Triumphing over a list of rules and regulations that has kept businesses from setting up shop in Los Angeles, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa celebrated the arrival of a Chinese-based company Monday that is expected to bring jobs to the city.
“By reaching out to the world and harnessing LA’s unique resources, we have attracted China’s leading green company to our city,” said Villaraigosa at the grand opening of electric car company BYD’s North American headquarters in downtown Los Angeles.
The multi-national manufacturer, which is backed by billionaire investor Warren Buffett, was initially reluctant to come to LA, fearful of getting tied up in the city’s red tape.
The mayor and his staff brought the auto company to the city with incentives that included a 15 percent reduction on tariffs for BYD cars coming into the Port of Los Angeles and an agreement with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to install battery charges in BYD cars within a week of purchase, according to a press release from the Mayor’s Office.
Villaraigosa’s business team, spearheaded by former first Deputy Mayor Austin Beutner, even took advantage of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood to win over BYD.
City officials are working to comply with BYD’s request for a celebrity to drive one of their cars to the annual Oscars party held at the Getty House.
BYD, which stands for “Build Your Dreams,” is expected to bring about 150 engineering and management jobs to Los Angeles and produce hundreds of additional jobs in feeder industries, according to the Mayor’s Office.
“BYD brings good paying jobs to Los Angeles,” said Beutner, who is running for mayor in 2013. “This is a great example of how Los Angeles can attract world-class companies to invest in our community.”
BYD, which also manufactures solar power systems, rechargeable batteries and energy-efficient lighting, brought to light the city’s attempt at positioning itself as the hub of green business.
“BYD is thrilled to be making this investment in Los Angeles, a global city working towards a green, sustainable future,” said BYD Charmain Wang Chauanfu, according to the release. “We look forward to a long, productive relationship with the city, and thank Mayor Villaraigosa and his team for their hard work and dedication to recruiting businesses to Los Angeles.
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