Prysmian held a groundbreaking ceremony on June 19 at the Encore Wire campus in McKinney, Texas, which will undergo a massive expansion, part of a $500 million project over five years that will see the addition of a state-of-the-art medium voltage cable production facility totaling more than 650,000 sq ft.

A press release said that the investment includes $249 million Prysmian’s Board of Directors approved earlier this year. The groundbreaking “marks a significant advancement for the company, nearly a year after Prysmian’s acquisition of Encore Wire to serve electrical customers in North America through Encore’s outstanding service model.” Expected online in 2027, the plant will significantly increase Prysmian’s medium voltage capacity and add 120 new jobs.

“This new plant will be one of the largest standalone facilities on our campus, which is the largest vertically integrated cable factory on the planet and is a major milestone in the Prysmian/Encore Wire growth,” said Prysmian North America CEO Andrea Pirondini.

Encore Wire started in 1989 with a 68,000 sq-ft industrial warehouse building in McKinney. Over the past 35 years, Encore has grown to over 3.5 million sq ft across 460 acres.

In addition to Prysmian leaders, U. S. Representative Keith Self’s District Director Michelle Bishop presented a Congressional certificate to Pirondini marking the importance of this investment. Governor Greg Abbott also issued a proclamation commemorating the groundbreaking. McKinney’s new Mayor Bill Cox joined other local leaders for the ceremony, including the Michael Kowski from McKinney Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).

Guests signed a commemorative beam that will be placed in a prominent location in the new facility. The medium voltage plant is the first phase of Prysmian’s investments in McKinney. For more on the vertically integrated campus, visit Encore Wire’s website.