by T.A. DeFeo
An automotive parts manufacturer is planning to spend $317 million on a new manufacturing facility near Statesboro, but state officials won’t say how much of the bill taxpayers will have to cover.
Joon Georgia Inc. plans to create 630 new jobs at Bulloch County’s Bruce Yawn Commerce Park, previously named the Southern Gateway Commerce Park. State officials touted the news as “the first confirmed supplier” for Hyundai Motor Group’s new Bryan County facility.
In May, Hyundai Motor Group announced it had selected Georgia for its “first fully dedicated electric vehicle and battery manufacturing facility.” The company plans to invest more than $5.5 billion to build the facility at the 2,923-acre Bryan County Megasite along Interstate 16.
A spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Economic Development said the project is “still active,” a designation that allows state officials to decline to release details about tax incentives the state offered.
“We believe that our great site in the Bruce Yawn Commerce Park and the proximity to the new Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America will serve the company well, and we know that our great education resources, including Georgia Southern University and Ogeechee Technical College, will provide critical workforce support to help Joon Georgia succeed,” Billy Allen, chair of the Development Authority of Bulloch County, said in an announcement.
Officials said that Quick Start, a workforce training program through the Technical College System of Georgia, will support workforce recruitment. The program helps assess workers, train employees and develop customized job-specific training.
In a statement, GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson called the announcement “a landmark moment as we drive Georgia’s automotive industry into the future.”
Joon Georgia is expected to start hiring in mid-2023, and its operations at the Bruce Yawn Commerce Park should begin in mid-2024.
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T.A. DeFeo is a contributor to The Center Square.Â
