By Edward Niedermeyer
July 21, 2008 -
No, no, not that Auburn Hills automaker. You didn't seriously think Chrysler was hiring, did you? No, Gibbs Technologies, a growing maker of *ahem* amphibious vehicles is opening its North American headquarters near the Pentastar Palace. The makers of the Aquada roadster (pictured), Humdinga SUV and Quadski ATV are bringing their products to the American market, and more amazingly, jobs to Michigan. Gibbs will hire 70 new employees by year's end, with plans for an eventual staff of 250. Further helping the moribund Michigan economy: the 270 workers at local suppliers and businesses required for Gibbs' operations. The company is also seeking locations to manufacture its surf-and-turf rides, and Michigan is reportedly a top contender. The first Gibbs product to go on sale stateside will likely be the Aquada roadster, a three-seater capable of 100mph on land and 40mph in the water. The Aquada could cost as much as $85k when it goes on sale sometime next year. Yes it's true: this whole venture depends on Gibbs selling vehicles. Imagine that.
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POWERED
July 21st, 2008 at 9:20 am
Wow! I knew my ‘99 Miata was good, but I didnt think it could walk on water!
July 21st, 2008 at 10:36 am
I am sensing an upper-Midwest manifestation of the Tesla-boondoggle-matrix-effect here… has Gibbs applied for industrial-strength state subsidies yet?
July 21st, 2008 at 10:46 am
getting my resume ready…..
July 21st, 2008 at 11:15 am
Thank God for local politics that the Detroit area is still encouraged to sprawl out into the middle of nowhere. The City of Detroit, or the inner suburbs, needs to fight a bit harder to attract this business.
July 21st, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Michigan still has one of the highest levels of per capita boat ownership in the US, right up there w/ Florida and California. We have more coastline than any state except for Alaska. So the location does make some sense, plus the availability of lots of auto engineers in the area.
I don’t know if it’s come to fruition or not, but in early ‘07 Tesla announced they were opening a $47 million tech center in Rochester Hills.