Gov. Brian Kemp’s office has called a special news conference Thursday afternoon where he is expected to formally announce electric vehicle maker Rivian will build a $5 billion factory east of Atlanta.
Kemp, senior economic development officials and representatives of Irvine, California-based Rivian are expected to gather at Liberty Plaza at the State Capitol at 4 p.m.
The news alert does not mention Rivian by name. It says Kemp, Pat Wilson, the commissioner of economic development, and “members of the public and private sector” will attend.
On Thursday afternoon, a pair of Rivian trucks pulled onto the Liberty Plaza grounds ahead of the news conference.
A pair of @Rivian trucks pull up outside the Georgia Capitol ahead of the announcement that the electric vehicle maker will build a $5B plant that will employ 7,500 people in east Georgia. #gapol pic.twitter.com/MH5qfc31jf
— Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) December 16, 2021
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported last week Rivian and the governor would announce the deal Thursday, which is expected to bring roughly 7,500 manufacturing jobs to an approximately 2,000-acre site along I-20 in southern Walton and Morgan counties.
The plant would rank as one of Georgia’s largest-ever economic development projects, and could grow to include as many as 10,000 jobs over a span of several years.
The Rivian factory also would be the first automotive assembly facility in Georgia since Kia Motors announced in 2006 it would build a plant in West Point near the Alabama border.
Amazon, one of Rivian’s largest investors, has a deal to acquire 100,000 Rivian delivery vans by 2030.
Rivian also says it has 55,000 combined pre-orders for its luxury R1T pickup and R1S sports utility vehicle.
Rivian’s other early investors include T. Rowe Price and Ford Motor.
Cox Enterprises, owner of the AJC, owns a 4.7% stake in Rivian and supplies services to Rivian. Sandy Schwartz, a Cox executive who oversees the AJC, is on Rivian’s board of directors and holds stock personally. He does not take part in the AJC’s coverage of Rivian.
