Pflugerville Pens Economic Agreement With Robotics Firm

PFLUGERVILLE, TX -- City officials this week approved an economic agreement that would provide up to $72,000 in city funds to an expansion-minded robotics company.

The agreement was approved at the last regular city council meeting on May 10. The company benefiting from the cash infusion, SISU Devices, has plans to triple the size of its 5,600-square-foot facility on Royston Lane just west of Grand Avenue Parkway, the Pflugerville Pflag newspaper reported.

Assuming that expansion is completed by next year, the company would then receive a $1,600 grant per each new employee the company hires within the next five years -- up to 15 new hires per year -- as outlined in the performance agreement.

Moreover, each new employee must maintain an average salary of $40,000 per year with health benefits, per the agreement.

The particulars of the agreement are the handiwork of the Pflugerville Community Development Corp., a quasi-governmental agency that assists the city in luring industry and expanding local businesses.

"To be able to see a company start and grow in our own backyard is significant," PCDE Executive Director was quoted as saying in the Pflag. "And it speaks to the economic climate and ingenuity in the city of Pflugerville."

SISU is a maker of elecro-mechanical machines for business use and also offers product development, precision machining and mechanical and electrical engineering services. The company has more than 30 employees and is looking to hire more engineers, according to the Pflag.

The company, founded by Marc Christenson and Russell Aldridge in 2010 as a two-man operation -- has grown exponentionally through the years. The firm now boasts of being an "alliance partner" with National Instruments, as detailed on their home page.

Such PCDC-engineered incentives are derived from a half-cent portion of the city's sales tax revenue, which is dedicated to economic growth and infrastructure. Most recently, the PCDC helped lure the Germany-based 3-D printing company EOS to the city.

>>> Photo via SISU website

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