tesla in texas?
Local judge invites Elon Musk to relocate Tesla headquarters to Fort Bend County
A spat between entrepreneur and innovator Elon Musk and local California leadership could be a potentially sweet deal for the Houston area.
On Saturday, May 9, Musk, who founded Tesla and SpaceX, threatened to pull the company's factory and headquarters out of California in an escalating spat with local officials who have stopped the company from reopening its electric vehicle factory.
An order in the six-county San Francisco Bay Area forced Tesla to close a plant starting March 23 to help prevent the virus' spread. Musk took umbrage with the order being extended until the end of May.
“Frankly, this is the final straw,” Musk tweeted. “Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately.”
Thus, much like Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner invited Amazon to open new digs in the Houston area, Fort Bend County Judge KP George seized on the opportunity and urged Tesla to make its way to Texas, CultureMap news partner ABC13 reports.
George penned a letter to Musk and posted it to Twitter, noting that Fort Bend County is the best location for Musk to bring his offices. The letter highlights several reasons George believes Fort Bend would be the most suitable location for his offices, as well as the number of jobs it would bring to residents in the community. It describes Fort Bend as “a unique place.”
“I understand you have become frustrated with the climate in your current location as we all fight this collective invisible enemy,” wrote George. “However, I think your company would greatly benefit from learning about Fort Bend County as your search for a suitable location continues.”
Not to be outdone, Houston Fire Chief Sam Peña also chimed in on Twitter, welcoming Tesla to the Houston area.
No word on a Musk response to the two local officials.
