One of the more ballyhooed foreign business investments in Georgia got some serious love Monday when officials from governments and industry gathered to hail the progress made at a Chinese assembly plant in Peachtree City.
SANY America said it has so far invested $60 million and that it employs about 100 workers at the facility, which was first announced by former Gov. Sonny Perdue in fall 2007 but now is being cited by new Gov. Nathan Deal as "a great example of the steps we take to position our state as a strategic home for international companies seeking foreign direct investment opportunities in the United States."
Work on the facility didn't begin until last summer. Officials said the project might have been slowed by a combination of economic conditions and the complexity of foreign developments.
SANY America is part of SANY Group Ltd., one of the world's largest concrete machinery manufacturers and the largest concrete-pumping equipment company in China.
The Peachtree City plant will house sales, service, assembly, testing, distribution, research and development operations. It also will serve as the company's North American corporate headquarters. Eventually, workers will assemble five different concrete manufacturing machines.
The 420,000-square-foot building represents the first phase of the project. At least 200 people are projected to work at the plant by the end of 2012, according to the company.
The development is considered an important one by state officials who labeled it the biggest Chinese project in Georgia in terms of actual investment and jobs.
Georgia Economic Development Commissioner Chris Cummiskey said, "The jobs alone are an important thing in this economy, but this also helps us the next time we go over [to China] to try and get a company to come here."
