Fabricated Metal

Recent Fabricated Metal Locations in Georgia

Over the last five years, fabricated metal companies have continued to grow and expand in Georgia. Here are a few recent examples of companies now calling Georgia home.

Dutch manufacturer invests in Hall County

In June 2018, Netherlands-based VDL Groep chose Hall County for its next U.S. operation. VDL manufacturers steel containers for the food processing industry, including poultry.

“VDL Groep sees the state of Georgia as an attractive starting point based on geography and availability of resources. We are a specialist in providing the supply chain for our customers and we think there is a demand for our products and services in the surroundings of Georgia.”

Willem van der Leegte, President & CEO, VDL Groep; Source: "Dutch manufacturer to create more than 100 jobs in Hall County," Georgia Department of Economic Development press release, June 13, 2018

Standard Iron takes over vacant building for new metal fabrication operation in McDuffie County

“This was a prime location for our growth ambitions to bring our architectural metals down here to service the Atlanta, Charlotte and Columbia areas. This really centralized us not only to our customer base for contract manufacturing, but also our architectural component as we start to bring that down here."

Lee Briggs, Factory Manager, Standard Iron; Source: “Standard Iron breathes new life into Badcock building," The McDuffie Progress, October 13, 2018

Top Employers

Major heavy equipment manufacturers as well as prominent suppliers make up Georgia's largest fabricated metal employers.

• Southwire: Carrollton, 2,800 employees
• Caterpillar Inc. Building Construction Products: Athens, 1,500 employees
• Kubota Manufacturing of America: Gainesville, 1,400 employees
• Textron Specialized Vehicles: Augusta, 1,100 employees
• Kubota Industrial Equipment Corp.: Jefferson, 1,000 employees
• Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas: Monroe, 900 employees

Quality Talent for Less

Georgia is known for its high-quality affordable workforce. Wage rates in the state typically fall below the national average, particularly in manufacturing occupations. The state’s fabricated metal manufacturing wages are no exception.

• Projected growth of 12% in fabricated metal manufacturing industry workers over the next decade compared to 0% nationally
• Median hourly earnings of $16.63 compared to $19.15 nationally (based on top 10 fabricated metal staffing pattern occupations)

Georgia offers an ample supply of skilled employees with a variety of technical backgrounds. In addition to the 33,967 workers directly employed in fabricated metal manufacturing, there are more than 640,000 Georgians with industry relevant skill-sets.

The People and Support Needed to Succeed

Georgia's high concentration of degree-seeking students and top-tier colleges and universities make the state one of the country’s richest in top-level talent. These institutions also offer companies access to cutting-edge research and development partnerships.

• Since 2015, there has been a 14% increase in the number of graduates skilled in supporting Georgia's chemical manufacturing operations.
• Georgia Tech ranks 2nd for engineering R&D funding nationally and has benefited from a 36% uptick in engineering R&D funding since 2010.