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Bexar County creating a strong talent pipeline in manufacturing

Training facility will be about 30,000 square feet and located in Brooks

San Antonio – Bexar County is focusing on creating a talented workforce for manufacturing in the area.

The county is working with architects and consultants on designing a new facility that will offer manufacturing training programs.

“Toyota, HOLT CAT manufacturing, Caterpillar -- those kinds of groups had a say in what spaces were actually developing for this because it’s really intended to be an industry-driven training facility,” said Dan Curry, director of facilities for Bexar County.

The Texas Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (TX FAME), an organization with 10 private manufacturing companies, will operate the facility.

The new training center will be about 30,000 square feet and located in Brooks. Curry said it would have classrooms, computer labs and a welding lab.

“Indoor and outdoor welding spaces, a machine shop and other things,” Curry said.

Rey Chavez, president and CEO of the San Antonio Manufacturing Association, said training people in our community for manufacturing jobs is critical.

“It would be good to have a facility that could accommodate the types of training that manufacturers are looking forward to, which is robotics, automation, those types of advanced manufacturing,” Chavez said.

Chavez said there are over 1,500 manufacturing companies in our region, and many others are eyeing Texas.

The new project in Brooks will cost about $13 million to $14 million. Construction could begin in about six months.

“Manufacturers that are looking to move to the state of Texas and specifically our region, I think will have that benefit. For the citizens, it’s going to be able to offer more jobs, and these are going to be quality jobs with good pay,” Chavez said.

Chavez said there are over 1,500 manufacturing companies in our region.

“I think the county, Bexar County, and the city of San Antonio and manufacturers in general, especially a lot of the manufacturing companies, see that there is that need for a training facility to get those individuals trained for the various jobs in advanced manufacturing,” Chavez said.

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Tiffany Huertas is a reporter for KSAT 12 known for her in-depth storytelling and her involvement with the community.

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