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Above: Inside General Dynamic's Gulfstream G650 manufacturing facility in Savanah, Georgia, the state's largest manufacturing company by number of employees (source: General Dynamics)
Over the past decade, Georgia’s industrial sector has grown steadily, attracting a variety of enterprises, from auto companies to aeronautics firms.
Most recently, SK Battery announced it as going ahead with plans to build a $2.6 billion factory in the state, while automotive manufacturer KB Autosys unviled its plans to build the compnay's first high-tech manufacturing facility in Meriwether.
This article will examine Georgia's largest manufacturing plants. But first, let's take a look at some key facts and statistics on the Peach State.
According to MNI, compiler and publisher of the industrial data that powers IndustrySelect, Georgia is currently home to 8,519 manufacturing companies employing 509,783 workers.
MNI reports there are 33,733 executive contacts among Georgia’s manufacturing companies, including 4,296 presidents, 2,587 owners and partners; 2,424 vice-presidents and 2,401 sales, marketing and purchasing executives.
1% percent of Georgia’s manufacturing companies are women-owned, according to MNI, while another 1% are minority-owned.
Looking to do business with Georgia manufacturers? Access comprehensive profiles of 10,000+ Georgia manufacturers and 33,000+ executives with MNI's Georgia database. Looking for other states, regions, or industries? IndustrySelect gives you live access to detailed information on 460,000 U.S. industrial companies and one million executives. Click here to try out a free demo of IndustrySelect (see a sample profile here).
Other facts to know about Georgia manufacturers, based on advanced criteria available to IndustrySelect subscribers:
• 12% are publicly owned companies
• 12% import raw materials
• 25% distribute their products internationally
Georgia’s top industry remains food processing, with 534 food products manufacturers and 72,491 workers.
Transportation equipment is another powerful industry in the state, employing 51,142. Other top industries in Georgia include textiles/apparel (48,720 employees); industrial machinery (44,613 employees); fabricated metals (32,389 employees); and rubber/plastics (29,863 employees).
Atlanta is the state’s largest industrial city, home to 751manufacturers and 58,180 workers. Alpharetta is a close second with 240 factories employing 21,009. Other top cities in Georgia include:
• Dalton (20,320 workers)
• Savannah (16,786 workers)
• Gainesville (14,912 workers)
• Marietta (13,252 workers)
• Norcross (12,187 workers)
Georgia’s top manufacturers are representative of the state’s powerful industrial sector, home to major aeronautics firms, auto manufacturers and food processing companies. Next, we’ll take a look at the state’s top companies.
| Company | Employees | City | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. | 9,638 | Savannah | GA |
| Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. | 6,200 | Marietta | GA |
| Coca-Cola Co., The | 4,750 | Atlanta | GA |
| Mohawk Industries, Inc., Aladdin Div. | 3,255 | Dalton | GA |
| Georgia-Pacific, LLC | 3,200 | Atlanta | GA |
| Kia Motors Mfg. Georgia, Inc. | 3,000 | West Point | GA |
| Keystone Foods, LLC | 2,600 | Camilla | GA |
| Southwire Co., LLC | 2,500 | Carrollton | GA |
| Blue Bird Corp. | 2,000 | Fort Valley | GA |
| Perdue Farms | 2,000 | Perry | GA |
1. Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. (Savannah, GA)
A subsidiary of General Dynamics, Gulfstream Aerospace is a major manufacturer of business jets, used by private corporations and 35 distinct governments to transport heads of state.
The company ranks as the state’s top industrial employer, employing 9,638 at its facility in Savannah.
2. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics (Marietta, GA)
Another major aeronautics company, Lockheed Martin is a major defense contractor, building military aircraft for the U.S. and 70 other countries.
It most recently was awarded a $9.6 million contract with the U.S. Air Force to provide C-5 aircraft sustainment engineering services.
The company is a major industrial employer in the state of Georgia, with 6,200 employees at its Marietta campus.
3. Coca-Cola (Atlanta, GA)
A household name for more than a century, Coca-Cola is one of the world’s most powerful companies and dominates the soft drink market.
Coca-Cola’s company headquarters ranks as Georgia’s third-largest industrial employer, home to 4,750 employees.
4. Mohawk Industries, Inc., Aladdin Div. (Dalton, GA)
Mohawk Industries is a major manufacturer of carpeting and flooring solutions. In the 1990s, the company merged with Dalton-based Aladdin Mills, Inc and has since grown to be a global flooring leader, producing residential and commercial carpeting; laminate flooring; wood flooring and more.
Its plant in Dalton employs 3,255.
5. Kia Motors Mfg. Georgia, Inc. (West Point, GA)
Kia Motors’ West Point plant is a major operation, encompassing 2,200 acres and representing an investment of $1.1 billion.
The facility is home to 3,000 employees who assemble the Telluride CUV; Sorrento CUV and the Optima sedan, producing 340,000 vehicles per year.
6 . Keystone Foods, LLC (Camilla, GA)
A global food services company, Keystone Foods’ is a subsidiary of Tyson Foods, and under the USA Proteins division, produces 1.1 billion pounds of raw poultry; 20 million pounds of fish and 200 million pounds of been per year. The Camilla campus features a processing plant, hatchery and feed mill, where 2,600 employees work.
7. Southwire Co., LLC (Carrollton, GA)
Southwire Co. is one of North America’s largest cable and wire companies, producing everything from transmission cable and electronic cord products to OEM wire products and engineered products.
Established in 1950, its facility in Carrolton, GA employs 2,500.
8. Blue Bird Corp., (Fort Valley, GA)
Blue Bird is a familiar company for many, producing the big yellow schoolbuses that transport students to and from school each day.
Bluebird was an early leader in electric vehicle technology and was the first to market electric school buses in 1994. It Fort Valley facility employs 2,000.
9. GE Power Electronics, Inc. (Atlanta, GA)
GE Power Electronics is a major producer of power generation systems and turbines. Its Atlanta facility is home to 2,000 employees.
10. Perdue Farms (Perry, GA)
A fourth-generation, family-owned company, Perdue Farms is a major player in the agricultural market, known for its chicken and turkey products.
The company’s Perry facility encompasses 500,000 square feet and employs 2,000 employees.
For those looking to do business with industrial companies, IndustrySelect’s database of 500,000 U.S. industrial companies is a top resource for both developing and researching sales leads in the manufacturing sector.
An IndustrySelect subscription can put you on a first-name basis with Georgia’s 10,000+ industrial companies and 52,000 executives or with the nation at large. Subscribers can select up to 30 data points on any manufacturing company in the U.S. to help identify or pre-qualify leads.
Company profiles also include the contact information for hard-to-find executive decision-makers. Try a free demo today!
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Editor's note: This post was originally published in August of 2020. It is updated annually to reflect new statistics and trends.