team as a Program Specialist within Business and Community Development (BCD). Jared will be supporting BCD's marketing and communications functions, helping promote the state of Texas as a premier place for business. Jared is originally from Keene, Texas, and holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Texas A&M University. We are excited to welcome Jared to the team!

EDT is administering a statewide survey to better understand the current Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) landscape in Texas and determine how to provide the best resources to Texas communities to support their FDI attraction efforts. If you have not already completed the survey, there's still time to let your voice be heard! Thanks for your participation.

Take the Survey