Guadalupe County approves Chapter 381 tax‑rebate agreement for Ranch Hand facility in Seguin

Guadalupe County’s Commissioner’s Court approved a Chapter 381 economic development agreement with Kirk Manufacturing LLC, a subsidiary of Lippert that operates the Ranch Hand brand, to rebate a portion of property taxes for a new manufacturing facility in Seguin.

Josh Nyker, the county’s director of economic development, told the court the project involves a developer‑built, approximately 403,000‑square‑foot building at I‑10 and FM 464 and that the combined investment for the site and operations is expected to be about $80 million — roughly $60 million in developer site and building improvements and about $20 million in company investment for machinery and equipment. "I think today is a very special day in Guadalupe County," Nyker said as he introduced the agreement and summarized the performance terms.

Under the agreement the company must obtain a certificate of occupancy from the City of Seguin by Dec. 31, 2026, make a minimum $20 million capital investment during a two‑year ramp period, and meet job‑creation and payroll thresholds the county will verify. The county economics director described a 10‑year, performance‑based property tax rebate schedule that steps down over the term (higher rebate in early years, lower in later years). Nyker said the agreement includes clawback provisions and that lateral‑road assessments are not affected.

A representative of Ranch Hand told the court the company has strong customer demand that the new facility will help meet. "We're very excited…we're looking forward to having Seguin and Guadalupe County as our home for decades," the company representative said.

The motion to approve the Chapter 381 agreement carried; the clerk recorded the result on the transcript as "motion does pass" with 0 nays and 1 abstention. The agreement is structured as a county‑level rebate to the company and is separate from the developer’s obligations and permits.