These days, Texas feels like the engine room of the American economy.

In Houston, there's oil and gas; in Dallas, telecommunications and finance; in Austin, tech companies; and in San Antonio, military-related industries, with retailers and financial services like HEB, USAA, and Chase holding strong. With low taxes, relatively fewer regulations, and affordable living costs, the population continues to grow.

The deep roots of Texas lie in energy. Houston can still be called the capital of the global energy industry.

Major energy companies like ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, and Occidental are the backbone of the Texas economy. Valero Energy is located in San Antonio. While it may seem like just a gas station brand we see on the road, it is actually a massive company that plays a significant role in the North American refining industry. The strength of the Texas economy comes from the fact that these traditional industries are still generating cash, rather than just following trends.

On top of that, the tech industry has recently taken off. Austin didn't earn the nickname Silicon Hills for nothing.

Dell Technologies is based in Round Rock, and Oracle has moved its headquarters to Austin. AMD has deep ties to Austin, and Tesla has built Gigafactory Texas near Austin, creating a symbolic image of the electric vehicle era. Heading towards Dallas, you'll find Texas Instruments.

And our own Samsung has been operating a semiconductor factory in Austin for a long time. The Samsung Austin semiconductor business, which has been ongoing since the 1990s, is a prime example of how Texas is not just an oil state but also capable of advanced manufacturing. However, the key now is Taylor. Samsung is building a large-scale advanced semiconductor production base in Taylor, northeast of Austin.

The initially announced investment was $17 billion, but with the support from the U.S. CHIPS Act and additional investment plans, the total investment in Central Texas has grown to around $40 billion. The U.S. government has announced support for Samsung's Texas semiconductor cluster amounting to several billion dollars, and this project includes Taylor's advanced logic fab, research and development facilities, advanced packaging facilities, and the expansion of the existing Austin plant.

This is important because the Samsung Taylor factory is not just any factory.

It is at the heart of a national strategy to bring the semiconductor supply chain, which the U.S. has been overly dependent on Taiwan and China, back into the country. In particular, it will produce high-performance semiconductors for advanced logic chips at 4nm and 2nm, AI, automotive, defense, and telecommunications equipment.

In simple terms, it's like creating the heart of future industries right in the middle of Texas. When this factory starts operating in earnest, it won't just be Samsung employees increasing. Equipment companies, material suppliers, construction workers, electrical, plumbing, cleanroom companies, logistics, restaurants, hotels, and housing demand will all move simultaneously.

Of course, it's not all rosy. Semiconductor factories are different from regular warehouses or assembly plants. Building a cleanroom requires skilled technicians, and equipment installation and validation need personnel from Korean and overseas partner companies. This raises visa issues. Recent reports have indicated that due to the tightening of U.S. immigration enforcement and the increased costs and scrutiny of professional visas like H-1B, Korean equipment companies are concerned about their ability to send necessary personnel to the U.S. on time.

Especially after the enforcement related to the Georgia Hyundai-LG battery plant, Korean companies are more sensitive to the boundaries of what is allowed for short business trips and actual on-site work. The role of Korean engineers and partner technicians will be crucial during the equipment installation and initial operation phases at the Samsung Taylor factory, so visa issues could impact the schedule.

However, this doesn't mean that Samsung can't find people in Texas. Samsung Austin Semiconductor is a company with a history of sponsoring H-1B visas in the U.S. and continues to hire locally. The issue is the quantity. A semiconductor factory doesn't run on the brilliance of one or two geniuses; it requires thousands of engineers, technicians, equipment specialists, and operational staff to work together. This is why the Texas state government, local schools, community colleges, and universities are focusing on training semiconductor talent. For a small town like Taylor, the moment Samsung arrives, the city's status changes.

Dallas is also no slouch. AT&T is a symbol of American telecommunications, and American Airlines has its headquarters in Fort Worth, turning DFW Airport into a global hub. Southwest Airlines started at Dallas Love Field and has become the textbook example of low-cost airlines in the U.S. Recently, news has emerged that some of Samsung's U.S. operations are moving from New Jersey to Plano, Texas, further strengthening the trend of attracting businesses to North Texas.

San Antonio may be quiet, but it's strong. You'll understand why Texans love H-E-B once you experience it. The prices are good, they cater well to the local community, and they respond quickly in times of disaster. USAA provides financial and insurance services to military personnel and their families, making it a crucial part of the San Antonio economy. It may look like a tourist city, but it is actually firmly rooted in military, healthcare, insurance, and retail.

Ultimately, the strength of Texas lies in not relying on just one industry.

Houston is about energy, Dallas-Fort Worth is about aviation, telecommunications, and finance, Austin is about tech and semiconductors, and San Antonio supports retail, military, and financial services. With massive projects like the Samsung Taylor factory coming in, Texas is transforming from an oil state to a semiconductor state, an AI manufacturing state, and a space industry state.

When thinking of Texas, one used to think of a vast land with long, hot summers, but it seems that as the economic flow grows, it is rolling forward.