Austin manufacturer nominated for funds after helping build COVID-19 ventilators

The Austin City Council nominated an Austin manufacturer for funds from the state to help expansion plans. The manufacturer helped build thousands of ventilators to help COVID-19 patients, according to the city.

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Austin City Council nominated an Austin manufacturer for funds from the state to help expansion plans. The manufacturer helped build thousands of ventilators to help COVID-19 patients, city officials said.

Flex, an electronics manufacturing services provider and one of the top global manufacturers of medical devices, was backed by the Austin City Council to be eligible and apply for a refund of more than $1 million.

The recommendation came from the City’s Economic Development Department, according to a release.

The Texas Enterprise Zone nomination means the company is now eligible to apply for up to $1.25 million from the state in sales and use tax refunds. The final decision on the allocation of refunds will be made by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism, per the release.

“If successful, Flex has pledged to use the funds towards investing $20 million in capital expenditures and hiring an additional 200 employees in Austin – more than a third of whom will be economically disadvantaged, live in an enterprise zone, or meet veteran requirements,” officials added in the release.

Flex said the 20,000 ventilators it made in 2020 and 2021 exceeded the number produced by all other global manufacturers.

“Austin is a great city, and we are proud to be one of its largest manufacturers,” said Cory Engen, Flex's vice president of operations at Flex in Austin. “We appreciate the City of Austin’s support in our efforts to obtain an Enterprise Zone Project designation from the Office of the Governor.”