CIBOLO, TX — Governor Greg Abbott attended and delivered remarks at the ceremonial groundbreaking of Aisin AW in Cibolo. Aisin AW and Toyota announced a combined $800-million investment in Texas, with Aisin investing $400 million in its future facility in Cibolo, which will support 900 new jobs. The governor spoke of Texas' expanding role as a manufacturing and automotive powerhouse, and the growing partnership between Aisin and the Lone Star State.

“There is no label more powerful than 'Made in Texas' and we are proving that once again with this new facility,” Abbott said. "I was honored to meet with Aisin executives during my economic development trip to Japan to discuss this investment, as well as our shared commitment to strengthening this partnership. Working together, we will continue to grow the Aisin brand in Texas, create more jobs and expand economic prosperity throughout the Lone Star State."

The governor called the event a door-opener for the area and for the state.

“This is a great day for Cibolo, Texas,” Abbott said. “This is something that puts Guadalupe County and Cibolo on the map. What you will see in the coming years and coming decades is this was the beginning of a chapter that will lead to chapter after chapter of a great book about this entire region. You’ll look back and tell your kids and grandkids, ‘I was there on the day the ground was broken on a project that led to all this massive development around the entire region.’”

AW Texas purchased the land, located in a reinvestment zone designated by the Cibolo City Council, from the Guadalupe Valley Development Corporation, which is part of the local energy cooperative, GVEC.

Darren Schauer, General Manager and CEO of GVEC, said the board of directors envisioned such a partnership when it invested in the land in 2013.

“It was our vision that if we found the right partner to move into this location that we could then attract the necessary infrastructure to serve the needs of this new partner … and this entire I-10 corridor,” Schauer said. “We could not have found a better partner than Aisin AW to fulfill that vision and help us be where we are today.”

The 20-year agreement with the City of Cibolo is valued at $9.6 million while the county’s agreement is worth $13 million.

The project is expected to bring a $36-million payroll to Cibolo and deliver an annual net benefit of $3.7 million to the city and $4.5 million to the county in sales and property taxes.

For a company the size of Aisin AW to come to a city the size of Cibolo is transformative for the region and the state, said Robert Allen, President and CEO of the Texas Economic Development Corporation.

“This is a concrete example of a successful pursuit,” Allen said. “We think this is just the beginning of a very long and very fruitful relationship. It’s not the end, it’s the beginning.”