WALLER, TEXAS — Daikin Industries Ltd., a manufacturer of indoor heating and cooling systems and refrigerants, has opened the 500-acre Daikin Texas Technology Park (DTTP) in Waller, about 43 miles northwest of Houston.
The Japanese company’s new $400 million business campus consolidates many of the company’s HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning) manufacturing and logistics facilities in Texas and Tennessee.
“The DTTP is the largest facility investment our company has made in its 90-year history, and we believe that investing in Texas and keeping jobs in the United States is mutually beneficial for both our company and the economy,” says Takeshi Ebisu, president and CEO of Goodman Global Group Inc., a subsidiary of Daikin.
Spanning roughly 4 million square feet, the DTTP supports the design, engineering and assembly of heating and cooling products for residential and commercial use, marketed under the Daikin, Goodman and Amana brands. Amana is a registered trademark of Maytag Corp. or its related companies (including Whirlpool) and is used under license to Goodman Co.
Daikin also plans to assemble VRV (variable refrigerant volume) products at the DTTP that were previously imported from other Daikin business units outside of North America. Noriyuki Inoue, Daikin’s chairman of the board and chief global group officer, says the hope for DTTP is to become a “digital factory” whereby Daikin will incorporate the latest technology available, including IoT (internet of things), M2M (machine-to-machine) and AI (artificial intelligence).
The DTTP is the largest tilt-wall structure in the world, according to the Tilt-Up Concrete Association, and is expected to house more than 4,000 employees.
Distinguished guests join Takeshi Ebisu, CEO of Goodman Global Inc., in cutting the ribbon to mark the opening of the Daikin Texas Technology Park on Wednesday, May 24 in Waller, Texas.
“Daikin’s investment is a testament to why Texas continues to be the best state for business — low taxes, reasonable regulations, affordable quality of life and a highly skilled workforce,” says Texas Governor Greg Abbott. State Senator Lois Kolkhorst and State Representative Tom Oliverson presented resolutions recognizing Daikin for its commitment to the Texas economy through infrastructure investment and job creation.
Daikin Industries acquired Houston-based Goodman Global Group Inc. in 2012, and in 2015 broke ground on the DTTP. Daikin is a global Fortune 1000 company and celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2014. All Daikin, Goodman and Amana products are sold through a North American sales network comprising company-operated distribution centers and independent distributors.
— John Nelson