Henry County’s employment base continues to increase, to include several new manufacturing facilities. The county is helping to lead the state in new manufacturing jobs and new jobs altogether.
Since 2018, the county’s development authority has worked with companies to announce over 8,200 new positions. Announced corporate investment totals $1.82 billion during this time.
New Manufacturing Jobs
According to the US Census Bureau, Henry County is fourth for new manufacturing jobs among Georgia counties in the last five years. This spans 2018–2023. Over the same time, Henry County is fifth for all new jobs.
Some of the new positions stem from the following companies:
- Zinus USA, Inc. and Purple mattress, both announced in 2020, created over 1,100 new positions in furniture and mattress manufacturing.
- Dole Foods, De Wafelbakkers and Ken’s Food, adding about 250 food manufacturing positions.
- Bowery Farming opening a new indoor lettuce farm in Locust Grove, with plans to employ over 100.
Moving forward, Andersen Windows will be building a new manufacturing facility in Locust Grove. The facility will create 900 positions and invest $425 million. The investment is a Henry County record. Operations plan to begin in 2025. Construction will start later this year.
Also on the horizon is a new automated cold storage facility. The site is under construction off highway 42 near King Mill Road. The Netherlands-based NewCold is investing $333 million into the project.
New EV Manufacturing in Georgia
Georgia has seen a significant increase in new manufacturing since 2020. Two new electric vehicle plants headline the projects. They include plants by Rivian located east of Covington and Hyundai near Savannah. In addition, a number of electric vehicle suppliers and battery plants are building. Finally, KIA will begin producing an electric vehicle at its West Point plant.
The Atlanta Business Chronicle reported in March 70% of the state’s economic development prospects are EV-related. Governor Kemp has pledged to champion Georgia as the electric mobility capital of the US.
Featured image shows a map of new manufacturing jobs in metro Atlanta. Atlanta Regional Commission photo.
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