MLILY Mattresses in Waycross, GA

A Finnish building manufacturer could receive about $144 million in grants, tax breaks and other incentives from state and local governments to build a $750 million mass production facility in South Georgia.

The incentive package offered to Admares was detailed in documents obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution through the Georgia Open Records Act. The company specializes in mass production of buildings and houses and announced in May that it plans to open its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Waycross, about 240 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.

On nearly 190 acres in Waycross, Admares plans to build a 2.5 million-square-foot factory — a building the size of the proposed mixed-use redevelopment of North DeKalb Mall. A prior news release said Admares will apply its Scandinavian expertise in shipbuilding to the homebuilding sector, manufacturing homes at factories and transporting them to neighborhoods.

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State and local officials offered multiple tax credits, grants and other incentives to Admares in exchange for its investment and promise to employ 1,418 workers at an average annual salary of $55,960. Admares did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Ware County ended October with a 3.3% unemployment rate, roughly equivalent to the statewide rate, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, the county’s poverty rate of 24.3% is nearly double the statewide figure, according to U.S. Census data. Ware County’s median household income of $39,419 is also significantly lower than that of Georgia as a whole.

Critics argue states, cities and counties offer incentives with a loose hand, shifting the burden of paying for growth onto other taxpayers. But proponents say these incentives are needed to outcompete other states, generate tax dollars on undeveloped land and expand employment opportunities, especially in rural corners of the state.

Earlier this year, Georgia lawmakers began a review of more than 50 tax credit programs, ranging from incentives for film to job tax credits offered automatically to most large employers to determine if taxpayers get the promised bang from the public largesse.

The largest inducement offered to Admares is an estimated $78.5 million in property tax savings from a 25-year local tax abatement. The Waycross and Ware County Development Authority will lease the 189-acre site along U.S. 23 to Admares through a complicated real estate transaction called a “bond-for-title” transaction, which results in a property tax break for the company.

ExploreHow ‘fake’ bonds allow Georgia to offer tax breaks to companies

Admares will qualify for multiple incentive programs baked into Georgia code. These include job tax credits, credits covering qualified machinery costs, free job training for new workers through Georgia Quick Start and a port tax credit bonus for increasing imports and exports. The Georgia Department of Economic Development offered a discretionary $8 million Regional Economic Business Assistance (REBA) grant, which is used to “close the deal” when multiple states or countries are vying for the same project. According to state documents, Florida and California were competed for the Admares facility.

In June, Admares, the development authority and the state signed both a memorandum of understanding and performance and accountability agreement to finalize the incentive terms. Starting no later than February 2026, Admares will have to hit certain performance metrics — such as employment and private investment — to receive the incentives in full during a five-year performance period. Reaching 80% of the promised goals is considered compliance, according to the documents.

A spokesperson for the Waycross and Ware County Development Authority said Admares is in the design phase of its facility, which is expected to open in late 2025.

ExploreAudit sparks debate over cost effectiveness of Georgia’s job tax credits

Finland-based building manufacturer Admares is planning a $750 million facility in Waycross. Below are some of the more significant incentives offered by state and local governments to land the factory.

Total value: $143.9 million*†

- $78.5 million in local property tax breaks over 25 years

- $24.8 million in job tax credits

- $19.8 million in qualified machinery costs

- $8.9 million in a port tax credit bonus

- $8 million REBA grant

- $4 million in Georgia Quick Start job training for new workers

*Values are rounded

†Total value does not include certain incentives that are based on future potential expenditures

The Waycross Fire Department says most of its service calls are for downed trees and powerlines. The roof of an school in Brantley County blew off during storm

WAYCROSS, Ga. — Southeast Georgia communities are cleaning up after the impact of Hurricane Idalia Wednesday.

In Ware County, the Waycross Fire Department says most of its service calls are for downed trees and powerlines.

Driving around Ware County, First Coast News crews observed a large pine tree that fell, slicing into the front dining room of a home and totaling the owner's car on Euclid Avenue. Another tree on the campus of South Georgia State University damaged a satellite dish in front of the Education building.

American Lube Fast on Memorial Drive in Waycross was also damaged. The glass on the front of the building shattered and chairs from the lobby were seen on the lawn. The business was closed Wednesday. Traffic lights dangled from intersections.

Chief of Waycross Fire Department David Eddins says the department has extra staff responding to calls.

"I ask that they be patient because there's going to be debris that has to be cleaned up and things and some of the services were accustomed to in normal conditions: garbage pickup, mail services, things like that, those potentially are going to be delayed because of the conditions out on the street so just be patient," Eddins said.

Eddins says if wait times are longer than usual, don't handle downed power lines yourself.

"Assume that every line that you see regardless if you think its a cable line, electrical line, don't grab them," Eddins said. "Thinking you can clear it out, leave things where they are at."

Furthermore, the hurricane caused the roof of a building with sixth grade classrooms at Hoboken Elementary School to blow off in Brantley County, Georgia.

Brantley County Schools Superintendent Kim Morgan says thankfully the school was closed when the roof was destroyed.

The new school year started just under a month ago and mother Brittany Beers says she can't believe the damage done to her daughter's school.

"I am shocked, extremely shocked because it's Georgia," Beers said. "I used to live in Florida and I left Florida from the hurricane and now I'm freaking out trying to get to my house hoping that it is okay."

Morgan says the damage will not cause long-term closures and that the classrooms affected, will be relocated to other parts of the school.

"The insurance team has already began assessing damage and the restoration company will be here in the morning [Thursday] to begin repairs," Morgan said in an email.

All Brantley County Schools are closed Thursday because of the damage and power outages in the area.

WAYCROSS, Ga. (WALB) - Gov. Brian Kemp announced on Tuesday that ADMARES, a company that specializes in the mass production of buildings and homes using prosperity technology, plans to construct its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Waycross.

“Projects like this prove that in every part of the state, Georgia has what job creators look for,” Kemp said. “We’re proud to welcome ADMARES to the No. 1 state for business and thankful for their decision to locate in a rural part of Georgia, as so many other companies have done in recent years. This project will not only bring more opportunities to hardworking Georgians, it will also help innovate the home building industry at a time when we need more rural workforce housing.”

The new facility is expected to create over 1,400 new jobs and invest $750 million in Ware County.

ADMARES is a company that originates from Turku, Finland. The organization is in the process of relocating its headquarters to the U.S. while continuing to leverage its innovative technology, Kemp’s office said in a release.

“Waycross, Georgia is an ideal location for a transportation hub with easy access to major highways and extensive rail connections. Its proximity to the Port of Brunswick, one of the busiest ports on the eastern seaboard, offers a competitive advantage for global trade. Waycross’ strategic location and robust infrastructure make it an attractive destination for us in the region,” said Mikael Hedberg, founder and CEO of ADMARES.

ADMARES has selected a greenfield site to construct a 2.5-million-square-foot build-to-suit facility. It will be located along Highway 23.

The manufacturing facility will specialize in producing buildings for the housing sector and is expected to begin production in late 2025, the release states.

The company will be hiring for administration, management, engineering and IT positions, along with logistics, assembly, robotics maintenance and production positions.

“(Waycross welcomes) ADMARES, the newest corporation to join our thriving community in Ware County, Georgia. ADMARES’ initiative to build homes not only contributes to the growth of our economy but also provides homes for countless families,” Michael-Angelo James, Waycross mayor, said. “We look forward to seeing the positive impact that ADMARES will have on our beloved city, and we thank them for choosing to be a part of our community.”

Copyright 2023 WALB. All rights reserved.

WAYCROSS, Ga. (WJBF) – Waycross, Georgia has a California connection because of actor and business owner Isaac King, who is the owner of the Purrfect Tea Café, which is the home of the bubble waffle and Boba tea.

WJBF Digital’s Karlton T. Clay travels to Waycross to talk with King as he chats about how he juggles his budding acting career with running a business.

Thank you for having us here in Waycross, Georgia at Purrfect Tea. Let’s get started with the name. How did you come up with the name for your café?

So initially, this was actually going to be a cat café, and I don’t know if you’ve heard of those before. They’re kind of starting to sprout up around Georgia a little bit. So, what we were going to do was we were going to take the one of the sections of the cafe, cut it off, put some glass around it, isolate it so that there’s no kind of contamination or worries about that, and we were going to have kind of a thing where we worked with the shelter here in Waycross to adopt. We were going to just have like a few cats there, where folks can come in and adopt them if they wanted to or sit around and pet them within that area. Well, Waycross, as a business, wasn’t too keen on that. They hadn’t really quite got to that level of stuff yet, so we kind of got shut down on it, but the name was cool, so we just ended up deciding to keep the name instead.

You’re originally from Los Angeles (L.A.), correct?

Yes.

What brought you from L.A. to Waycross?

My parents. Yeah, it was a decision on them. They felt that I had had enough of the city life. It helped for what its purpose was. I got a lot of my creativity and just a lot of the skills that I have now from L.A., and so at that time, I think they were seeing where housing was going and seeing where all that stuff was headed. So, they just decided to go ahead and bring me to the south and kind of raise me here in that regard.

You are also an actor. So, how do you handle juggling acting and running a business?

Whoooo! By the hair on my chin. I’m lucky to have a few partners, lucky to have some folks like Ashley – shout out to Ashley – that has helped me cover the cafe and do everything that I’ve needed to do on the acting, too. And then whenever I get done with the project, or if I’m finished with something, then it’s just coming back down to kind of like working a regular job. It almost makes me feel like a superhero at times. It’s like, Yeah, during the night, I go, I act, and I’m doing this. And then, whenever I come back during the day, I’m at the cafe. So, just a lot of support from my village.

If people want to follow your journey, want to follow the café, how can they do so?

You can follow the café itself on Instagram and Facebook: Purrfect Tea Waycross. If you want to follow me for any of the acting, writing, or anything else, I am Isaac Daniel King on Facebook and @thatactorguyisaac on Instagram.

Videography by Quincy Kelly, 1 Accord Media; Music Provided by DRay The Producer, Soul Resurrection Music

ATLANTA – Building and home manufacturer ADMARES expects to create over 1,400 new jobs and invest $750 million in Ware County.

Release:

Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that ADMARES, which specializes in industrialized manufacturing of buildings and homes, plans to construct its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Waycross, Georgia. The company expects to create over 1,400 new jobs and invest $750 million in Ware County.

“Projects like this prove that in every part of the state, Georgia has what job creators look for,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “We’re proud to welcome ADMARES to the No. 1 state for business and thankful for their decision to locate in a rural part of Georgia, as so many other companies have done in recent years. This project will not only bring more opportunities to hardworking Georgians, it will also help innovate the home building industry at a time when we need more rural workforce housing.”

ADMARES is a company that originates from Turku, Finland and specializes in the mass production of buildings using proprietary technology. Currently, the organization is in the process of relocating its headquarters to the U.S. while continuing to leverage its innovative technology. The company’s buildings have been used in both the residential and hospitality sectors.

“Our extensive experience in efficient shipbuilding and process oriented offshore industries has enabled us to innovate and collaborate with key partners Porsche Consulting, MHP – A Porsche Company, and Siemens to develop groundbreaking manufacturing technology,” said Mikael Hedberg, Founder and CEO of ADMARES. “With the rise of modern industrialization practices, we have combined our expertise to create a revolutionary robotic-driven manufacturing process that allows entire buildings to be manufactured at a factory rather than on a traditional construction site. With our advanced technology, we are adopting successful practices that are common in other advanced industries.”

“In addition to exploring opportunities in other states, Waycross, Georgia, is an ideal location for a transportation hub with easy access to major highways and extensive rail connections. Its proximity to the Port of Brunswick, one of the busiest ports on the eastern seaboard, offers a competitive advantage for global trade. Waycross’ strategic location and robust infrastructure make it an attractive destination for us in the region,” continued Hedberg.

ADMARES has selected a greenfield site to construct a 2.5-million-square-foot build-to-suit facility located along Highway 23 in Waycross. The manufacturing facility will specialize in producing buildings for the housing sector and is expected to begin production in late 2025.

The company will be hiring for positions in administration, management, engineering, and IT as well as logistics, assembly, robotics maintenance, and production. Interested individuals can learn more about working at ADMARES by visiting www.admares.com.

“Welcome ADMARES, the newest corporation to join our thriving community in Ware County, Georgia. ADMARES’ initiative to build homes not only contributes to the growth of our economy but also provides homes for countless families,” said Waycross Mayor Michael-Angelo James. “I appreciate their commitment to creating 1,400 jobs for the City of Waycross, which will pave the way for numerous opportunities and steady employment. We look forward to seeing the positive impact that ADMARES will have on our beloved city, and we thank them for choosing to be a part of our community.”

“We are excited that ADMARES has chosen Ware County for their first production facility in the world,” said Ware County Commission Chairman Elmer Thrift. “Their significant commitment to our community is evidence of the Waycross and Ware County Development Authority’s efforts to develop and support a positive business environment for Ware County. We look forward to working with ADMARES and their success in the Ware County area.”

Senior Project Manager Elizabeth McLean represented the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) Global Commerce team on this competitive project in partnership with the Waycross and Ware County Development Authority, Georgia Power, and Georgia Quick Start.

“Workforce housing is a growing national challenge, and Georgia is no exception. The new ADMARES facility is helping address that challenge, filling a niche that is critical to economic development,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “What sets our state apart is our history of partnership that brings together the public and private sectors to overcome complex challenges. Congratulations to our friends in Waycross and Ware County on their hard work.”

About ADMARESADMARES is a global leader in the digital transformation of the construction industry. We are industrializing, productizing and digitalizing the manufacturing of homes. Our technology allows entire high-quality homes to be mass produced in a factory by assembly line workers without any need for traditional construction labor or traditional construction site. Learn more at www.admares.com.