FLINT -- Wednesday the Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce announced ParkingCarma Inc chose Flint over locations in North Carolina and California to relocate its customer contact center. It will be inside the Great Lakes Technology Center. Flint Mayor Don Williamson was also part of the announcement. 

Parking Carma's decision means a $4.6 million dollar investiment in the city and a total of 155 jobs for people in mid Michigan; 110 of those jobs will be directly associated with the company. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation provided a Single Business Tax Credit worth nearly $1 million to ParkingCarma over the next seven years.

The Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce teamed up with the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation to provide a $500,000 loan to help with start-up costs. That money comes from a newly established fund called the Jobs Creation Loan Fund. Genesee County Regional Chamber of Commerce CEO, Tim Herman says "Bringing ParkingCarma Inc. to Genesee County is a turning point in the history of jobs creation in our community.

The new jobs being created will be high-tech and high-pay." Herman credits teamwork for the the success of brining the investiment to mid Michigan, "The cooperation between the state and our economic development team has turned a great opportunity into a significant reality and is providing the Chamber a chance to execute a pilot project for our newly created Jobs Creation Loan Fund developed with the C.S. Mott Foundation."

ParkingCarma Inc. has been in operation since 2006. It's based in California. It uses the latest wireless technology to offer customers parking guidance service using cell phones or in-car navigation systems. Drivers can actually reserve a parking spot, potentially two weeks in advance. A video demonstration shows software being installed in a parking garage which helps keep track of the number of cars parked inside the garage, or wherever it's installed.

ParkingCarma CEO Rick Warner says Flint has a lot to offer his company, "Michigan has a unique set of offerings: an abundance of good people who understand customer service, a strong desire to support technology companies, and it is near the heart of the auto industry. We look forward to expanding the ParkingCarma PGS (parking guidance service) around the nation and world from Michigan." Warner says people interested in appling for a job can have a range of qualifications. He says they will train new employees. The jobs created are expected to pay upto $20.00 an hour. ParkingCarma Inc. plans to start the hiring process within the next two weeks. NBC25 will keep you updated on this story.