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Big economic-development numbers can sound impressive without telling a family much about when a job will actually become available. That distinction is important in Greater San Antonio, where the regional economic partnership greater:SATX says projects it has helped secure represent 7,098 announced jobs and $4.8 billion in capital investment so far in 2026.

Those figures represent announced commitments, not 7,098 people who have already been hired or $4.8 billion that has already been spent. Some projects will develop over several years, making the individual company announcements more useful to job seekers than the regional total alone.

IEM and Toyota Account for Thousands of Planned Jobs

One of the largest projects is Industrial Electric Manufacturing’s planned expansion at Brooks in Southeast San Antonio. IEM plans a $200 million investment in a new 1 million-square-foot facility that is expected to create up to 3,000 jobs by 2030. Greater says the positions are expected to span manufacturing, engineering, logistics and corporate support as the operation grows.

Toyota is another major part of the 2026 picture. Greater says Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas plans to add 2,000 advanced manufacturing jobs through its San Antonio expansion. The economic-development organization separately described Toyota’s investment as approximately $3.6 billion and said it would roughly double the size of the company’s San Antonio plant.

H-E-B and Blackwave Add to the Regional Picture

Greater also lists 1,200 new jobs associated with H-E-B among this year’s major announcements. Germany-based Blackwave, meanwhile, is establishing its first U.S. manufacturing operation at Port San Antonio’s Tech Port campus. Greater’s current relocation and expansion listing associates Blackwave with 250 new jobs.

The mix of employers matters because the opportunities are not concentrated in a single occupation or part of town. The major announcements touch advanced manufacturing, power-distribution equipment, retail and related operations, aerospace-oriented advanced materials and other fields. That can translate into demand for workers with very different education, certification and experience levels as the projects develop.

The longer view is also significant. Greater says that since 2022 it has helped secure more than 20,900 announced jobs and $10.26 billion in capital investment across projects involving manufacturing, aerospace, defense, cybersecurity, financial services and corporate operations. Those are figures reported by the economic-development organization and should be understood as project commitments rather than a measure of current employment.

For residents, the next chapter is less about the headline total and more about execution. IEM’s hiring, for example, is expected to build toward 2030 rather than happen at once. As individual facilities move through construction, opening and hiring, My Neighborhood News will continue tracking when those announced jobs turn into applications and employment opportunities residents can actually pursue.

By Tiffany Krenek, My Neighborhood News 

Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.

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