Theron Sanders Sr.: No wonder Atwater lost out in the wooing of Tesla
A couple years ago, Tesla Motors, the giant electric-car company, was looking for a location to build its $5 billion battery manufacturing plant. The bidding to secure a location was intense with the winning community to gain thousands of jobs, millions of tax revenues and the ripple affect to area businesses. Among the finalists for Tesla, headquartered in Palo Alto, was Sparks, Nev. and our own Castle Commerce Center, outside Atwater. Nevada was the winner, likely because of economic incentives by the state.
Still, it’s a shame for Atwater. It probably dosen’t help that all calls to city hall go to voicemail, that would surely frustrate any location scout. The city’s website, atwater.org, is no better. It’s an embarrassment that displays obsolete information and lists key officials who left the city years ago. No wonder Tesla hightailed it to Nevada. Wake up, Atwater. You need not put up obstacles to keep new businesses out of town, they’ll go elsewhere for free.
Theron Sanders Sr., Atwater
This story was originally published April 25, 2017 at 11:51 AM with the headline "Theron Sanders Sr.: No wonder Atwater lost out in the wooing of Tesla."