One of San Marcos' biggest jobs announcements in the past decade just got bigger.

At a City Council meeting March 17, a representative from Epic Piping, which announced in December its plans to open a plant in the former Butler Manufacturing facility at 2301 I-35 Frontage Road, San Marcos, announced the company plans to hire 500 workers for its new location over 10 years. Epic Piping will receive a refund of 80 percent of the ad valorem taxes generated by newly added real and personal property over ten years, per an economic development incentive agreement with the city of San Marcos. The company must meet certain job creation requirements and employ at least 350 people in 10 years to receive the refund. The company is based in Louisiana and builds pipes for a variety of industries. Epic President Kent Shepherd said the company, which deals heavily in the oil and gas industry, has not softened its outlook in the wake of depressed oil prices. “[Oil and gas is] just one of the five or six major markets that we do business with,” Shepherd said. “We pretty well [fabricate] pipe for any type of [industry]. We’ll be higher than 350 [jobs]; be it 500 or more.” Shepherd said the company worked closely with the Greater San Marcos Partnership, the entity responsible for economic development in Hays and Caldwell counties, while making the decision of where to relocate. Shepherd said San Marcos' workforce, proximity to Houston, and where Epic does much of its business, as well as the recently vacated and nearly move-in ready Butler facility made San Marcos stand out. “We think it’s a great location,” he said. “It just kind of fit our needs.” Shepherd said the company is getting ready to begin hiring the first round of workers for its San Marcos plant. Those jobs will be full time and wages will be more than $40,000 annually on average, he said.