Audi to Build $4 Billion Plant in Peach County, Bringing 4,500 Jobs
German automaker Audi AG plans to invest about $4 billion in a manufacturing plant at the Middle Georgia Megasite in Peach County, a project expected to create about 4,500 jobs. Gov. Brian Kemp and Audi CEO Gernot Döllner announced the Audi Peach County plant, which will be the company’s first manufacturing facility in the United States.
The 1,474-acre site sits along Georgia Highway 96 near Interstate 75. Audi expects to start grading in 2027 and begin construction in 2028. The company expects full production in 2031 at an annual capacity of 200,000 vehicles.
Three counties worked together
Local leaders credited a regional partnership of Peach, Macon-Bibb and Houston counties. The three counties formed the Mid-Georgia Gateway Joint Development Authority on May 19, 2026, to develop and market the megasite and recruit investment to it.
The authority’s eight-member board includes officials from all three counties. Peach County Board of Commissioners Chairman Roy Lewis chairs the board. Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller serves as vice chairman, and Houston County Chairman Dan Perdue serves as treasurer.
The authority worked with Audi, the Georgia Department of Economic Development and other partners on site information, infrastructure planning and local decision-making. Officials said the structure let the counties present the megasite as a shared regional asset instead of a single county’s project.
The Development Authority of Peach County, working with the joint authority and the state, developed and marketed the site over the last several years. Industrial utilities sit next to the property, and the state and local partners finished extensive due diligence reports, which the announcement said will let Audi build on a fast timeline.
What Audi said
Audi cited speed to market, workforce, access to consumer markets and nearness to an established automotive supply chain as reasons for choosing Georgia. The company said it will build premium SUVs tailored to North American customers.
“We have much greater ambitions for Audi in America, and Georgia will play a central role in making them a reality. With its strong business environment, skilled workforce, and shared ambition, the state is an ideal partner for Audi,” Döllner said.
Kemp said the state bought the site and made improvements to it for this purpose.
“We are proud that Audi has selected Georgia as the home of their first U.S. manufacturing facility, delivering truly historic investment and jobs to middle Georgia,” Kemp said.
Local reaction
Lewis said the decision fulfills the vision for the megasite.
“The decision by Audi realizes the vision we had for the Middle Georgia Megasite – an innovative, global automotive OEM that will position the region as a premier hub for innovation and industry,” Lewis said.
Miller said the counties had to work together to land the project.
“The impact this investment will have on our entire region will be felt for many decades, and that meant we had to come together as cohesive partners to make it happen,” Miller said.
Perdue said Houston County will support Audi’s arrival and keep emphasizing workforce pipeline development, infrastructure readiness and quality of life.
Training and transportation
Georgia Quick Start will work with Audi to develop customized training curricula and design a dedicated training facility. It will also work with local Technical College System of Georgia campuses to begin employee instruction while the facility is under construction.
The site has access to Norfolk Southern Class I rail. The announcement said the Port of Savannah and the Port of Brunswick are each reachable by rail in less than five hours. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is a 90-minute drive, and two regional airports sit within 25 minutes of the site.
Officials said the joint authority will continue to support permitting, construction, hiring, workforce training and long-term operations as the project moves forward. For more local development coverage, see Business news and Peach County news.
