The Georgia school bus maker founded in 1927 plans to invest an estimated $300 million to convert a former motorhome plant in Fort Valley into a 1 million square foot factory, Governor Brian Kemp announced on October 21. The facility will create 375 jobs over three years, and construction is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027.
According to the Governor’s office announcement, Blue Bird will convert the former diesel motorhome site at 401 Wanderlodge Way into a plant for Type C buses with diesel, gasoline, propane and electric powertrains. The company, which employs more than 1,900 people in Georgia, says the roles will cover manufacturing, operations and technician jobs, and Georgia Quick Start will assist with training. Reusing an existing building rather than breaking new ground is a notable choice for a project of this size.
Georgia’s other manufacturing driven buildout takes the opposite approach, building new on open land in Bryan County, where Rooker’s Seaport16 Trade Center was planned for up to 7.1 million square feet of logistics space across 10 buildings on 797 acres. The project’s website places the park about three miles from the Hyundai Metaplant, which has since opened, according to local reports. The 2022 timeline for Building 1 to finish in 2023 has not been confirmed in the sources reviewed.
Blue Bird Fort Valley Plant Converts a Former Motorhome Factory Into a School Bus Plant
The new facility will build Type C school buses, the conventional truck based models familiar to many Georgia students, and it will offer every major powertrain on one site. At 1 million square feet, the plant covers roughly 17 football fields of floor space.
Construction is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027, and the jobs are planned over the next three years. According to the Governor’s office, the Georgia Department of Economic Development handled the project in partnership with the Development Authority of Peach County and Georgia Quick Start.
Georgia Quick Start is the state’s jobs training program, and it will provide assistance to Blue Bird. Details of any state or local incentives have not been released. A spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Economic Development described the expansion as an active project, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Blue Bird Fort Valley Plant Adds to a Georgia Workforce of More Than 1,900
Blue Bird was founded in Georgia in 1927 and says it employs more than 1,900 people in the state. The new plant builds on that base in Middle Georgia, where Fort Valley Mayor Shakeena Reeves said the bond between the company and the city runs both ways.
John Wyskiel, president and CEO of Blue Bird, said every bus that leaves the company’s plants carries the pride of the people across Middle Georgia who build it. Commissioner Roy Lewis of the Peach County Board of Commissioners called the project a monumental win for the community.
The company said the new roles will include manufacturing, operations and technician jobs, and openings are posted on its careers page.
Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson said it was remarkable to see the legacy continue to create jobs in a rural Georgia community.
Blue Bird Fort Valley Plant Follows Strong Sales and a Run of Acquisitions
In its fiscal third quarter, which ended in late June, Blue Bird reported net sales of $517.2 million, up from $398 million a year earlier, an increase of about 30%. Net income was $185.3 million, compared with $36.5 million a year ago, a figure that includes gains tied to the Micro Bird acquisition.
Earlier this year, Blue Bird fully acquired Micro Bird, a shuttle bus joint venture it previously co-owned with Girardin Group. The company has also announced the purchase of a Michigan factory and an expanded partnership with Ford Motor Company involving the automaker’s next generation stripped commercial chassis.
In August, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce named the Blue Bird Vision Electric school bus the winner of its 2026 Coolest Thing Made in Georgia competition.
Project Overview
- Project Name: Blue Bird Fort Valley manufacturing facility
- Owner: Blue Bird Corporation
- Location: 401 Wanderlodge Way, Fort Valley, Peach County, Georgia, about 100 miles south of Atlanta
- Project Type: Conversion of a former diesel motorhome plant into a school bus factory
- Project Value: Estimated $300 million
- Facility Size: 1 million square feet
- Product: Type C school buses with diesel, gasoline, propane and electric powertrains
- Jobs: 375 over three years, in manufacturing, operations and technician roles
- Construction Start: Expected in the first quarter of 2027
- Completion: Not announced
- State Support: Georgia Quick Start training, with other incentives not disclosed
- Existing Georgia Workforce: More than 1,900 employees
- Announced: October 21, 2026, by Governor Brian Kemp
Project Team
Owner and Operator
- Owner: Blue Bird Corporation
Public Bodies
- State Announcement: Office of Governor Brian Kemp
- State Economic Development: Georgia Department of Economic Development
- Workforce Training: Georgia Quick Start
- Local Development Authority: Development Authority of Peach County
- County Government: Peach County Board of Commissioners
- City Government: City of Fort Valley
Contractors
- Design and Construction Contractor: Not publicly disclosed
Related Project: Seaport16 Trade Center
- Developer: Rooker
- Civil Engineer: Thomas & Hutton
- Architect: POH Architects
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