ATLANTA — Georgia residents who are in the market for an Audi will eventually be able to buy one made locally.
The German company announced on Saturday that it plans to build its first U.S. manufacturing plant in Peach County.
"We have much greater ambitions for Audi in America, and Georgia will play a central role in making them a reality," Gernot Döllner, CEO and chairman of the Board of Management of Audi AG, said in a joint statement with Gov. Brian Kemp.
The company is expected to invest about $4 billion in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that will reach full production capacity in 2031 at 200,000 vehicles a year, creating 4,500 new jobs in the region, according to Kemp's office.
Pat Wilson, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, said the jobs will be high-tech, in a highly-automated plant, and will pay workers an average of more than $63,000 a year, pumping $283 million annually into the state economy.
"Those are quality jobs, high-skill jobs," Wilson said.
Audi, based in Ingolstadt, Germany, plans to build premium SUVs tailored to customers in North America.
The company said the Middle Georgia Megasite in Peach County is a good place to build the vehicles because of its proximity to an established automotive supply chain, a skilled workforce and access to consumers.
The site is near Class I rail and is within five hours by train to the ports in Brunswick and Savannah. It is also half an hour from two regional airports and 90 minutes from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
"We are proud that Audi has selected Georgia as the home of their first U.S. manufacturing facility," Kemp said.
His office said the Technical College System of Georgia will create curriculum tailored to the new plant's needs.
Audi is expected to begin grading the site in 2027, with construction starting in 2028.
When campaigning the first time for governor eight years ago, Kemp pledged to bring more jobs to rural parts of the state.
He went on to assemble three "megasites" strategically located east and south of Atlanta.
First, Rivian jumped in, choosing the site near Social Circle. Then came Hyundai, picking the second site in Bryan County.
Finally, on Saturday, Audi announced plans to build the company's first U.S. plant at the third megasite, in Peach County, near Macon.
Kemp said Georgia competed with other states to land Audi. He would not detail any incentive package the company would receive but said that information would eventually become public.
Another major selling point, both Kemp and Wilson said, was the preparation at the megasites that would allow a company to quickly get a new plant up and running.
"Speed to market" was among the reasons that consultants who responded to Area Development magazine's latest survey again ranked Georgia as the top state for business. The magazine's announcement last month put Georgia at No. 1 for the 13th year in a row. Georgia also ranked first for cooperative and responsive state and local government.
Kemp and Wilson said government had to adapt to the fast pace of business these days.
"It couldn't just be, you know, a piece of land," Kemp said.
It had to be ready to go, or "shovel-ready." Audi had to have confidence that Georgia could quickly issue environmental permits and provide the site with the water and power supply necessary to get a factory running at that scale — and quickly.