Whatever it is, you can probably get it made in Texas!
Texas’ diverse industry mix and booming economy have led to an incredible wealth of products manufactured in the Lone Star state. Here’s just a tiny example of the variety of items, some of which you’d expect, and some you might not, from companies large and small that are produced in the state.
FOOD & DRINK
Texas is well known for BBQ and Tex-Mex but these companies showcase the broad range of cultural and natural influences throughout the state.
Sucklebusters BBQ Rubs and Sauces in Coppell, Texas has gone from a hobby to a family-owned and operated business spreading authentic Texas flavor across the country and around the world over the last twenty years. They’ve become a globally recognized favorite of chefs, pit masters, and backyard grillers for their bold, flavor-packed rubs, sauces, and seasonings.
Their award-winning, all-natural products are sold individually and in gift packs in stores and online, and Sucklebusters even offers up online recipes for a variety of dishes.
Desert Creek Honey in Blue Ridge, Texas, and the raw, unfiltered honey they produce is the result of a young man’s entrepreneurial spirit and respect for bees. Starting beekeeping at just twelve years old, Blake Shook grew his interest into first supplying local stores with honey, to now expanding to national online sales, and even opening a beekeeping equipment store to help others enter the profession.
Now with tens of thousands of hives, Desert Creek Honey has grown far beyond hand-delivering each jar to its customers, but they still do all their own beekeeping and packaging for their products.
The Texas Coffee Company in Beaumont, Texas dates back to 1921, and currently still manufactures and distributes its original Seaport Coffee roasts and the newer Texjoy Coffee, along with a line of spices and seasonings carrying the Texjoy name. Seaport Coffee has become a favorite of discriminating coffee drinkers, and is so popular in their home state that a bill was submitted in the Texas legislature to make it the Official Coffee of Texas. Their products are stocked in stores regionally and are available online directly or through Amazon and Walmart. The family-run business also supplies numerous restaurants and food service businesses across the country.
Blue Bell Creameries of Brenham, Texas, is one of the best-selling ice cream brands in the country, even though their products are only sold in 24 states. It all started with making butter from the excess cream of local farmers in 1907 as the Brenham Creamery Company. A few years later, they added ice cream to their production and took on their present name in 1930. In 1958, they stopped producing butter to concentrate their efforts on ice cream, and that decision has paid off well for them.
The Texas Tamale Company in Houston, Texas, is a grassroots success story that has grown from selling their delicious family recipe tamales along the roadside, to a cart, to a restaurant, to a deal with Kroger Grocery Stores, to nationwide availability in the frozen food aisle of supermarkets, as well as online. The company offers six varieties of their lard-free tamales to tempt taste buds and bring Texas tradition to hungry buyers across the country.
The Essence Bottling Company of Lubbock, Texas uses a 7-step purification process to produce premium electrolyte-enhanced, high pH alkaline, and custom-blended bottled waters. They offer customized labeling for promotional and advertising purposes for businesses and organizations, as well as their own house-branded labeling. They are ready to quench your thirst with their award-winning water and deliver to anywhere in the USA, as well as to provide emergency supplies of water by the truckload.
Night Hawk Frozen Foods in Buda, Texas grew from the Night Hawk Diners that served the Austin area from the 1930’s to the 1990’s, and now provides a variety of frozen entrees through grocery stores around the country. With their original Charbroiled Classics, Fiesta Favorites, and Texas Favorites lines, Night Hawk has quality meals to satisfy almost everyone’s hunger and taste.
APPAREL and TEXTILES
While cowboy hats will always be inextricably linked to the Texas cowboy, Texan companies are poised to outfit both the cowboy and his tech buddy.
Catalena Hatters in Bryan, Texas, makes hats for every head. The family-owned and operated business has been producing custom felt and straw hats since 1983, and has customers from around the globe. In addition to their almost limitless variety of products for both adults and kids, they also offer felt hat restorations to make your special headwear like new, no matter what hardships it’s seen over the years.
Owners and operators Sammy and Carolyn Catalena purchased their original hat-making equipment from a hatter in Florida who said he would only sell to someone who would continue manufacturing custom hats, and not sell out to a larger company. Since the Catalenas were indeed planning to continue the tradition of making custom hats, they made the deal, and today, the Catalenas are joined by their two sons in operating their growing business.
As a rancher and PRCA Contractor, Sammy knows and understands the needs and fashion sense of his customers, so he is able to offer exactly what people want in their hats.
San Antonio Shoemakers has become known around the world for the comfort and quality their shoes provide. They use only the softest, highest quality leather for their handcrafted products. The company’s facilities in San Antonio and Del Rio, Texas, are among the very few remaining shoe factories in the United States, and they even offer factory tours to the public at the San Antonio location. The family-owned and operated business also works with a family-run shoemaker in Italy to meet the demands of buyers through their SAS stores and other retail outlets, as well as direct orders online.
Ametrine in Round Rock, Texas provides camouflage for warriors and their equipment with the latest in barriers against visual and thermal locating technology. Their ever-evolving methods and materials protect troops on the battlefield in lethal scenarios to remain undetected without hampering their mobility. The company’s motto is simply “Be Invisible”, and that’s exactly what they help their customers achieve.
The Dixie Flag and Banner Company in San Antonio, Texas, had its origins in 1958 as a home-based decorating business servicing local trade shows and events, and has grown to be a manufacturer of all manner of flags, banners, and other decorations for just about any need. In addition to standardized items, the multi-generational company designs custom products for businesses, special events, and sports, along with doing flagpole and banner installations, and providing creative consultations to achieve customers’ goals.
TRANSPORTATION
As the largest state in the continental United States, Texans have always been focused on how to get around faster and more efficiently–whether on a farm, highway, or runway.
Aircraft Technologies Incorporated started out more than thirty years ago solely to manufacture advanced, hygienic toilet systems for airplanes. Now, in addition to the range of different commode systems they produce, the San Antonio-based company’s expertise in thermoforming, fiberglass layup, and other processes they use has led to an expansion of their product line to include a variety of aircraft interior cabin components, including custom fabrications, for a worldwide client base. Now with CNC machining and 3D printing capabilities, the sky is truly the limit for their offerings.
American Airboat Corporation in Orange, Texas, has been building handcrafted airboats for more than 55 years, and continues to meet the ever-increasing demand for their products for rescue, law enforcement, pipeline work, fishing, hunting, farming, and other uses. Their use of the highest grade materials, as well as their wealth of experience in designing boats that withstand the rigors of hard use, creates demand for their products around the world. Their custom AirRanger model is designed to be one of the safest, most reliable high-performance airboats available. As true experts in the field, the company also provides safety, maintenance, and driver training for their customers.
Toyota, one of the largest automakers in the world, builds the Tundra pickup and Sequoia SUV, and axles for the Tacoma pickup, at its 2 million square-foot San Antonio, Texas plant. They produce nearly 200,000 new vehicles per year, and employ more than 3,700 people at the factory. Toyota’s investment in its Texas location currently totals over 8.3 billion dollars. Additionally, more than twenty on-site suppliers employ another 5,600 people. A second assembly line planned to open in 2030 will add another 2000 employees to the location. Toyota offers public in-person tours of the factory, as well as online virtual tours.
Air Tractor in Olney, Texas, is a leading global manufacturer of purpose-built aircraft for agricultural aerial application, initial attack firefighting, and U.S. Air Force ISR Strike military aircraft. Although known for their crop-dusting history, the rugged, turboprop planes that the company builds are suited to a variety of specialized roles because of their maneuverability and simplicity, and the company has now delivered more than 5,000 aircraft to customers around the world.
Leland Snow, the founder of the company, designed his first agricultural spraying aircraft in 1951. Over the years, he developed it further and started manufacturing in Olney in 1958 as the Snow Aeronautical Company. He sold out to Rockwell-Standard in 1965, and became the head of that company’s Aero Commander division. He left Rockwell-Standard in 1970 and worked on designing the Air Tractor for two years, putting it into production in 1972.
The plane gained immediate popularity among ag flyers, and continued development and expansion of the company’s line of aircraft has continued through the years. Snow passed away in 2011, but it was his wish to turn the company over to his loyal employees, and prior to his passing, Air Tractor became an employee-owned company in 2008 through an Employee Stock Ownership Program.
RECREATION
When the day is done, the Lone Star State knows how to unwind with the best of them!
All-Star Inflatables, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, manufactures an almost infinite variety of inflatable products for an almost infinite variety of uses. Much more than just bounce houses, inflatables are used for sports promotions, training fields, advertising signs, movie screens, special event decorations, tents, fire prevention education houses, mechanical bull pads, and a variety of physical competitions and training. The company uses top-quality materials for all components of their products and creates customized inflatables to match customers’ ideas and specifications. In fact, they say, “If you can imagine it, we can create it.”
Collings Guitars of Austin, Texas, builds a wide array of custom, handmade guitars and mandolins for musicians in all genres of music, and is known for its exceptional quality and sound. They boast numerous famous customers such as Lyle Lovett, Keith Richards, George Strait, Joni Mitchell, Pete Townshend, Keith Urban, Colin Hay, Brandi Carlile, Patti Smith, and many more. The company’s current 27,000-square-foot shop builds both acoustic and electric instruments and utilizes the latest CNC machining techniques to enhance the handcrafting and consistency of their products.
Bill Collings began building guitars in Houston on his kitchen table with a few hand tools back in the mid-1970’s, with his interest in guitars and engineering overtaking his interest in his pre-med studies. After a short stint in California, Collings met some like-minded luthiers in Austin, and he shared shop space with them to build more instruments. His reputation grew, as did his instrument lines, and his shop expanded, and more and more musicians sought out his work. Bill passed away in 2017, but his legacy of building the highest quality stringed instruments continues.
INDUSTRIAL
Never the flashiest of manufacturers, the industrial sector is well-established and serves a variety of clients.
Quikserv Transaction Windows, based in Houston, Texas, has been building transaction windows and drawers for more than 40 years. They specialize in aluminum and stainless steel fabrication for their products, and make standardized as well as custom products to meet customers’ needs for drive-through windows, ticket windows, security drawers, and whatever else businesses might need for dependable, safe, and secure transactions with the public.
TYMCO Regenerative Air Sweepers is a family-owned and operated manufacturer in Waco, Texas, and has become known worldwide for their various industrial sweeping machines. More than fifty years ago, the company revolutionized the sweeping industry by using compressed air to fully clean, then recapture dirt and debris in a hopper while scouring the surfaces of streets, parking lots, and other areas. Today, TYMCO offers a variety of sweepers for various applications, built in its more than 125,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art factory.
Crick Tool has been making top-quality levels and accessories for woodworkers since 1980 at its factory in Ben Wheeler, Texas. Using carefully selected hardwoods, laminated construction, double-strength lenses, and water-resistant glues, Crick has become a trusted name in accurate, durable, premium tools. To keep things straight and true, more than fifty different machines and eleven separate quality control checks are used in the production of their precision levels by the company’s craftsmen.
North American Bulletproof in Cibolo, Texas manufactures bullet-resistant building components such as wood, steel, and aluminum doors, sliding, transaction, and vision windows, podiums, and fiberglass composite armor. They serve numerous government agencies and commercial businesses with standardized, off-the-shelf products, as well as with custom-designed solutions to meet the specific protection needs of their customers. By staying abreast of the latest technology and blending performance with aesthetics, the company has become a leader in physical security products.
HOME/DECORATIVE
People have been drawn to Texas for over 100 years and these manufacturers are upholding a long tradition of making their homes and businesses comfortable and well as eye-catching.
The Nailhead Spur Company, now located in Burnet, Texas, after its start in Llano, Texas, specializes in metalworking and fabrication of products for home and commercial uses, including fencing, gates, signage, lawn and garden decoration, home decor, stairs, railings, smokers, and other items. For nearly two and a half decades, the company has been offering everything from spurs to structural steel creations. In addition to their standardized products, their artists, designers, and fabricators custom-build many products to meet individual customers’ specific needs and desires.
Samson Shower Systems of Burleson, Texas, manufactures high-pressure, water-saving shower heads using corrosion-resistant aerospace-grade aluminum, rather than cheap plastics that many others rely on. Their durable, patent-pending design uses just 1.5 gallons of water per minute, offers infinite spray patterns, is fully recyclable, and provides the shower experience users want. The company’s commitment to resource conservation extends to their New2U program that refurbishes their showerheads in order to further lengthen their lifecycle.
MEDICAL
Safety is a top priority and behind the leading healthcare facilities are manufacturers keeping their doctors and nurses supplied and outfitted.
Enovis, headquartered in Lewisville, Texas, is a global leader in medical technology innovation, with products that assist in surgical procedures, patient monitoring, and rehabilitation to improve the lives of patients. Through the acquisition of other successful businesses, the company now makes more than 1,000 different medical devices and holds more than 1,200 patents. Enovis has more than 30 facilities around the world and more than 8,000 employees in total. Their core value of continuous improvement has allowed them to create and manufacture revolutionary devices that make life better for patients and medical personnel alike.
Ferris Manufacturing Corporation of Fort Worth, Texas, has been manufacturing wound dressings since 1977, and since 1988 has been the maker of patented PolyMem dressings, designed to provide cleansing, absorbing, and moisturizing capabilities, as well as assist with pain management and antimicrobial protection. Ferris also manufactures Nursicare therapeutic breast pads for nursing mothers, and SportsWrap dressings designed to manage athletic injuries by controlling inflammation and reducing pain. The company sells directly to consumers or to healthcare professionals in the U.S. and around the world.
International Biomedical Limited is based in Austin, Texas, and it designs, manufactures, and distributes neonatal and perinatal products to hospitals around the world. The family-owned and operated company has been creating innovative medical products to assist with the care and emergency transport of infants for over fifty years. Their wide array of top-quality offerings covers just about every item needed to provide safe, healthy outcomes for newborns.
Maxter Healthcare Incorporated in Rosharon, Texas, has been manufacturing high-quality gloves worldwide for the medical, dental, beauty, and foodservice industries for more than 30 years, and is now reshoring its operations with a new state-of-the-art facility. Their new factory covers 1.8 million square feet and will employ 1200 people. It will also ensure a domestic supply chain for critically needed medical supplies and innovation through the highly automated facility.
Prestige Ameritech in North Richland Hills, Texas, is the largest wholly domestic surgical mask manufacturer in the country. Their ProGear Healthcare division produces more than 30 types of surgical masks, N95 respirators, and facial protection devices, and their products are in use in thousands of hospitals, clinics, physicians’ offices, and senior living facilities throughout the country. The FDA-registered facility is ISO certified for medical device manufacturing, and the company is among the most recognizable names in the healthcare industry.
CONCLUSION
From food and beverages to transportation, medical technology, industrial equipment, and custom consumer products, Texas manufacturing reaches into nearly every aspect of daily life. The companies featured here demonstrate the range of capabilities found across the state, from family-owned businesses preserving traditional craftsmanship to larger manufacturers investing in advanced production and domestic supply chains. Their stories also highlight the entrepreneurial drive, specialized expertise, and innovation that help Texas remain a major manufacturing center. Whether producing products for local customers or serving markets around the world, these manufacturers show that when it comes to making things, Texas has a lot more to offer than many people realize.
