Tariffs, transportation and a robust local workforce are driving another foreign manufacturer to set down roots in the San Antonio area.
British manufacturer RGE Group announced it was opening a 27,000-square-foot factory, its first in the United States, in Schertz on Thursday.
The facility is along U.S. Interstate 35, less than 10 miles from San Antonio, and should be open by Sept. 3, according to company officials.
RGE Group specializes in plastic injection molding. It builds furniture, parts and supplies using special molds and high heat to melt plastic to fit those molds. The company was established in Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, more than 60 years ago and is still family owned and operated.
The factory marks RGE Group’s first foray into the United States. The company has two plants in England, one in China and another in Lithuania. The Schertz facility will target the U.S. market.
“The site will house advanced injection molding equipment and includes built-in capacity for future expansion, enabling RGE Group to scale production as customer demand grows while enhancing supply chain resilience for North American customers,” read the company’s press release.
Dan Leach, RGE Group’s CEO, said tariffs put in place by President Donald Trump had accelerated an earlier decision to stand up the company’s first U.S. location.
Much of RGE Group’s business involves creating supplies and products used by other manufacturers. Many of those customers are also adding facilities in the U.S., he said.
It’s not the first British business to expand North American operations after those tariffs. JCB announced a larger factory in 2025 to sidestep tariffs.
Emma Leach, RGE Group’s chief financial officer, said that Schertz emerged as a contender due to its connection to transportation networks, the local workforce and assistance from organizations like Greater:SATX.
“This area really was attractive, specifically this Austin to San Antonio corridor,” she said.
It’s a shift from some of San Antonio’s other manufacturers, who have focused on the South Side.
The Leachs, a husband and wife duo that run the family-owned multinational manufacturer, said their customers are all across the country. A central location a few feet from I-35 aided distribution and is also closer to Austin, which has a direct flight to the U.K.
They noted the increase in manufacturing in San Antonio and added their products could serve local robotics and aerospace industries.
“We really want to engage with the local workforce,” Emma Leach added.
RGE Group will hire 50 workers initially and plans to connect with colleges in Austin and San Antonio to recruit engineers. Those workers can range from less experienced staff taking positions at the factory to engineers running injection molding machines that need months of training to toolmaking engineers that take on 3 to 5 year apprenticeships.
The company could also grow beyond those 50 workers after 3 to 5 years.
“Our other factories employ a lot more people. We’d like to emulate that,” Dan Leach said.
He did not disclose starting salaries, but said they would be competitive in the local manufacturing industry.
RGE Group’s products are flexible, Dan Leach said, and the company can quickly make new molds to suit new ideas.
“There’s a whole side of the business that’s always looking at the next generation,” he said.
The company’s primary products listed on its website are crates and pallets, as well as pieces and parts for office furniture. Its European facilities have pushed to use more recycled plastic.
Dan Leach said the U.S. facility will use a mix of virgin plastic, more accessible from nearby petroleum processing facilities on the Gulf Coast, and recycled plastics which are ground down into pellets for reuse.
There needs to be a mix to maintain durability and strength of products, Dan Leach said, but he hopes to partner with local recyclers and customers to build out a recycling operation.
“It can be a cost benefit, but it’s primarily an environmental benefit,” he said.
