Audi CEO Gernot Döllner announced an investment at President Trump's rally in Georgia, revealing plans to build the company's first U.S. production facility. The site will be the Middle Georgia Megasite near Macon, with approximately 4,500 jobs and annual capacity of 200,000 vehicles.
When President Trump held a campaign rally in Perry, Georgia, to support candidates in the midterm elections, Audi announced plans to build its first U.S. production facility at the site. The investment is estimated at approximately $4 billion to $4.2 billion, and CEO Gernot Döllner took the stage to explain the plan.
The new plant will be built at the “Middle Georgia Megasite” near Macon, Georgia, and is expected to create approximately 4,500 jobs. Site preparation is planned for 2027, construction for 2028 and full operation for 20213, with annual production capacity expected to reach 200,000 vehicles.
The company said the announcement demonstrated its long-term confidence in the U.S. market, while skeptical views also emerged locally. Germany's IG Metall metalworkers' union and others criticized the appearance as a violation of political neutrality.
Audi said the visit was intended to advance investment opportunities and was not meant to express political support. In response to interpretations that CEO Döllner's participation was a political spectacle, the company said it took the matter seriously.