Electric Adventure Vehicle Project Is Largest In Georgia History

Rivian will invest $5 billion, create 7,500 jobs at a nearly 2,000-acre carbon-conscious campus dubbed the East Atlanta Megasite.

In the single-largest economic development project in Georgia history, Rivian Inc. will invest $5 billion to build a carbon-conscious campus where it will manufacture its R1T and R1S electric adventure vehicles. Rivian will create approximately 7,500 jobs on the nearly 2,000-acre East Atlanta Megasite, represented by the Joint Development Authority of Jasper, Morgan, Newton, and Walton Counties. Once manufacturing operations are fully ramped up, the facility will be capable of producing up to 400,000 vehicles per year.

“We’re happy to partner with Georgia on our next manufacturing site, which will allow us to meet demand for Rivian products and to scale our business rapidly,” said Rivian Chief People Officer Helen Russell. “Our work together is rooted in collaboration, transparency, fairness, and a strong sense of belonging. We’re excited for Georgians to bring their creativity and ideas to Rivian. We’re confident that, alongside Illinois, Georgia is the place for Rivian to scale and thrive.”

Rivian Inc., Georgia
(Source: Rivian Inc.)

Construction on the facility, located at Stanton Springs North, is expected to begin in summer 2022, and production is slated to start in 2024. Rivian’s technology centers at the new campus will support the company’s R&D programs. The facility will be built to meet Rivian’s high standards of conservation and sustainability for a cleaner, wilder future. The entire project will support the expansion of the U.S. electric vehicle industry and will serve to decarbonize the transportation and energy sectors.

Rivian is the latest success in Georgia’s push to recruit the entire electric mobility ecosystem to the state. In August, Governor Brian P. Kemp announced the launch of the Electric Mobility and Innovation Alliance, a statewide initiative between government, industries, electric utilities, nonprofits, and other relevant stakeholders focused on growing the electric mobility ecosystem in the state and strengthening Georgia’s position in electrification-related manufacturing and innovation. In addition to bringing new investments to the state, Georgia is committed to ensuring the state’s existing industry and accompanying 55,000 automotive manufacturing jobs receive the support for retraining and expansions needed to transition to meet the new demands of electrified transportation.

“We are so proud that Georgia will now be home to Rivian’s largest manufacturing facility,” said Gov. Kemp. “This single investment – the largest in state history – represents the future of automotive manufacturing and establishes the leading role the Peach State will play in this booming industry for generations to come. In addition to Georgia’s long-term focus on logistics, talent, workforce, and responsive government that significantly contributed to today’s pivotal announcement, my administration’s more recent emphasis on innovation and development in the electric mobility ecosystem has equipped our state with a new tool in the tool box to deliver big wins for hardworking Georgians.

To assist the company with its workforce requirements, Georgia Quick Start will build and operate a state-of-the-art manufacturing training center that will provide Rivian with a fully customized training program that meets the company’s start-up needs. This will also build capacity and curricula within the Technical College System of Georgia to maintain a long-term pipeline of highly skilled employees who are trained specifically in these operations. In addition, the Georgia Department of Labor will assist the company in identifying and recruiting workers.

“In the top state for business, we value our partners in the private sector and the jobs and investment they provide countless communities,” said Gov. Kemp. “Our Georgia Quick Start workforce training resources, world-class higher education institutions, and statewide logistics infrastructure assets are prepared to meet Rivian’s production and research and development needs. As one of the world’s most dynamic, innovative companies, Rivian’s exciting announcement today begins a new chapter for Georgia, and we are honored to welcome them to the Peach State!”

Rivian’s strategic location on the I-20 corridor will enable the company to access resources and speed its products to market. The newly opened Mason Mega Rail Terminal at the Port of Savannah, the largest on-terminal rail facility in North America, will allow Rivian to efficiently tap into supply chain needs.

“We are excited to welcome Rivian to the Peach State’s manufacturing community,” said Griff Lynch, Executive Director for the Georgia Ports Authority. “As we expand our facilities for processing containers and finished vehicles, we look forward to the opportunity of providing supply chain solutions to Rivian, a world-class manufacturer of electric vehicles.”

“Georgia’s exceptional multimodal transportation network is foundational for the future of transportation and has led to our state being recognized as a national leader in EV corridor readiness, which is critical for further EV development,” said Russell McMurry, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Transportation. “We look forward to providing the transportation infrastructure necessary to make this project successful for a company that will transform transportation as we know it, and are excited to know that Georgia will be home to such a vital partner.”

The Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) Aerospace, Defense, and Advanced Manufacturing team worked with the Joint Development Authority (JDA) of Jasper, Morgan, Newton, and Walton Counties; the Georgia Ports Authority; the Georgia Department of Transportation; Georgia Quick Start; the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce; and Georgia Power on the project.

“Rivian’s decision to locate in Georgia will have a tremendous impact on the entire state,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “As I have said, we will see more change in the automotive industry in the next 10 years than we have seen in the past 100, and with this announcement, Georgia will be home to one of the main drivers of this transformation. For Rivian, sustainability doesn’t stop with just making EVs, it is carried throughout their work, going so far as to carefully plan construction efforts at the site to preserve and protect the beauty and uniqueness of their new home. This is to be applauded and makes us proud to become part of their story. Rivian will be an outstanding corporate citizen and community partner, and we look forward to a strong future together as the jobs and investment they create will change lives and accelerate Georgia’s sustainable and electrified future.”

“Metro Atlanta is ideally suited for Rivian’s new operations and will allow the company to benefit from our region’s diverse and highly skilled workforce,” said Metro Atlanta Chamber President and CEO Katie Kirkpatrick. “Access to our unique community of innovative businesses and collaborative higher education institutions will also be a great asset for this significant new facility.”

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