Automotive Manufacturing

Georgia: The Epicenter of Growth in the Southeastern Auto Corridor

Why Georgia for Automotive Manufacturing?

From Kia’s expanding $1 billion manufacturing plant to SK innovation's announced facility that will employ 2,600 workers and the headquarters of Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and most recently, Groupe PSA, Georgia auto companies get a competitive edge from a prime location in the epicenter of the region’s auto manufacturing boom, with close proximity to a canvas of manufacturers.

Georgia's strengths:

Automotive epicenter
Highly-skilled talent
Renowned workforce training program
Excellent accessibility to market
Business-friendly environment

Driving Kia to Georgia

931K

Automotive-Related Production Employment

In the Southeast (EMSI 2020.3Q)

4,000

Jobs Created by Locations & Expansions

2018 - 2020

2,700

Employees at Kia's Plant in West Point

Business Wise 2020

Largest Automotive Manufacturing Locations in Georgia

Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG) (West Point), 2,700 workers
SK innovation (Commerce), 2,600 workers
Blue Bird Corp. (Fort Valley), 1,900 workers
Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corp. (Newnan), 1,600 workers
Toyo Tire North America Manufacturing (White), 1,350 workers
Textron Specialized Vehicles (Augusta), 1,100 workers
Cottrell Inc. (Gainesville), 900 workers
Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas Inc. (Monroe), 900 workers
Freudenberg-NOK (Cleveland & LaGrange), 832 workers
WIKA USA (Lawrenceville), 807 workers

Recent Automotive Locations in Georgia

Over the last three years, automotive companies continue to choose Georgia for their new locations, while current companies expand to meet demand. Here are a few recent examples of companies now calling Georgia home.

Electric Battery Manufacturer, SK innovation, to Create 2,600 Jobs in Georgia

SK innovation is a part of the SK Group, one of the largest conglomerates in South Korea, will manufacture EV lithium-ion batteries at their plant in Commerce, GA. Their $1.67 billion investment in November 2018 is one of the largest in Georgia's history. In June 2020, SK innovation announced a second electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility, creating 600 more jobs.

Source: "SK innovation to Invest Another $940 Million in Jackson County Expansion, Create 600 Jobs," GDEcD press release, 6.25.2020

55K

Jobs at Automotive-Related Facilities

In Georgia with 50+ Employees (GPC C&ED)

178

Automotive-Related Facilities in Georgia

With 50+ Employees (GPC C&ED, 2020)

32K

Automotive-Related Engineers

And Engineering Technicians in GA (EMSI 2020.3)

Georgia is at the Center of the Thriving Southeastern Automotive Industry

Georgia is at the heart of the rapidly expanding Southeastern Automotive Corridor.

Southeastern automotive assemblers currently have the capacity to produce approximately 3.3 million units.
Georgia’s transportation equipment exports grew 8.0% annually since 2000, reaching $11.6 billion in 2019, accounting for 16.3% of the Southeast's total.

Georgia offers an ample supply of skilled employees with a variety of technical backgrounds important to the success of the automotive manufacturing industry. There are currently more than 151,000 production workers in Georgia in auto-applicable fields.