Great Dane Trailers to build manufacturing facility in Statesboro

Great Dane Trailers this week announced plans to construct a new manufacturing facility in Statesboro, in Bulloch County about 210 miles southeast of Atlanta. The company plans to invest $33.5 million and create more than 400 jobs over the next four years.

The facility will manufacture refrigerated trailers. Construction for the new 450,000-square-foot facility will begin in 2011 and the plant will open in 2012. Great Dane, which produces dry vans, refrigerated and platform trailers, was founded in Savannah in 1900 as the Savannah Blowpipe Company. The first Great Dane trailer was assembled at its Savannah plant, which closed in 2009. Great Dane still maintains one of its two division offices in Savannah, which is home to its sales, marketing, engineering, and research and development center.

"Great Dane is an important part of the nation’s supply-chain logistics infrastructure, and Georgia's deep background and workforce expertise in both logistics and manufacturing is an ideal match for the company’s needs," Governor Sonny Perdue said in a statement.