PERRY, Ga. — It's set to bring hundreds of new jobs and new growth -- by 2023, 120 acres of Perry farmland will become a Jack Link's beef jerky plant.
On the west side of I-75 is where Jack Link's newest manufacturing plant will soon call home.
Governor Brian Kemp, along with the company's CEO Troy Link, and former Governor Sonny Perdue, made the announcement Tuesday
"It’s that quality of workforce and the training support that they get is one of the many reasons Georgia continues to be the designation state for business, and is one of the reasons Jack Link's tells us that drew them to this community,” Governor Brian Kemp said at Tuesday’s announcement.
The beef company has several plants in the Midwest, but the Perry plant will be its largest.
Jack Link's CEO Troy Link says it's sure to be an economic driver, claiming to bring in at least 800 jobs
"Payroll, lot of payroll. We’re going to need a lot of great engineers and highly skilled people," Link said.
With Perry as one of Houston County's fastest growing cities, local business owners are ready to embrace the new addition.
“For us, yes, we've seen the boom as far as local business, but even interstate traffic as it's grown, we’ve seen the community support us more, but it seems like there’s more foot traffic from the interstate," David Grossnickle said.
David Grossnickle has owned Chick-fil-A for decades, and says seeing the new business come in means more opportunities for everyone.
“Well, anytime you have a company invest that much money into a facility -- 800 new jobs -- well, that’s future employees for me -- they all have teenagers that probably go to school in the local school system -- but it also is just dollars and cents. We have more people that live in Perry that’s going to create revenue for us and more opportunities to give back to the community as well," he said.
We requested records on what tax breaks and subsidies the state has offered Jack Link's.
The state Department of Economic Development says they've not reached a final agreement with the company yet.