Mitsubishi is investing $490 million to expand its Pooler manufacturing plant, adding 220 jobs and 450,000 square feet as demand grows for the gas turbines produced at the facility.
The expansion was announced during a press conference Friday at Mitsubishi's Savannah Machinery Works.
“When we met with Mitsubishi Power and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Tokyo, we came away with a deeper understanding of how the company could continue growing in Georgia," Gov. Brian Kemp said in a press release. "We are excited that the Savannah Machinery Works is expanding to turn those possibilities into reality.”
Brandon Bodie, vice president of Mitsubishi’s Savannah Machinery Works,
said projects of this scale are typically years in the making.
Bodie said that the company has been monitoring the "surge of power demand" and discussing options. The turbines manufactured at the Pooler facility are used to generate electricity across the Americas, he said, and added that the company is excited to expand production in Georgia.
In 2009, Mitsubishi announced a $325 million investment establishing the manufacturing facility in Pooler that created 500 jobs. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Mitsubishi Power offers a number of power-generation solutions, including power trains, gas, steam and aero-derivative turbines.
“Meeting the growing demand for power will require investment in facilities, in our supply chain, and in our workforce – which is what we’re building here at Savannah Machinery Works,” said Bill Newsom, president and chief operating officer of Mitsubishi Power Americas in a press release.
Bodie said Mitsubishi’s existing Pooler operation made the site a natural choice for the expansion. He said the new jobs will require workforce training, with additional details about the positions expected later.
According to Trip Tollison, president of Savannah Economic Development Authority, Florida and Texas were also considered for the project.
"Savannah is committed to investing in training and workforce development," said Bodie. "We're working closely with Savannah Tech, Ogeechee Tech and some of the high schools in the area. We know with the strong military presence in Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, those team members come well trained and disciplined; they really do make excellent employees."
Mitsubishi’s expansion comes as major employers compete for workers across a region with a low unemployment rate. Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, its suppliers and a new data center in Rincon are among the projects adding jobs. Tollison said that growth presents SEDA with the challenge of helping companies find qualified workers.
"The region's on fire," said Tollison. "We're the fastest growing part of the state right now and with that comes a lot of challenges, but we're here to do both: celebrate and meet the demand and work on those challenges."
Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson noted that Mitsubishi chose to build its Pooler facility at the height of the economic recession.
“Georgia has stood alongside this company ever since, including numerous visits to its headquarters and years of building a relationship based on mutual understanding,” said Wilson in a press release. “Today, as demand for Mitsubishi Power’s products grows, this expansion is a reminder that economic development is about more than winning a project. It is about showing up, building relationships, and being a long-term partner. That is how we create lasting opportunities for Georgia and for the nation.”
Tollison said SEDA is introducing eighth graders to industries in and around Chatham County and using social media to reach potential candidates to help build the region's workforce.
"There's so many jobs out there that are paying great wages that you can go directly into the workforce and not graduate with debt," said Tollison. "If you're in the hospitality industry or if you're driving a truck and you want a more stable, higher-paying job, this is a great place to look at."
Tollison said he believes the expansion will create additional economic activity in the region.
"I think the supplier side will grow," said Tollison. "Mitsubishi has a lot of companies that supply steel and the parts that go into the turbine, so they'll be a big part of this as well."
Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Expansion of Savannah Machinery Works to add hundreds of jobs
