(The Center Square) – Electric vehicle company Rivian will invest $5 billion to build a campus in Georgia that is expected to create 7,500 jobs, Gov. Brian Kemp and company officials announced Thursday.
The project is the single-largest economic development project in state history, Kemp’s office said. It also propels the state as a leader in the electric vehicle industry.
“In addition to Georgia’s long-term focus on logistics, talent, workforce, and responsive government that significantly contributed to today’s pivotal announcement, my administration’s more recent emphasis on innovation and development in the electric mobility ecosystem has equipped our state with a new tool in the tool box to deliver big wins for hardworking Georgians,” Kemp said.
The 2,000-acre Rivian campus will be located in Stanton Springs at a site called the East Atlanta Megasite, represented by the Joint Development Authority of Jasper, Morgan, Newton and Walton counties. It will include technology centers and a manufacturing plant, projected to produce up to 400,000 vehicles per year.
“We’re happy to partner with Georgia on our next manufacturing site, which will allow us to meet demand for Rivian products and to scale our business rapidly,” Rivian Chief People Officer Helen Russell said. “Our work together is rooted in collaboration, transparency, fairness, and a strong sense of belonging. We’re excited for Georgians to bring their creativity and ideas to Rivian. We’re confident that, alongside Illinois, Georgia is the place for Rivian to scale and thrive.”
Georgia has experienced significant interest from the electric vehicle industry over the past year. Dutch e-mobility charging systems company Heliox, Turkish electric vehicle parts manufacturer TEKLAS, German automotive body parts manufacturer GEDIA and Korean battery chemical battery manufacturing company EnChem have selected the state for new sites. Korean electric vehicle battery manufacturing company SK Innovation is expanding its facilities in Jackson County.
Kemp announced the launch of the Electric Mobility and Innovation Alliance in July. The statewide collaborative between the private and public sector is aimed at developing the industry and keeping Georgia “a national leader in the electric mobility industry,” Kemp said.
By Nyamekye Daniel | The Center Square
