Tony Bennett, President and CEO of the Texas Association of Manufacturers, said Texas leads in semiconductor manufacturing, with strong industries in automotive, food products, and heavy machinery, employing nearly 1 million Texans and supporting up to six additional jobs per manufacturing job. Bennett was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.

“We're the number one semiconductor manufacturing state in the U.S. as well," said Bennett in a recent edition of the Texas Talks Podcast. “We have automotive in the state, food product manufacturing, heavy machinery, and equipment like Caterpillar. We have a host of huge industry sectors, and manufacturing is employing nearly 1 million Texans directly today. It has a very high job multiplier.”

“For every manufacturing job within the plant, you have up to six support jobs outside of the plant's fence," said Bennett. “So that's huge. It's a huge economy.”

Bennett is the President and CEO of the Texas Association of Manufacturers (TAM), a position he has held since 2012. TAM represents over 500 companies across sectors like energy, aerospace, and chemicals, working to improve global competitiveness and economic growth in Texas. TAM advocates for policies on energy, taxes, workforce development, and legal reforms to support a pro-growth environment and protect jobs.

Texas Talks podcast is hosted by Brad Swail. The weekly show is focused on public policy in the state of Texas, with insights from the people and organizations that influence it.

The podcast is available on Simple Cast and YouTube.