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In the latest testament to the enduring job-creation potential of Japanese investors in Georgia, Nichiha USA is set to add another building at its Macon site, expanding production there for the second time since setting up shop 16 years ago.
The Nagoya-based maker of construction materials, including fiber-based cement used in exterior plank siding and architectural wall panels, first spent about $100 million in Macon, then added $120 million in 2018.
The latest expansion announced Oct. 25 calls for $150 million more to build a second facility and warehouse that will add more than 500,000 square feet and 100 more jobs.
Robby Fountain, chairman of the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority, said in a news release that the company has been a “staple international industry” since it landed in Macon.
“The addition and expansion of their existing plant and the projected growth of their workforce speak to the great value that our community brings to Nichiha and all our existing industry partners,” Mr. Fountain said.
Nichiha said the expansion is part of a plan to bring more manufacturing into the U.S. to better serve customers and avert growing global supply chain challenges.
Even before establishing the Macon plant, Nichiha had placed its U.S. corporate headquarters in Johns Creek in the northern reaches of metro Atlanta, an operation it maintains today. The company was founded in 1956.
Georgia is home to more than 600 Japanese-owned facilities employing more than 30,000 people.
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