The Texas State Fair is more than midway rides and corny dogs—it’s also a showcase of manufacturing muscle. Big Tex, the towering icon overlooking Fair Park, started as a manufactured structure (once Santa at Kerens!), with metal, safety systems, and fabrication. Each year, manufacturers produce the tools, signage, booths, fixtures, and custom forms needed to bring the Fair to life. It reminds us that behind every spectacle is hard work, precision, and technical craftsmanship. Behind every dazzling midway light is the work of Texas makers.
Manufacturing is a backbone industry here. According to the Dallas Fed’s Manufacturing Outlook Survey, factories across Texas reported ongoing challenges with raw material costs, workforce shortages, and tighter margins. Yet, production remains resilient, and manufacturers still fuel billions in state GDP. This grit is the same spirit that keeps Big Tex upright year after year.
Still, pressures are real. A recent article in Texas Today highlighted how supply chain hiccups, rising regulatory costs, and labor gaps are slowing some manufacturers down. When booths, signage, or exhibition forms don’t arrive on time, small businesses can’t showcase their work at the Fair—and costs ripple down the line.
But it’s not all headwinds. Trends shaping Texas manufacturing in 2025 show that shops focusing on sustainability, local sourcing, and workforce skills are thriving. As Robert Walters notes, forward-looking manufacturers are finding ways to reduce dependency on long supply chains and lean into smarter, more resilient practices. That means better margins, fewer delays, and stronger community ties.
Here’s where IntegraMSP comes in. Just like the Fair relies on Texas manufacturing to create booths, forms, and fixtures, manufacturers rely on tech to keep operations humming. From secure networks that protect designs and contracts, to backups that safeguard order histories, to reliable shop-floor connectivity—IT isn’t the star of the show, but it keeps the lights on (literally and figuratively).
So this season, as you snap a photo with Big Tex, take a moment to appreciate the manufacturing shops that made it possible. The tools, the forms, the fabrication, and the tech behind it all. At IntegraMSP, we’re proud to support Texas manufacturers with the IT that lets them focus on what they do best: building the spirit of Texas, one project at a time.
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