PERRY, GEORGIA (VINnews) — Audi CEO Gernot Döllner joined President Donald Trump on stage Saturday at a rally in Perry to announce the German automaker’s first U.S. manufacturing facility, an investment of approximately $4 billion expected to bring thousands of jobs to Middle Georgia.

The plant will be built at the 1,474-acre Middle Georgia Megasite in Peach County, along Georgia Highway 96 near Interstate 75, a short drive from Macon. Officials said it will produce premium SUVs, including the Q7, Q8 and Q9 models, with annual capacity of about 200,000 vehicles. The project is projected to create roughly 4,500 jobs.

Trump described the commitment as a major auto manufacturing investment in Georgia and said construction would begin next month. State and local officials outlined a longer timeline, with grading of the site expected in 2027, construction in 2028 and full production around 2031.

Döllner thanked Trump for his support and called the project “a fantastic opportunity for Audi, for the Audi team, and for America.” He added that the company plans to produce its biggest and most premium SUVs in Macon and described the investment as long-term “because we believe in the American market.”

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp welcomed the decision in a statement, saying Audi had selected the state for its first U.S. plant and that the investment would deliver historic jobs to Middle Georgia. Local leaders from Peach, Macon-Bibb and Houston counties, which formed a joint development authority earlier this year to market the megasite, also praised the project for strengthening the region’s automotive sector.

The announcement comes as Georgia already hosts major auto operations, including a Kia plant in West Georgia and a large Hyundai facility near Savannah. Volkswagen, Audi’s parent company, is also expanding capacity at a Scout Motors plant under construction in South Carolina.

The Perry event was part of a broader political rally as midterm races approach. The plant itself was presented as an economic development project coordinated with state and regional partners.