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Taylor approves incentives for Compel Technology project promising $200M investment and 900 jobs
Summary
The council unanimously approved tax abatements and economic incentives for Compel Technology (Compal) to locate a 366,000 sq. ft. facility in Taylor, citing a projected $200 million capital investment and up to 900 jobs; incentives are performance-based with clawbacks, and council and staff said payments are structured so obligations are limited to the project's PID/assessments and local incentives.
Taylor City Council unanimously approved a package of tax-abatement and economic-development incentives Dec. 11 for Compel (Compal) Technology Inc., a company that plans to occupy a 366,000 square‑foot facility at 1069 FM 3349 in the RCR Rail Park.
Ben White, president and CEO of the Taylor Economic Development Corporation, described the package as performance-based with clawbacks and said the EDC and city approved related grant agreements. White said the project would involve 'a minimum of $200,000,000 capital investment' and '900 jobs' across Taylor and nearby Georgetown.
A company representative, Rick Ortiz, told council Compel will focus hiring on local residents and veterans and intends to offer internships and on‑site training in partnership with local higher‑education institutions. "We're going to invest over $200 million into the community, create 900 high‑caliber jobs, [and] partner on internships," Ortiz said.
The incentive package presented included a 50% tax abatement on city property taxes for real property for 10 years and a 50% abatement on business personal property for 10 years; the EDC will provide additional economic-development grants over six years. White said the agreements include clawback provisions if performance commitments are not met.
Council members praised the EDC for landing the project and noted a third‑party ROI analysis was used to help evaluate the package. Multiple councilors said the deal is comparable to incentives Georgetown offered to the same company, and the vote to approve the abatements and use‑tax agreements was unanimous.
Why it matters: The project represents a large private investment and potential employer in Taylor; incentives reduce short‑term tax receipts but are intended to be offset by jobs and ancillary economic activity. The package is performance‑based and includes clawback language to protect taxpayers if commitments are unmet.
What’s next: Implementation steps include final contractual execution, coordination with the EDC on grant disbursements, and ongoing monitoring of the company's employment and investment milestones per the incentive agreements.
