Telsa deal wins 2020 Deal of the Year award

The Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce has been awarded the Business Facilities 2020 Deal of the Year Gold Award for bringing the Tesla Gigafactory plant to the Travis County area.

According to the chamber's website, Business Facilities is a national publication that has been the leading location source for corporate site selectors and economic development professionals for more than 50 years. It awards a gold, silver and bronze place every year, judging deals made across the country. It also lists honorable mentions.

While there were other major deals announced in 2020, such as the Oracle headquarters also moving to Austin, it was ultimately the Tesla deal that won the Chamber of Commerce the award.

In July 2020, Tesla's CEO Elon Musk announced Giga Texas would build a $1.1 billion assembly plant in Southeast Travis County after working through an incentive deal and deciding between Tulsa, Oklahoma. The electric automotive company will produce its Model Y, Cybertruck and semi tractor-trailer at the factory.

The move is expected to bring thousands of jobs to the Austin area, with many already listed on its website.

"The plant that will build Tesla's first entry into the truck market was one of the most coveted projects of the year," wrote Business Facilities Editor in Chief Jack Rogers in the award's announcement. "The Cybertruck assembly plant vaults Austin into the top tier of automotive manufacturing hubs."

Honorable mentions by Business Facilities also went to two other Texas deals: Pflugerville for its Amazon distribution center and Irving-Las Colinas for Microsoft.