Big Ass Fans opens HVLS fan manufacturing plant in Texas
Big Ass Fans has opened a new production plant in Fort Worth, Texas. The company, which produces high-volume low-speed (HVLS) fans, is hiring 100 employees to work at its new 210,000-square-foot manufacturing facility.
Fun fact
The company, originally called HVLS Fan Co., was founded 25 years ago and focused primarily on manufacturing fans for dairy barns and factories. As word of their fans spread, customers would call and ask, "Are you the ones who make those big ass fans?" which led to the company’s rebranding.
What people are saying
In a recent quote, Ken Walma, CEO of Big Ass Fans, said, "What's most exciting to me about the new site is that it will benefit our customers, our supplier partners, our employees and the local economy. Texas is our number one market and home to several of our largest customers – it's also where many of our valued suppliers are based. Proximity to suppliers and increased manufacturing capacity, along with ready access to a skilled workforce, will enable us to better and more quickly serve our customers across the state and region."
City Councilwoman Macy Hill added, "I am thrilled to welcome Big Ass Fans to the Fort Worth family and look forward to their continued investment in our community. As an industry leader in airflow and energy savings, their new manufacturing and distribution facility is a welcome addition to Fort Worth's economy."
Manufacturers investing in Texas
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About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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