Chelsea has scored a $68 million coup, and landed 195 new jobs. In July, the shuttered Jaytec factory at 5800 Sibley Rd. was quietly purchased for $4 million by the Spanish automotive supplier Corporacion Gestamp. In late October, Gestamp announced that it had picked the location over sites in Mexico, Tennessee, West Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana for its new U.S. factory. “This is a huge win for our community,” says Bob Pierce, director of the Chelsea Chamber of Commerce. “Not only does it mean that a vacant facility is sold, but the 195 jobs that come with it will have a very positive impact on our downtown businesses. We had a gap in our manufacturing sector, and Gestamp will fill it.”Headquartered in Madrid, Gestamp is a [euro]7 billion company specializing in complex metal stampings and assemblies, including chassis, bumpers, door checks, hinges, and pedal boxes. Its innovative 3-D remote laser welding technology enables the development of lighter, safer, and more energy-efficient vehicles. “This decision represents a process that encompassed several years and many levels of local, regional, and governmental agencies,” says Jennifer Olmstead, senior business development manager for Ann Arbor SPARK, which worked with Gestamp. SPARK also connected the company with Michigan Works!, which will help fill the 195 positions. In a press release, Jeff Wilson, president of Gestamp North America and Gestamp Asia Pacific Corporation, calls Michigan “the best environment for us to compete and succeed in our mission.” He says the Chelsea plant will have a chassis assembly line and lines for electronic paint coating and drying. The state sweetened the deal with the newly formed Gestamp Washtenaw with $1,575,000 in grants from the Michigan Strategic Fund. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation will administer the performance-based grant. Besides the Chelsea site, Gestamp will also invest $90 million in its existing plant in Mason and $700,000 in its North American headquarters in Troy. Gestamp will add forty employees in Mason and sixty-five in Troy. According to Pierce, the Sibley Rd. facility was first built for the Dana Corporation, then sold to Ann Arbor Machine. County tax records indicate that Jaytec bought the site in October 2009, paying $1.4 million for the 189,000-square-foot factory, which now has an assessed value of $1.63 million and a taxable value of $1.56 million. Jaytec closed operations in 2012. For a short while, Jaytec was granted a 50 percent tax abatement–“but that was revoked when they left,” explains city clerk Laura Kaiser. “I imagine Gestamp might apply for one, but they haven’t yet. The abatement is only applicable for new equipment and new investments in the facility, not for a facility’s current situation.”The facility has been well maintained and is in “excellent condition,” says John Hanifan, city manager for Chelsea. “It has what Gestamp needed: an easily accessible site, a crane, and a strong pool of local talent. We’re very pleased that Chelsea was selected, that a vacant facility will be put to good use. Gestamp should certainly have a positive impact on our tax rolls, and we’re equally excited that this will mean nearly 200 new jobs for our area.” According to Olmstead, Gestamp and SPARK “still have a lot of work to do before the facility opens in 2018.” The next big step will come in early 2017–that’s when a new plant manager should be in place to begin supervising work on the Chelsea facility.