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Council approves TED incentive to bring Ferbrit cooling manufacturer to Innovation Factory
Summary
Council approved a Chapter 380 TED incentive package for Ferbrit (Ferber, Inc.) to expand manufacturing at the Innovation Factory; the three‑year package ties support to 30 jobs and includes recapture and a five‑year local operations commitment.
El Paso City Council approved a Chapter 380 economic incentive agreement Wednesday for Ferbrit (listed in materials as Ferber, Inc.), a company developing immersive cooling technology for data centers and high‑power computing operations.
City economic development staff said Ferbrit — a California‑based manufacturer — will use space in the Innovation Factory and that the incentives are designed to support local production, workforce development and supplier network connections. The proposed package totals roughly $875,000 over three years, structured as a TED (Tax‑Economic Development) program agreement with recapture provisions tied to tenant improvements and performance milestones.
Under the agreement Ferbrit committed to create the equivalent of 30 full‑time jobs by the end of the incentive term; wages are expected to range from a county median of about $18.21 per hour for some positions up to higher wages for engineers and technical roles. Staff requested adjusted language allowing “full‑time equivalent” measurement to capture a mix of full‑time, part‑time and intern hours — a flexibility staff said would allow the employer to count student interns and other nontraditional hours while still meeting the employment impact requirement.
Council approved the incentive after a brief presentation and public support from the local innovation network. Staff said the Innovation Factory program has attracted multiple tenants and that the TED package complements other city efforts to strengthen manufacturing and technology supply chains.
The agreement includes a five‑year commitment that Ferbrit maintain operations in the Innovation Factory or the later Advanced Manufacturing District to remain eligible for the incentive; the package contains standard recapture clauses should the company fail to meet performance targets.
Vote: The council approved the Chapter 380 TED incentive agreement. One council member later abstained from the related Downtown Development Corporation vote on a separate item.
