SHERMAN ’ S BOARDWALK BUILDING ANCHORS A REINVIGORATED DOWNTOWN FULL OF LOCALLY OWNED SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS .
“ That really put us on the map ,” said Sherman City Manager Robby Hefton . “ All of a sudden , the conversation switched from ‘ Where ’ s Sherman ?’ to ‘ How soon can we come take a look ?’ And as the jobs came , the rooftops quickly followed .”
With housing prices hovering just above $ 200k for a brick home , a steady stream of emigrants from cities further south and states far afield began to pay Sherman notice . A trickle of 100 new homes a year expanded to 150 , then 200 , and now 300 new housing starts each year — a number that ’ s expected to double in 2022 .
But those housing numbers could soon look quaint . News broke in late November that Texas Instruments had selected Sherman over Singapore for a four-stage investment that will inject nearly $ 30 billion into the local economy . The new TI facility will be one of the largest factories in the United States when complete — on par with Tesla ’ s plant in Austin — and the 3,000 high-paying jobs that come along with it will deliver the type of growth that most cities only dream about .
“ Sherman provides some unique advantages such as a competitive business environment , access to a highly trained technical workforce , and an existing supplier base ,” said TI Senior Vice President of Technology and Manufacturing Kyle Flessner . “ The proximity to our other manufacturing operations in Dallas and Richardson will help us further scale our efforts and build on operational efficiencies as we expand our 300-millimeter manufacturing presence in North Texas .”
TI ’ s decision made headlines in publications worldwide , as the company ’ s decision to create a long-term , domestic solution to the
chip shortage was monumental in more ways than one . Texas Governor Greg Abbott was quick to join the chorus of applause , noting that the Sherman facility will do much to cement the Lone Star State as a global leader in tech .
“ In addition to bringing billions of dollars in capital investment and thousands of new jobs to North Texas , this historic expansion will keep Texas a national leader in semiconductor manufacturing while also strengthening the domestic semiconductor supply chain ,” Abbott said . “ I thank TI for choosing Sherman as the site for its four new semiconductor manufacturing facilities as we work together to keep Texas a global hub for innovation in advanced technology and manufacturing .”
It ’ s heady stuff for a community that heretofore was best known as the birthplace of country legend Buck Owens . But ‘ Hee Haw ’ notwithstanding , preparing for this type of growth has been no laughing matter for generations of Sherman ’ s community leaders .
After spending decades flexing political muscle to acquire water rights in nearby Lake Texoma , Sherman moved to capitalize on those rights in 2020 through a massive expansion of its water treatment facility . That $ 30-million ( with-an- ‘ m ’) investment gave the city far more water than it was able to use at the time , creating a reservoir of potential , should an opportunity like the TI plant ever come along . For those keeping score at home , that investment has now paid off 1,000-fold for Sherman — an ROI that would make Choctaw Casinos blush .
“ Sherman is unique compared to most of the other cities around DFW in that we control our own destiny when it comes to water ,” said
10 • JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2022