CelLink, the California-based tech company receiving the abatements, pegs the total capital investment at $130 million over five years. They further state that 800 people will be employed by the operation in five years, with the potential to reach 2,000 in 10 years. Construction for the building is expected to be completed by June.
“We are excited to see Georgetown become part of the growing electric vehicle and energy storage industries,” Georgetown Mayor Josh Schroeder said. “Companies like CelLink and industrial park developers like Titan will strengthen the economic foundation of our community bringing sales tax revenue, creative talent, and good jobs to our city.”
The facility will be leased by CelLink from Titan Development. Both agreements are Chapter 312 agreements, abatements available to cities and counties in the Texas Tax Code.
The combined fiscal impact of the two deals is about $4.3 million, meaning the company will save that much money in city property taxes during the period.
Williamson County’s agreement states that in the abatement’s sixth year, the property’s taxable value must be at least $80 million. CelLink will also benefit from a $2.5 million infrastructure grant from the Georgetown Economic Development Corporation.
Records from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts show no Chapter 313 application from CelLink with Georgetown Independent School District. Chapter 313 of the tax code was not renewed by the Texas legislature last year, but Chapter 312 was renewed for 10 years back in 2019.
“This new manufacturing facility is ideally located in Central Texas to serve our customers, many of whom are electric vehicle manufacturers,” CelLink CEO Kevin Coakley said. “Georgetown provides access to a skilled and educated workforce in the region fostered by advanced Texas State Technical College and Austin Community College curriculums in high-tech manufacturing. It has all the amenities of a vibrant city, making Georgetown a perfect fit for our expansion.”
The abatements also include a 75 percent reduction in the taxable value of business personal property — all pieces of property a business owns and uses in its operations that isn’t the land on which they sit.
CelLink’s circuits will be used in electric vehicles and battery storage products. The facility’s location is between I-35 and State Highway 130. Williamson County’s population is growing rapidly, ranked in the top six nationally for growth rate.
###
Disclosure: Unlike almost every other media outlet, The Texan is not beholden to any special interests, does not apply for any type of state or federal funding, and relies exclusively on its readers for financial support. If you’d like to become one of the people we’re financially accountable to, click here to subscribe.
Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson is a senior reporter for The Texan and an Ohio native who graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2017. He is an avid sports fan who most enjoys watching his favorite teams continue their title drought throughout his cognizant lifetime. In his free time, you may find Brad quoting Monty Python productions and trying to calculate the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow.