Dive Brief:
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Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal announced this week that a leading Canadian paper products manufacturer is investing $400 million to build a tissue facility in Macon, GA, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
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The new facility, according to EUWID Pulp and Paper, will enable Irving Consumer Products to double its capacity. The project is currently in the engineering and planning stages, but construction should start this summer and wrap up in 2019.
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Officials estimate the new plant's construction will see more than 540 people on-site at the peak of activity, with more than 200 permanent jobs created for operations.
Dive Insight:
Georgia is among a host of U.S. states rolling out the red carpet to foreign and domestic manufacturers to add new or expand their existing manufacturing capabilities in the state. According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, manufacturing is a key state industry.
Earlier this month, Japanese manufacturer Rinnai Corporation announced plans to begin manufacturing tankless gas water heaters in Griffin, GA — the first such operation for the company and for the product category in North America.
The company will work out of an existing factory in Griffin in 2018, moving to a new 300,000-square-foot-plant when construction is complete. The factory will also produce kitchen appliances, as well as heating and cooling units. The company plans to build a new headquarters and training center for its American business, which is currently in Peachtree City, GA, in the coming years.
Georgia is also expected to compete for the new $1.6 billion Toyota–Mazda assembly plant. The factory is expected to create 4,000 jobs and produce up to 300,000 vehicles annually. Toyota announced that it's planning to make a $10 billion U.S. investment over a five-year period, but it is unknown if the assembly plant is part of that strategy.
