Brazil’s Investment in South Georgia Continues as Factory Planned for Colquitt 

Brazil’s investment in south Georgia continued this week as Gov. Brian Kemp announced that his August trip to the country is paying off in the form of a new manufacturing operation. 

Grupo Vialume will invest $4.4 million to repurpose an existing building in Colquitt, Ga., into a factory making plastic pavement markers and reflective lenses. 

The plan is to hire 150 people over the next seven years, with improvements to the building on E. Crawford Street to be completed by the end of 2026. 

João Paulo Moura, CEO of Grupo Vialume, said the move was designed to improve fulfillment of export orders while capitalizing on rising demand for sustainable products and the company’s existing U.S. supplier base. 

 “Combined with attractive tax incentives, the stability of the U.S. dollar, and the security of investing in such a strong market, Colquitt offers the ideal environment for Grupo Vialume to continue building a brighter, more sustainable future,” Mr. Moura said in the release.

With plastic being its main input, the group is accelerating efforts to repurpose unconventional materials like clothing off-cuts and peanut shells into its processes, providing a hint as to why it set up shop in the largely agricultural region of the state. 

Brazilian firms have shown a particular affinity for locations south of metro Atlanta, with Forquimica setting up in Moultrie, Taurus making firearms in Bainbridge and Guidoni Group landing its middle Georgia for a granite factory in Dublin. 

Some have faced hurdles in attracting qualified workers, ratcheting up automation and revising downward their hiring projections over time. In addition to the markers themselves, Vialume makes films and equipment to install markers on roadways and measure reflective capacity.

The win for Georgia comes as the state marks 30 years with a trade and investment office in the city of São Paulo. Vialume hails from the state of the same name, whose governor Mr. Kemp met during a reception at the U.S. consul general’s residence during his recent trip.

“Georgia is a consistent, long-term partner, and the longevity of our presence in markets such as Brazil, where we celebrated 30 years of representation over the summer, demonstrates these commitments,” Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson said in a news release. 

The announcement also come as Brazil firms face hefty tariffs from the Trump administration, providing another incentive to localize production. Brazil’s consul general, Ambassador Pompeu Andreucci Neto, told Global Atlanta in a November interview that such a strategy is nothing new for Brazilian firms, many of which have used greenfield investments as well as acquisitions to set up shop in the U.S.

In an interview with Global Atlanta in October, Mr. Kemp highlighted growing investment potential in South America and teased some projects that could soon benefit the state.