Taylor’s new mayor made his first trip to South Korea last week, a visit characterized as one solidifying the city’s prospects for future growth and continuing a discussion about the future of Samsung Austin Semiconductor.
Two highlights of the six-day agenda of meetings with business and government officials were a strong commitment to Taylor from Korean firm Motion Hitech and a sales pitch to 25 companies about the benefits of locating in the sprawling Gradient Technology Park.
“Our primary goal was to meet with current suppliers and developers who have already purchased land in Taylor, to address their concerns, outline plans and identify next steps. One of the key objectives was to meet with (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. executives) and receive an update on the project in Taylor City,” Mayor Dwayne Ariola, using the name South Koreans use to refer to the city, wrote in a lengthy report posted to social media.
In a 2 1/2-hour meeting with top executives of Samsung at the tech giant’s Pyeongtaek headquarters, Ariola said he raised concerns from Samsung suppliers locating operations near the Taylor foundry about the timing of getting the $17 billion advanced semiconductor manufacturing facility operational.
“The discussion was candid and well-received, with Samsung executives expressing their appreciation for our visit and commitment to Taylor’s development,” Ariola wrote.
Reports in South Korean publications say production has been delayed to 2026, something the company has not confirmed.
The Central Texas group, which included county and city economic development officials and Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell, also visited Soulbrain, a chemical manufacturer and Samsung supplier making a $600 million investment in Central Texas. New revenue from taxes paid by the company, even after accounting for tax breaks, are expected to total $41 million for Taylor, $20 million for the Taylor Independent School District and $18 million for Williamson County over the next 15 years.
A meeting with the 30-year-old South Korean firm Motion Hitech led to an affirmation the company is most likely locating in Taylor and bringing five companies with it. The firm supplies materials and devices used in processes from semiconductor manufacturing to aerospace.
“At the end of the meeting, a company official stated, ‘Taylor is our destiny.’ I would say that qualifies as a great meeting,” said Taylor Economic Development Corp. CEO Ben White.
The move would bring new jobs, additional investment and a further diversification of the tax base in the city and county, he said. A meeting with PKC Chemical and Biotech executives was also promising, with a presentation about a confidential product they want to manufacture in Williamson County and possibly Taylor in a few years, according to the Central Texas delegation.
The visit also included a stop at the residence of the U.S. Ambassador to Korea for drinks, hors d’oeuvres and a discussion of potential commercial collaborations between Korean companies, Williamson County and Taylor. A friendship agreement between a Korean city and Williamson County in February was celebrated during an official signing event confirming a friendship between the county and Yongin Special City.
The South Korean government has designated the city of more than 1 million people near Seoul as the next major semiconductor hub for the country, which creates a natural affinity with the county and Taylor, where Samsung will invest more than $40 billion over the next two decades.
Yongin also is the home of Hironic, a medical device manufacturer to the beauty and plastic surgery industry that is planning a manufacturing facility in Taylor.
“This trip has allowed us to address concerns, gather insights and continue positioning Taylor as a vibrant, businessfriendly city with a bright future,” Ariola wrote. “These partnerships will undoubtedly lead to sustained economic growth for our community.”
