Peach County landed 4,875 promised jobs in one week with Audi and Blue Bird
Georgia announced seven plant projects worth about $6.7 billion between late September and late October, led by Audi’s first U.S. factory, while the state’s construction workforce shrank.
By Alex Pham · · 3 min read
Gov. Brian Kemp’s office announced on Oct. 24 that Audi AG would build premium SUVs at the Middle Georgia Megasite, with capacity for 200,000 vehicles a year [1]. Grading is scheduled for 2027, construction for 2028 and full production for 2031 [1].
On Oct. 21, Blue Bird said it would turn a former motorhome plant in Fort Valley into a 1-million-square-foot factory for Type C school buses, with construction starting in early 2027 [2]. The state bought and improved the megasite, which has Norfolk Southern rail service and sits about 90 minutes by car from Hartsfield-Jackson airport [1]. Georgia Quick Start plans a dedicated training facility for Audi’s workforce [1].
Most of the projects are factories outside metro Atlanta
None of the seven is in metro Atlanta. They are in Peach County, near Savannah, and in Rome, West Point, Thomson and Oakwood [1][3].
| Company | Location | Jobs | Investment | Announced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audi | Peach County | About 4,500 | About $4 billion | Oct. 24 |
| Mitsubishi Power | Chatham County, near Pooler | 220+ | $490 million | Oct. 23 |
| Blue Bird | Fort Valley, Peach County | 375 | About $300 million | Oct. 21 |
| VDL Groep | Oakwood, Hall County | About 120 | About $77 million | Oct. 13 |
| Hyundai Transys | West Point | 320 | About $560 million | Oct. 8 |
| MEC | Thomson, McDuffie County | About 140 | About $26 million | Oct. 1 |
| Pirelli | Rome | 1,000 | $1.2 billion over several years | Sept. 22 |
Georgia’s construction workforce shrank as the projects arrived
Georgia had 4,900 fewer construction jobs in September than a year earlier, a 2.1% drop and the largest loss of any state, while Texas added 15,000 [4]. In the Gainesville metro, home to the VDL expansion, construction jobs fell 7% [5]. Total payroll jobs in Georgia were up just 0.07% [6].
How to use this
For homebuilders and rental owners in middle Georgia
- Match your timeline to Audi’s, not to the headline. Full production is planned for 2031 [1], so hiring for most of the 4,500 jobs is years out, while construction crews arrive from 2028 [1]. Short-term rentals and furnished units near the site fit the earlier phase.
- Ask local planning offices in Peach and nearby counties how much residential land is already zoned. Blue Bird alone plans 375 hires over three years [2], and the two Peach County projects together total 4,875 jobs, we calculate [1][2].
For contractors and trades
- Bid early for site and utility work. Audi’s grading is scheduled for 2027 [1], and Blue Bird’s construction starts in the first quarter of 2027 [2].
- Use the shrinking local workforce in your pricing. Georgia lost 4,900 construction jobs in a year [4], and metro Atlanta lost 5,100 [5], so crews that are available next year could command higher rates once these projects break ground.
For small business owners and landlords
- Ask the plants’ local development authorities for supplier and vendor lists. Mitsubishi Power’s 450,000-square-foot expansion near Pooler [3] and VDL’s cleanroom addition in Oakwood, due to finish in 2028 [3], could each draw machine shops and service firms to nearby industrial space.
- Landlords of small retail and flex space near Fort Valley have reason to prefer shorter renewal terms with fair-market resets over long fixed ones, since 4,875 announced jobs in Peach County [1][2] could change demand before the next lease ends.
This is market commentary, not investment advice.
Sources
- [1]Office of the Governor of Georgia, Gov. Kemp: Audi AG Selects Georgia to Invest $4 Billion in First U.S. Manufacturing Facility, Oct 24, 2026.
- [2]Office of the Governor of Georgia, Gov. Kemp: Blue Bird Invests $300 Million in Peach County, Oct 21, 2026.
- [3]Office of the Governor of Georgia, ICYMI: Transformational Jobs, Investment Continue Across Georgia, Oct 23, 2026.
- [4]Associated General Contractors of America, Construction employment increases from September a year ago in 34 states, but only 25 states add jobs from August, Oct 20, 2026.
- [5]Associated General Contractors of America, One-half of metro areas add construction jobs over past 12 months, Oct 28, 2026.
- [6]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, State and Metro Area, total nonfarm, September 2026 (not seasonally adjusted), Oct 2026.
