Industrial Electric Mfg. announced plans to build a $200 million advanced manufacturing facility in San Antonio, a project expected to create up to 3,000 jobs by 2030.
The 1-million-square-foot plant at Brooks City Base represents the San Antonio region’s largest job-producing investment in more than two decades, according to the company’s announcement.
Texas Offers $3.36 Million Grant
Industrial Electric Mfg., commonly known as IEM, manufactures custom power distribution and control equipment used by data centers, hospitals, energy companies, manufacturers, and other operations with substantial electrical needs.
The new facility will manufacture products including power distribution systems, remote power panels, switchgear, and switchboards. It will be developed in phases, with construction and hiring schedules expected to be announced in the coming months.
The state extended IEM a $3.36 million Texas Enterprise Fund grant tied to the creation of 448 jobs, according to the Office of Gov. Greg Abbott.
“Texas leads America’s manufacturing resurgence,” Abbott said. “This investment by IEM in San Antonio will create new, good-paying jobs and generate a significant economic impact for Bexar County. Advanced manufacturers invest and expand in Texas because of our welcoming business climate, easy access to domestic and global markets, and highly skilled and growing workforce.”
The state announcement described the facility as creating “up to” 3,000 jobs. The company said those positions are expected to include manufacturing, engineering, logistics, and corporate support roles.
Company Selects Former Air Force Base
Brooks City Base, formerly Brooks Air Force Base, is located in southeast San Antonio. The military installation was selected for closure in 2005 and has since been redeveloped as a mixed-use employment, residential, educational, and medical campus.
“IEM is excited to put down roots in San Antonio,” CEO Clayton Such said in the company’s announcement. “The city’s skilled workforce, strong infrastructure and collaborative economic development environment made this a natural choice for our next phase of growth.”
Such said the plant would strengthen IEM’s domestic supply chain and its ability to deliver customer-specific power systems across North America.
IEM operates existing North American manufacturing facilities in Fremont, California; Jacksonville, Florida; and Surrey, British Columbia. Including the San Antonio project, the company said it has invested $300 million and added more than 3 million square feet of product-development and manufacturing space during the past five years.
The company describes itself as North America’s largest independent full-line manufacturer of electrical distribution and integrated control systems. Its corporate website says it has operated for more than 75 years.
Local Tax Incentives Entered Negotiations
Bexar County commissioners began pursuing the project months before the final location announcement on August 25.
In January, commissioners authorized negotiations over a proposed 10-year, 70% property-tax abatement connected to $80 million in personal-property investment. The proposed county incentive was estimated at approximately $1.55 million, according to a Bexar County release.
That document said the company’s original application projected 2,960 jobs and up to $200 million in capital investment. It also specified that the final terms of any county agreement would require additional negotiation and approval by the commissioners court.
The Texas Enterprise Fund grant announced on August 25 is separate from the proposed county tax abatement.
Data Centers Drive Demand for Power Equipment
IEM said the expansion is intended to meet growing demand from energy-intensive industries, including technology and data centers, health care, energy, and advanced manufacturing.
The project arrives as technology companies expand data-center operations across Texas. The Dallas Express previously reported that Google announced a $40 billion investment in Texas data centers, energy infrastructure, and workforce programs in November 2025.
IEM’s San Antonio plant will place a major supplier of electrical-distribution equipment closer to that expanding Texas market. The company said the additional production capacity is also expected to reduce the time between customer orders and deliveries.
