Confirmed: CelLink to put factory, at least 2K jobs in Georgetown

CelLink Corp., a California-based manufacturer of circuits used in electric vehicles and other high-technology systems, is officially bringing a factory to Georgetown — and is in position to become the largest private-sector employer in the city north of Austin.

The company announced Feb. 16 that it had raised a $250 million series D funding round. The announcement noted the money will be used to meet exploding consumer demand in the automotive industry and to fund construction of a 300,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Georgetown, with plans to open in mid-2022.

“CelLink was originally founded with the goal of developing a new type of interconnect for solar panels. To see this core technology evolve into an entirely new product class that is accelerating the transition away from fossil fuel-based transportation, with amazing customers buying our products and world-class investors supporting our growth, is a dream come true,” CEO and co-founder Kevin Coakley said in a statement.

The confirmation comes months after the Austin Business Journal first reported that the San Carlos, California-based company was eyeing an expansion in nearly 295,000 square feet in the Gateway35 Commerce Center in Georgetown, one of two massive industrial parks being developed in the Williamson County suburb by New Mexico-based Titan Development Ltd.

Public documents filed with the city of Georgetown indicate CelLink plans to hire 2,000 employees, which would make the manufacturer the city’s largest private-sector employer. Currently the largest are AirBorn Inc., a military and aerospace electronics supplier with 612 jobs; St. David’s Hospital (486), Southwestern University (440), Wesleyan Homes, a skilled-nursing facility (420); and Caring Home Health, a company that provides at-home care (310), according to the city.

Tesla launched production late last year at its factory off State Highway 130 east of Austin. The company is expected to create thousands of jobs and potentially help Central Texas usher in a wave of EV and battery production as the global sector booms. Tesla has also started making its own 4680 cells to put in battery packs.

CelLink’s factory will be a major source of jobs on the north side of the Austin metro. Dell Technologies Inc., based in Round Rock, had 13,000 employees in the region at last count. Apple Inc. has nearly finished construction on a new campus in southern Williamson County that will initially have room for up to 5,000 employees, with the capacity to reach 15,000. Samsung is expected to create at least 2,000 direct jobs in Taylor, plus thousands more indirect jobs.

The city of Georgetown had a population of 67,176 in 2020, according to recent U.S. Census Bureau data — up 42% from 2010.

Courtesy of the Austin Business Journal. See the full article here.