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Amazon and Google to Open New Facilities in Houston Area

Published Jun 18, 2020 by A.J. Mistretta

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One tech giant is opening its first office in Houston as another plans a massive expansion in the region. 

Construction is now underway in Richmond on an 850,000-square-foot fulfillment center for Amazon. The e-commerce company’s state-of-the-art facility is set to open in 2021 and will employ approximately 1,000 full-time workers, Amazon said this week. The center is one of the company’s next wave of facilities where employees work alongside Amazon robotics to pick, pack and ship small items for customers such as books, electronics and toys. 

“We’re delighted to continue our growth and investment in Texas, with our new fulfillment center in Richmond,” said Alicia Boler Davis, Amazon’s vice president of global customer fulfillment. 

Fort Bend County Judge, KP George said he’s proud that Amazon chose Fort Bend for this major investment. “The Fort Bend fulfillment center will generate 1,000 high-quality jobs for our community, adding tremendous value to our commercial sector. The Fort Bend Economic Development Council and the County have worked diligently with Amazon to successfully implement this major project.”

The Partnership has been working with Amazon in an effort to increase the company’s investment in this region. “We are proud to support Amazon’s most recent expansion to Houston, which further positions the region as a global logistics and distribution hub,” said Susan Davenport, Chief Economic Development Officer for the Partnership. “The Greater Houston region provides unparalleled access to consumers and end users and Houston’s strong technical and skilled talent is prepared to meet the needs of this state-of-the-art facility.”

Google Inc. also announced this week it will open its first Houston office at One Buffalo Heights on Washington Avenue. The roughly 12,000-square-foot office, which will house Google’s regional Cloud Enterprise Sales Team, is slated to open early next year. 

 "Houston is a hub for innovation and technology and the digital universe. Google's decision to establish an office here provides further momentum as we build the Silicon Bayou," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said.

The Partnership has also worked alongside Mayor Turner, Houston Exponential and other groups in recent years to recruit Google to Houston.

“Houston is an innovation city and our key industries like energy, life sciences, manufacturing and logistics, in particular, are ripe for digital disruption. Houston is a logical destination for Google’s next office,” Davenport said. “The fact that Google is opening their first office in Houston is a testament to the work we have been doing to build out innovation ecosystem. We are hopeful this will lead to increased engagement between Houston companies and Google, which will lead to an increased presence of the company in Houston as they scale their relationships.” 

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Radix and Celanese Partnership Leverages AI to Harness the Power of Industrial Data

2/6/25
[PRESS RELEASE Provided by Radix] HOUSTON, Jan. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Radix, a global technology solutions company at the forefront of industrial digital transformation, and Celanese, a global chemical and specialty material company, are proud to collaborate with Cognite, the global leader in data and AI for industry, on the development of JO.AI, a groundbreaking generative AI-powered solution designed to revolutionize operations in asset-intensive industries. Born from the successful development and implementation at Celanese by Radix through their engineering intelligence expertise – and powered by Cognite Data Fusion®, the market-leading DataOps and AI platform for enterprise-scale, complex industrial data management projects – JO.AI is poised to redefine how industrial manufacturers leverage data for enhanced productivity and operational excellence at scale. JO.AI will be showcased at the upcoming ARC Industry Leadership Forum 2025 taking place in Orlando, Florida, from February 10-13 under the theme "On the Ground: Accelerate. Optimize. Scale." Radix will showcase and discuss how the powerful industrial solution is optimizing the future of smart digital manufacturing, directly addressing the challenges faced across industries such as Energy, Chemical, Manufacturing, Oil & Gas, Power Generation & Distribution, Pulp & Paper, and Metals, Mining & Minerals. Industrial manufacturers often struggle to unlock the full potential of their data, even with the presence of data aggregators. JO.AI solves this problem by acting as an advanced Industrial Copilot, enabling intuitive, natural language interaction with the Industrial Knowledge Graph provided by Cognite Data Fusion® to make complex data easier to access and action into intelligence tailored specifically for the process industry. JO.AI leverages Cognite Data Fusion’s unmatched data management and comprehensive AI infrastructure to enable the Gen AI application to carry out more complex operations with greater accuracy. With Cognite Data Fusion® as its backbone, JO.AI combines operational insights with pre-trained AI agents focused on specific process use cases. "AI has proven to be a valuable business catalyst in today’s dynamic manufacturing landscape, offering unparalleled opportunities for optimization and innovation," said Sameer Purao, Senior Vice President and CIO at Celanese. "We developed JO.AI – in collaboration with Radix, on top of the robust data foundation provided by Cognite Data Fusion® – to harness the power of AI to improve efficiency, reduce costs and elevate overall productivity. Additionally, AI enables smart production through real-time data analysis, facilitating data-driven decisions, process optimization and swift response to market demand. Incorporating AI into our manufacturing operations is not just a technological advancement, but also a competitive advantage." "Digital transformation, especially with AI-powered solutions, is only as strong as the data foundation it’s built upon," said Bill Hendricks, President of Cognite Americas. "Cognite accelerates time-to-value by enabling seamless integration and management of complex industrial data, providing the essential infrastructure for innovative applications like JO.AI. Working alongside a forward-thinking partner like Radix, who shares our commitment to pushing the boundaries of industrial innovation, we empower organizations to unlock unprecedented value from their data and drive real operational impact." JO.AI empowers operators and engineers in four key areas: 1. Optimized Operator Rounds: JO.AI provides insights that ensure operations teams are focusing their rounds on the right checklists. 2. Data-Driven Checklist Management: It recommends the optimal frequency of checklist items, identifies areas with high-volume issues, and highlights deviations. 3. Balanced Workload: JO.AI helps ensure that the checklist workload is appropriate for each shift. 4. Streamlined Maintenance: The solution facilitates maintenance and work notification opportunities, recommending resource plans and even assisting operators in writing work orders. "JO.AI represents a significant leap forward in the application of AI for industrial settings and asset intensive industries," said Alex Clausbruch, CEO of Radix North America. "By combining Radix's expertise in AI and software development with Celanese's deep industry knowledge, we've created a solution that not only addresses the current challenges of data utilization but also unlocks new levels of efficiency and optimization. We believe JO.AI will be a game-changer for asset-intensive industries." "The development of JO.AI is a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation," added Justin Conroy, Vice President, Digital Product Portfolio at Radix. "We've worked closely with Celanese to ensure that JO.AI meets the specific needs of industrial operators worldwide. This solution is not just about technology; it's about empowering people and teams with the insights they need to make better decisions and drive real business value." Radix will be participating as a Gold Sponsor at the ARC Leadership Forum 2025 in Orlando next month with several opportunities to engage with industry leaders, customers, partners and learn more about JO.AI and its capabilities. About Radix Founded in 2010, Radix is a privately held global technology solutions company providing consulting, engineering, operations technology, and data and software technology solutions. Radix combines key capabilities and practices to empower customers to thrive along their digital transformation journey. Radix provides technology-based, data-driven solutions to industrial and non-industrial companies worldwide. Radix has experience leading projects in more than 30 countries and has more than 1,700+ employees around the globe, with North American headquarters in Houston, Texas, main headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, additional offices in Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte, and a presence in Singapore and Amsterdam. To learn more, visit www.radixeng.com. About Celanese Celanese is a global leader in chemistry, producing specialty material solutions used across most major industries and consumer applications. Our businesses use our chemistry, technology and commercial expertise to create value for our customers, employees and shareholders. We are committed to sustainability by responsibly managing the materials we create for their entire lifecycle and are growing our portfolio of sustainable products to meet increasing customer and societal demand. We strive to make a positive impact in our communities and to foster inclusivity across our teams. Celanese is a Fortune 500 company that employs approximately 12,400 employees worldwide with 2023 net sales of $10.9 billion. About Cognite Cognite makes Generative AI work for industry. Leading energy, manufacturing, and power & renewables enterprises choose Cognite to deliver secure, trustworthy, and real-time data to transform their asset-heavy operations to be safer, more sustainable, and more profitable. Cognite provides a user-friendly, secure, and scalable platform that makes it easy for all decision-makers, from the field to remote operations centers, to access and understand complex industrial data, collaborate in real time, and build a better tomorrow. Visit us at www.cognite.ai and follow us on LinkedIn and X.
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