$80 million federal grant to transform Fort Valley facility into electric bus manufacturing hub for Blue Bird

FORT VALLEY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)- A significant $80 million federal investment is set to transform a vacant manufacturing facility in Fort Valley into a state-of-the-art electric school bus production site.

The U.S. Department of Energy is administering the grant, awarded to the Blue Bird Company, which will use the funds to convert the 600,000-square-foot facility into an electric school bus manufacturing plant. The project is expected to generate 428 manufacturing jobs and 250 construction jobs.

This federal grant was made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, legislation aimed at promoting clean energy and addressing climate change. The investment will support Blue Bird in meeting the rapidly growing demand for electric school buses and expanding access to modern, zero-emission transportation for students across Georgia.

In January 2024, Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock led a group of senators in urging Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm to support Blue Bird’s grant application. Warnock also facilitated a virtual meeting between Blue Bird and the Department of Energy to underscore the project’s economic and environmental benefits.

“Senator Reverend Warnock and I continue working relentlessly to expand economic opportunity in Middle Georgia. Senator Warnock and I today are announcing this historic investment to help create economic opportunities for Middle Georgia families, help Georgia kids get to school more safely, and to reduce air pollution,” said Senator Jon Ossoff, in a news release announcing the grant.

In addition to the manufacturing plant, Blue Bird will collaborate with a local full-service design-build construction firm. The new facility will allow Blue Bird to retain and expand its workforce of nearly 2,000 employees, which includes members of the United Steelworkers union. Recently, the company and the union signed their first collective bargaining agreement.