PERRY, Ga. — Jack Link's says it wants to beef up Central Georgia's economy.
The beef jerky plant announced Tuesday it's moving to Perry and bringing a herd of jobs.
Jack Link's and Sasquatch are telling Perry, "Get ready to feed your wild side."
The company says this is their largest project yet, and Governor Brian Kemp says this is the largest rural economic development announced this year.
"This company is going to be around for generations," said Kemp.
Kemp, along with former governor and agriculture secretary Sonny Perdue, top Jack Link's execs including the company's own namesake, and its mascot, Sasquatch, all broke ground on the soon-to-be 120-acre plant.
The company says they looked at more than 30 cities around the U.S. and settled on the Houston County site off Perry Parkway.
"This is a natural fit. Knowing this company, knowing these folks, this is an amazing family business that exemplifies the American Dream," said Perdue.
"This is a good product because this is a great family and you're in a great family community, and we welcome you," Kemp added.
The development, dubbed "Project Bird Cage," is slated to be a $450 million investment overall. The company says the plant will bring at least 800 jobs to the area.
"A lot of payroll, a lot of payroll, we're going to need a lot of great engineers, and highly-skilled people," said Jack Link's CEO Troy Link.
The beef jerky company says it's not only jobs that will infuse growth.
"The hotel rooms that will be booked and the gallons of gas that will be bought at the gas stations, the meals that we'll eat. Wow, what a great experience for the future," Link said.
The CEO promises they'll be good neighbors and they'll keep their facilities "hospital-clean."
"We don't like odors, we don't like having unfriendly neighbors, so you should expect a nice, green, clean facility here that has all the newest, latest, greatest technology," stated Link.
Jack Link's says their beef jerky plant will be up and running in Perry by late 2023. So far, there is no word on the pay range and benefits for those 800 employees.
The company was founded in Wisconsin back in 1985. It's expanding to South Dakota and Iowa.
They also operate multiple sites throughout the Midwest and also have facilities in New Zealand, Brazil, and Germany.