Audi to Build $4B First U.S. Plant in Georgia, 4,500 Jobs

Audi will build its first U.S. vehicle assembly plant at the Middle Georgia Megasite in Peach County, Georgia, a roughly $4 billion investment expected to create about 4,500 jobs and produce up to 200,000 premium SUVs a year, according to Audi and the Office of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. The project was announced Saturday evening, October 24, and this is a developing story.

What Happened

President Donald Trump announced the plant at a campaign rally in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday night, with Audi CEO Gernot Döllner joining him on stage, as reported by the Associated Press via KSAT. Audi and the state of Georgia issued formal announcements the same night. Audi described the facility as its first production site in the United States and said it is meant to make North America a third major pillar of its global manufacturing network, alongside Europe and China, according to the Audi release.

Some early coverage put the figure at $4.2 billion, including the Associated Press. Both Audi and the state describe the commitment as about $4 billion, and that is the figure this post uses.

What Is Confirmed

• Site: The Middle Georgia Megasite in Peach County, developed and marketed by the Development Authority of Peach County with the Mid-Georgia Gateway Joint Development Authority, which includes Peach, Houston and Macon-Bibb counties, according to the Governor's Office.
• Investment and jobs: About $4 billion and about 4,500 jobs, according to Audi.
• Capacity and product: Up to 200,000 vehicles a year, focused on premium SUVs built for North American buyers, according to Audi. Reuters, via KSL, reported the plant is expected to assemble the Q7, Q8 and Q9 models.
• Schedule: The state says Audi expects to begin grading in 2027, start construction of the facility in 2028 and reach full production in 2031, according to the Governor's Office. Audi's own release says construction is scheduled to begin in 2027 with production in the early 2030s, according to Audi. The two statements differ on whether 2027 marks site work or building construction.
• Workforce: Georgia Quick Start will build a customized training curriculum and design a dedicated training facility for Audi, with local Technical College System of Georgia campuses starting instruction while that facility is built, according to the Governor's Office.
• Logistics: The state says industrial utilities sit adjacent to the site, due diligence reports are complete, the site has Norfolk Southern Class I rail access, and rail service reaches the Ports of Savannah and Brunswick in under five hours, according to the Governor's Office.

Agencies the state listed as part of the recruitment include the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the Georgia Department of Transportation, the Georgia Ports Authority, the Environmental Protection Division, Georgia Power and Norfolk Southern, according to the Governor's Office. The release did not state the value of any state or local incentive package.

Background

Reuters reported that Audi's U.S. sales are down 16% this year, that the company said last year tariffs cost it $1.4 billion, and that a separate arrangement calls for about 25,000 Audi vehicles a year to be built in South Carolina. The President credited his auto tariffs for the decision, while critics argue tariffs have raised vehicle prices, according to the same Reuters report.

The announcement adds to a string of large manufacturing commitments in Georgia. WCG has followed Rivian's $5 billion Georgia EV plant as it moved into vertical construction, and earlier this month covered how Clayco is using the Rivian job to train local trades workers. Mitsubishi Power also just announced a $490 million expansion of its Savannah turbine plant.

What It Means for Owners and Contractors

An automotive assembly plant of this size typically brings several distinct packages: mass grading and site utilities, a very large steel structure with body, paint and assembly halls, process utilities, and later a ring of supplier buildings. The state's timeline points to sitework procurement in 2027 and building construction in 2028, so earthwork, civil and utility contractors are likely to see the first opportunities.

Labor is the largest open question. Middle Georgia already competes for trades with other megaprojects in the state, and the Southeast has absorbed a heavy load of EV, battery and industrial work in recent years. Specialty subcontractors in electrical, mechanical, fire protection and structural steel should expect tight crews and should watch how Georgia Quick Start and the technical colleges ramp up training.

For owners elsewhere, including in New York and Florida, the project is another signal that large foreign manufacturers are choosing U.S. sites with prepared pads, rail and utilities in place. Communities that have invested in certified, shovel-ready sites continue to win these decisions on speed to market, which Audi cited as one of its reasons for choosing Georgia, according to the Governor's Office. WCG's look at the $3.4 trillion U.S. manufacturing pipeline describes the wider trend.

What Is Not Yet Known

• The design-builder, construction manager or general contractor for the plant has not been named.
• The building square footage and site acreage were not stated in either release.
• The value and structure of state and local incentives have not been disclosed.
• Whether supplier parks or additional supplier plants will be built near the site has not been announced.

What to Watch

Look for incentive agreements and approvals from the Mid-Georgia Gateway JDA and the Development Authority of Peach County, environmental permitting through the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, and any transportation improvements tied to the site. Audi's selection of a construction partner and the timing of the first grading package will set the pace for the regional trade market. WCG will update this story as details are confirmed.

Related Coverage

• Rivian's $5 Billion Georgia EV Plant Enters Vertical Construction Phase as DOE Loan Is Restructured
• Clayco Turns $5B Rivian Plant Into a Local Trades Training Pipeline
• Mitsubishi Power to Double Savannah Turbine Plant With $490M Expansion
• $500B in U.S. Factories Under Construction as $3.4T Pipeline Waits

Image credit: AUDI AG. Image from the source article.

Sources

• AUDI AG, "Audi to establish first U.S. production site in Georgia, investing $4 billion and creating 4,500 jobs," https://www.audi.com/en/press-releases/audi-to-establish-first-us-production-site-in-georgia-investing-4-billion-and-creating-4500-jobs-18420
• Office of the Governor of Georgia, "Gov. Kemp: Audi AG Selects Georgia to Invest $4 Billion in First US Manufacturing Facility," https://gov.georgia.gov/press-releases/2026-10-24/gov-kemp-audi-ag-selects-georgia-invest-4-billion-first-us-manufacturing
• KSL.com (Reuters), "Trump announces Audi will build $4B factory in Georgia," https://www.ksl.com/article/51640635/trump-announces-audi-will-build-4b-factory-in-georgia
• KSAT (Associated Press), "Trump announces at a Georgia campaign rally that Audi will build a new auto factory in the state," https://www.ksat.com/news/politics/2026/10/25/trump-announces-at-a-georgia-campaign-rally-that-audi-will-build-a-new-auto-factory-in-the-state/