JCB's 1-Million-Sq-Ft San Antonio Factory Takes Shape, Doubling Its Original Footprint
According to Engineering News-Record, British heavy equipment manufacturer JCB is constructing a 1-million-sq-ft factory on 400 acres along State Highway 16 in San Antonio, with Joeris General Contractors serving as construction manager at risk. The footprint doubled from the original 500,000-sq-ft plan after JCB formalized the expansion in April 2025, citing the Trump administration’s tariff announcements as a direct driver. The project began construction in March 2025 and is targeting phased turnover starting Sept. 10, with final completion set for late January 2027. The site has logged approximately 438,000 worker hours to date.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Large industrial clients are actively accelerating and expanding US manufacturing projects in response to tariff pressure, creating significant opportunities for civil, structural, and mechanical subcontractors in Texas markets.
- Deep foundation work on this project required driving 414 concrete piers 40 ft into expansive clay soils, a technical challenge that highlights the specialty geotechnical and concrete subcontractor demand these megaprojects generate.
- Joeris was brought in at the “napkin-sketch stage” in February 2024, well before the March 2025 construction start, underscoring that early preconstruction relationships are critical to winning work on large industrial builds.
