Blue Bird to Convert Fort Valley Motorhome Plant Into $300M School Bus Factory

Blue Bird Corporation will invest an estimated $300 million to convert a former diesel motorhome plant in Fort Valley, Georgia, into a 1 million square foot school bus factory, adding 375 jobs over three years, Gov. Brian Kemp announced on October 21, 2026. Construction is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027 (Office of the Governor of Georgia).

The plant at 401 Wanderlodge Way in Peach County will build Type C school buses in diesel, gasoline, propane and electric versions (Office of the Governor of Georgia; FreightWaves). Fort Valley sits about 100 miles south of downtown Atlanta (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).

What Happened

Blue Bird, founded in 1927, employs more than 1,900 people in Georgia. The new hires will include manufacturing, operations and technician roles (Office of the Governor of Georgia). The state's Global Commerce team at the Georgia Department of Economic Development worked on the project with the Development Authority of Peach County, and Georgia Quick Start, the state's workforce training program, will help prepare workers. The release did not state any incentive amounts (Office of the Governor of Georgia), and the AJC reported that other incentive details were not immediately released (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).

Blue Bird President and CEO John Wyskiel said, "Georgia is where Blue Bird was born, and it has been our home for nearly 100 years." Kemp called the company "an incredible part of Georgia's story," and Fort Valley Mayor Shakeena B. Reeves said the city "has helped Blue Bird move America forward" for generations. Peach County Commissioner Roy Lewis said the investment "underscores the strength of our local workforce" (Office of the Governor of Georgia).

Company Context

The AJC reported that Blue Bird has been expanding on several fronts. It recently took full ownership of Micro Bird, bought a factory in Michigan and expanded its partnership with Ford. In its fiscal third quarter, net income rose to $185.3 million from $36.5 million, and net sales rose to $517.2 million from $398 million (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).

Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson said it is "remarkable to see that legacy continuing to create jobs and opportunity in a rural Georgia community" (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).

Part of a Busy Month for Georgia Industry

The Blue Bird project lands amid other recent Georgia industrial announcements. Our coverage of Audi's planned $4 billion first U.S. plant at a Middle Georgia megasite and Mitsubishi Power's $490 million Savannah turbine plant expansion points to a crowded Georgia construction market for industrial work. FreightWaves grouped Blue Bird with four other manufacturing projects in the news this month, including Carrier's Fort Worth chiller plant and Niagara Bottling's Kentucky facility, that together top $1.6 billion in disclosed investment (FreightWaves).

Project at a Glance

• Owner: Blue Bird Corporation
• Site: 401 Wanderlodge Way, Fort Valley, Peach County, Georgia
• Building: About 1 million square feet, converted from a former diesel motorhome plant
• Investment: About $300 million
• Product: Type C school buses in diesel, gasoline, propane and electric versions
• Jobs: 375 over three years
• Construction start: First quarter of 2027

Implications for Owners, Developers, Contractors and Subs

For contractors and subs: Turning a vacant motorhome plant into a vehicle assembly line is a large adaptive reuse job. Converting an existing plant for new vehicle assembly typically means reworking power distribution, compressed air, paint and finishing areas, material handling and floor conditions. With construction set for early 2027, design and preconstruction work is likely to happen over the coming months, which is when general contractors and major trades position for packages.

For owners and developers: The decision to reuse an existing million square foot building, rather than build new, is a reminder that large vacant industrial shells in the Southeast still carry value for manufacturers that need space quickly.

For the labor market: Fort Valley is a rural community, and multiple large projects in Middle Georgia will compete for construction labor in 2027. Contractors bidding in the region should plan for tight availability of electricians, pipefitters and millwrights.

What to Watch

• Selection of a design and construction team for the conversion.
• Release of any state or local incentive terms.
• Construction start in the first quarter of 2027 and the plant's first production date, which has not been announced.

Bottom Line

Blue Bird is putting about $300 million into a 1 million square foot reuse project in Fort Valley, keeping its growth close to its Georgia home base. With construction set to begin in early 2027 and 375 jobs planned, the project adds another large industrial conversion to a busy Middle Georgia market.

Related Coverage

• Audi to Build $4B First U.S. Plant in Georgia, 4,500 Jobs
• Mitsubishi Power to Double Savannah Turbine Plant With $490M Expansion
• Carrier to Invest $600M in Fort Worth Chiller Plant, 1,500 Jobs
• Clayco Turns $5B Rivian Plant Into a Local Trades Training Pipeline

Image credit: Hyosub Shin, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Image from the source article.

Sources

• Office of the Governor of Georgia, "Gov. Kemp: Blue Bird Invests $300 Million in Peach County": https://gov.georgia.gov/node/23631
• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "This century-old maker of buses picks Georgia for a $300 million factory": https://www.ajc.com/business/2026/10/blue-bird-school-bus-factory-peach-county/
• FreightWaves, "5 US manufacturing projects bring more than $1.6B in investments": https://www.freightwaves.com/news/5-us-manufacturing-projects-bring-more-than-1-6b-in-investments