Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation plans a $150 million expansion that will add 1,600 jobs to its workforce in Chatham County, according to local officials.
Two projects are planned.
One will be the construction of a new customer service center, the other, an expansion of Gulfstream’s manufacturing facility that produces three different aircraft: the Gulfstream G400, Gulfstream G500 and the Gulfstream G600.
Financial incentives were provided to Gulfstream by local governments to encourage the projects, according to officials at the Savannah Economic Development Authority.
No state government incentives were involved, according to a spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
Details of those incentives were not released.
The Gulfstream announcement comes on the heels of several huge manufacturing expansions planned in Georgia. Hyundai Motor Group is building a $5.54 billion electric vehicle plant near Savannah that is expected to employ 8,100 — the largest economic development project in Georgia history. Several Hyundai suppliers are also planning facilities near the coast. EV maker Rivian is planning a $5 billion plant of its own east of Atlanta. Hyundai and South Korean partner SK On, meanwhile, are planning a sprawling battery factory in Bartow County.
The Gulfstream announcement is evidence of “a valued partnership,” said Gov. Brian Kemp in a statement Thursday. Gulfstream “engages” with the state’s technical college system and local schools that train potential workers.
The most recent unemployment rate in Chatham County was 3.1%, the same as the state rate.
The company moved its headquarters to Savannah in 1967 and currently has more than 11,000 employees in Chatham County.
“We are excited to announce the latest development in Gulfstream’s support of the growing demand for our next-generation fleet around the world,” said Mark Burns, president of Gulfstream in a statement.
The company is owned by Virginia-based General Dynamics, which last year had revenues of $38.5 billion.
Late last month, Gulfstream announced the opening of a sales and design center in Beverly Hills, California.
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