Economic Development Around the State
Reigning Champ: Georgia has reached an unprecedented milestone – being named the No. 1 state for business for 10 straight years by Area Development magazine. No other state has achieved this benchmark, which is based on scores from leading site consulting firms. Georgia placed in the top 10 for all 14 categories.
Savannah Auto: Daechang Seat Corp. USA, which supplies auto seat frames, is investing $72.5 million in a new facility in Chatham County, creating 500 jobs. The facility will be located in the Savannah Chatham Manufacturing Center in close proximity to the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant.
Valdosta Dairy: Walmart is opening a new milk-processing facility in Lowndes County. The $350 million investment will create nearly 400 new jobs. The facility will process and bottle fresh milk sourced from local farmers for more than 750 Walmart and Sam’s Clubs stores in the region when it opens in late 2025.
Norcross Tech: Austria-based tech integrator Nesevo is expanding in Gwinnett County with a new 13,000-square-foot facility, creating 30 jobs.
Dalton Solar: Qcells recently completed a $208 million expansion of its location in Whitfield County. The company says the facility can now produce enough solar panels to generate 5.1 gigawatts of solar energy production each year, which is almost 40% of the country’s solar panel capacity.
Monroe Lettuce: Gotham Greens recently opened a 210,000-square-foot hydroponic farming facility in Walton County. The $34 million greenhouse, the company’s first in the Southeast, employs 100 and provides leafy greens and herbs to major supermarkets across the state.
Gwinnett Expansion: Suniva, which went bankrupt six years ago, is restarting and expanding its solar-cell manufacturing plant in Norcross. The first phase of expansion will create up to 240 jobs and boost manufacturing capacity to 1 gigawatt, which is enough to power 750,000 homes per year, when production starts this spring. A second phase will further increase capacity to 2.5 gigawatts.
Rome Rubber: Power Rubber and Supply of Alabama is building a $4.2 million facility in Floyd County and will hire up to 20 people. The company makes and distributes industrial hoses, bearings, power transmission and rubber products.
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