TAYLOR, Texas — With multiple large infrastructure projects in the works, residents of Taylor are eagerly awaiting the economic boom that’s about to hit the area.

“We’re not quite seeing it just yet, but we know that it’s coming,” Taylor native Andrew Gonzales said.

Gonzales owns a handful of local businesses in the Austin-area suburb — including Taylor Sporting Goods — and business has been bringing him a lot of optimism.

“We’re in the process of buying an automatic machine so we can accommodate a 1,000-piece order we just did for a Samsung project,” Gonzales said.

Last year, the Samsung Austin Semiconductor factory’s economic impact report showed a $26.8 billion contribution to Central Texas. Those numbers, including $23.8 million to Taylor, lead many involved to believe striking while the iron is hot is the right strategy.

“We brought people in last week, and they said Taylor could be the next Frisco,” Ben White, CEO and president of Taylor’s Economic Development Corporation, said.

White has been tasked with helping to shape the future Taylor, and those responsibilities include finding new businesses, retail spaces and housing for the increasing population.

“What we have to offer right now for 17,000 citizens will be a lot different than what we will have to offer 30-40,000 people,” White said.

Ben White, CEO and president of Taylor's Economic Development Corporation, predicts that Taylor's population could more than double in the next decade. (Spectrum News 1/Dylan Scott)

The resident who might understand this best is Mayor Brandt Rydell, whose family goes back six generations in this region.

“This is the type of growth we haven’t seen in 100 years, if not ever,” Rydell said.

With a 226% increase in sales and tax revenue in 2023 alone, the city is looking to spend wisely. Along with winter weather cleanup, its long list of needs includes key items like increased municipal staffing and much needed infrastructure improvements to highways and roads.

“Applying this money to onetime expenses on our end, whether it’s needed equipment service, fleet vehicles, fire department, IT systems. (We are) trying to be very mindful of that,” Rydell said.

Taylor Mayor Brandt Rydell, left, says the economic impact of the Samsung factory will help aid in increasing municipality staffing and improving infrastructure to existing roads and highways. (Spectrum News 1/Dylan Scott)

From small business owners to city officials, Taylor’s residents are looking forward to what’s in store and hope that an economic boom will come with it.

“I think doing those things is really going to help when it does come. We’re going to be ahead of it as opposed to keeping up with it,” Gonzales said.