NEWS PROVIDED BY
Office of the Texas Governor, Greg Abbott
November 14, 2018 | Austin, Texas | Press Release
Governor Greg Abbott today announced that East Penn Manufacturing Co. will be expanding its presence in Temple, Texas to grow its finishing distribution center operations. East Penn is a manufacturer of high quality lead batteries and accessories for automotive, agricultural, commercial, marine, industrial, stationary, and specialty markets. The company’s expansion will include the construction of a new facility, more than $106 million in capital investment and the creation of 266 new jobs. A Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) grant offer of $1,356,600 has been extended to East Penn Manufacturing Co.
“Made in Texas is a powerful label, and East Penn Manufacturing Co. has established a reputation for delivering on high standards of quality to ensure consumers receive products they can count on,” said Governor Abbott. “As they expand operations, I thank East Penn for all they have brought to the city of Temple and to the state of Texas, and I look forward to their continued success.”
“It is tremendous to see the collaboration between East Penn, Governor Greg Abbott, the
Economic Development and Tourism Division, the Temple Economic Development Corporation, and all other parties involved. This will be a significant investment for East Penn and we are pleased that it will be in a community and State where we feel we can flourish and grow. We look forward to continuing this positive relationship for years to come,” said Chris Pruitt, CEO and President of East Penn.
“We are excited about East Penn’s expressed intention to invest in our 305-acre, shovel ready industrial park. These jobs are of the highest quality and are indicative of the kind of facilities that are successful here in Temple, TX. We look forward to working with East Penn in an effort to finalize the documentation needed to move forward with construction of their state-of the-art facility,” said Adrian Cannady, President & CEO of the Temple Economic Development Corporation.
Under Governor Abbott’s leadership, the Texas Enterprise Fund helped to close the deal on 29 projects in 2015-2018 that committed over $853 million in new capital investments and more than 16,500 new direct jobs all across the state, from Amarillo to the Rio Grande Valley and communities in between. The TEF also serves as a jobs multiplier, supporting thousands more indirect jobs at existing local and small businesses. The $70 million invested in job creation during Governor Abbott’s administration also helped close the deal on seven corporate headquarter relocations to Texas. Administered by the Economic Development and Tourism Division within the Office of the Governor, the Texas Enterprise Fund helps to strengthen the state’s already diverse and growing economy and attract new jobs to communities across the state.