Mitsubishi Power Plans More Than 220 Factory Jobs Near Savannah in a $490 Million Expansion

Mitsubishi Power Americas is investing $490 million in expanding its existing footprint in Georgia and plans to create more than 220 new jobs in Chatham County, at its Savannah Machinery Works at 1000 Pine Meadow Drive near Pooler. The new space will manufacture parts for gas turbines, and the company will hire for manufacturing, operations, heavy machinery, and technician roles. Gov. Brian Kemp unveiled the project on Friday, the same day Mitsubishi Power's release was dated Oct 23, 2026. For Metaintro readers in coastal Georgia, this guide covers what the plant makes, which roles are already posted in Pooler and what they ask for, how local factory pay compares, and when the new space is expected to run.

What Did Mitsubishi Power Announce for Savannah Machinery Works?

The plant is a manufacturing and service center for advanced-class gas turbines, steam turbines and power generation equipment serving customers across the Americas. The expansion will add 450,000 square feet to the existing facility.

Beyond floor space, the money is meant to bring additional machining capacity, advanced manufacturing technologies, increased material flow efficiency and future-ready production infrastructure to the Pooler site.

The announcement coincided with the signing of an expansion framework agreement between Mitsubishi Power Americas and the Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA). Representatives of the company, SEDA, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, elected officials and community leaders attended the announcement event.

Who Is Paying, and Does the Expansion Double the Plant?

The planned expansion is supported by a $490 million investment from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI). Mitsubishi Power is a power solutions brand of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

The plan would double its existing footprint in Georgia. The original building was the 430,000 square-foot facility completed in 2010, and the expansion is also expected to double its production capacity, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

SEDA president and CEO Trip Tollison called the expansion a very highly competitive project that is one of the largest investments to date on behalf of Mitsubishi Power Americas.

Which Jobs Will the New Hiring Cover?

Beyond the roles named at the announcement, new opportunities are expected across manufacturing, engineering, quality, maintenance, logistics and support functions. No split by role or by year, and no pay figures, came with the announcement.

Mitsubishi Power hires from executives and engineers to machinists and technicians, with job areas that include Machinists and Mechanics, engineering, manufacturing and finance. Students can apply to the IGNITE Internship Program, which offers hands-on experience in clean energy innovation, engineering and business operations, with interns working on projects in mechanical engineering, supply chain, marketing, HR, finance, IT and more.

This expansion strengthens American manufacturing and gives our people the advanced capabilities they need as they continue to deliver for our customers and help electricity growth across the Americas for decades to come, Mitsubishi Power Americas President and CEO Bill Newsom said, according to the Georgia governor's release.

Which Pooler Jobs Are Posted Now, and What Do They Ask For?

Mitsubishi Power's jobs site lists several Pooler roles, and the careers page links to its open roles. Here are the requirements for four of them.

• The Gas Turbine Technician (1st Shift) posting is a hands-on job where the technician will build large-scale gas turbine rotors using millwright skills, including precision tasks such as grinding, honing, polishing, and blade pinning. Basic requirements are being At least 18 years of age, a High school diploma, GED or equivalent, legal authorization to work in the United States on a permanent basis without needing employer immigration sponsorship now or in the future, and the ability to pass a background check and drug test. Preferred extras are a technical certificate or associate degree in a mechanical field, 2+ years of experience in mechanical assembly or equipment maintenance, comfort working with both SAE and Metric units, and strong teamwork and communication skills.
• The Machine Operator I (2nd Shift) posting calls for someone who reads blueprints and needs Specialized knowledge in the area of CNC machine operation as well as manual processes. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, hold a high school diploma, GED or equivalent, and be able to pass a routine background check and drug test, and the posting states that Applicants must be US Citizens of the United States without need for current or future employer-sponsored work authorization. The full list of preferred qualifications is on the posting.
• The Quality Inspector posting involves running nondestructive test equipment and CMM programs, testing product for structural defects such as leaks or internal cracks and air flow testing, and its education and experience requirement is a High school diploma or equivalent, plus at least one year of related experience or training, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• The Project Manager, Construction posting is based in Pooler but covers capital construction and facility projects across Mitsubishi Power’s Americas operations. It requires a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical field and Seven (7)+ years of experience managing large power generation, construction, or industrial projects, with PMP certification preferred.

The turbine technician job is physical, and employees occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds, and the noise level in the work environment is usually loud.

The benefits listed on the Quality Inspector posting include Medical, Dental, Vision & 401K Matching, tuition reimbursement and on-the-job training. The careers page adds Company matched traditional and Roth 401(k) plans and paid parental leave.

What Do Factory and Technician Jobs Pay Around Savannah?

Federal wage data gives a local benchmark. In the Savannah metro, production occupations averaged $26.84 an hour in May 2025, above the national production average of $24.81. Installation, maintenance, and repair jobs averaged $31.37 an hour locally against $30.44 nationally, and architecture and engineering jobs paid $53.65 locally against $51.36 nationally.

Factory and repair work is a bigger slice of local jobs, with production occupations making up 7.0 percent of Savannah area employment, compared with 5.5 percent nationally, while installation, maintenance, and repair jobs make up 6.2 percent locally, compared with 3.9 percent nationally. In the Savannah metro, crane and tower operators ($32.87) are among the higher paying transportation and material moving jobs.

Across all jobs, the Savannah average was $28.24 an hour, compared to the nationwide average of $33.54.

Because the turbine technician posting calls for millwright skills, the national millwright figures are a useful second benchmark. Industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers and millwrights had a median annual wage of $64,100 in May 2025, and their employment is projected to grow 14 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average. Most millwrights go through an apprenticeship program that may last up to 4 years. For each year of the program, apprentices must have at least 144 hours of relevant technical instruction and up to 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training. Some mechanics and millwrights complete a 2-year associate’s degree program in industrial maintenance, with courses such as welding, mathematics, hydraulics and pneumatics. Nationally, about 51,900 openings for these workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.

When Will the New Space Open and Hiring Pick Up?

Mitsubishi hopes to have the expansion up and running by early 2029. Construction has not started, and SEDA looks forward to a future groundbreaking ceremony to get the construction phase underway.

The Pooler project also sits inside a wider build-out. Mitsubishi Power's strategy in the Americas includes the opening of the company’s newly expanded Power Generation Services Headquarters in Orlando and a new corporate headquarters in Lake Mary planned for November, with additional expansions planned through 2028.

Why Is Demand for Gas Turbines Rising?

Generating turbines, the 400-ton workhorses deep inside power plants, have never been in more demand, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The factory makes natural gas turbines for electricity providers throughout the Western Hemisphere, including Georgia Power and its sister divisions with Southern Co., the U.S.’ second-largest utility by customer base.

Turbine manufacturers are ramping up production as utilities add infrastructure to meet the needs of the AI age, with industry experts estimating adding 230 gigawatts to the U.S. grid by 2030 to serve the data centers used for artificial intelligence. Mitsubishi Power links the expansion to unprecedented power generation needs.

Georgia Power, one of those customers, welcomed the expansion and is proud that the next generation of turbines and equipment for its power plants is being produced right here in Georgia.

Savannah has been a critical hub for Mitsubishi Power since 2010, and we are excited to deepen our commitment to the local community with the expansion of Savannah Machinery Works (SMW), Savannah Machinery Works Vice President Brandon Bodie said, according to the Mitsubishi Power release.

What Has the Plant Built Since It Opened?

Mitsubishi Power Americas first broke ground on Savannah Machinery Works in September 2009, building what became the company's first complete gas turbine manufacturing facility outside Japan. Mitsubishi Power's first gas turbine ever produced in the U.S. shipped from Savannah in October 2012, and in June 2023, the facility celebrated the manufacture and shipment of its 50th advanced-class gas turbine.

Across the Americas, the company has more than 3,500 employees in North, Central and South America.

Mitsubishi Power first chose Georgia at the height of the recession, and Georgia economic development commissioner Pat Wilson credits the connectivity that Georgia's ports, rail, highways, and airports provide for the company's continued investment in a state where its products are critical to America’s energy infrastructure. Bodie said the plant's work force and its location near port and rail access were the defining factors in the decision, that the expansion builds on the know-how and the credibility that our teams have established here at this facility, and that the company is committed to being an employer here in this region that supports the growth of the workforce. The site sits at the intersection of I-95 and I-16.

Who Helped Land the Project, and How Does Training Work?

The state's Global Commerce team worked on the project in partnership with the Savannah Economic Development Authority, Georgia Power, and Georgia Quick Start. The company reviewed multiple sites before choosing the Pooler location, and SEDA's Trip Tollison describes the Savannah region as the fastest-growing part of the state right now.

Georgia Quick Start was created after Georgia’s leadership passed legislation to create a first-of-its-kind organization to provide customized workforce training free-of-charge to attract new industry to the state in 1967. Today it is a discretionary incentive providing customized, company-specific workforce training at no cost to companies investing in and creating jobs in Georgia. Its Advanced Manufacturing Training Center sits at 1500 Pine Meadow Drive in Savannah, on the same road as the plant at 1000 Pine Meadow Drive. Quick Start’s automotive projects include Hyundai Transys, which plans hybrid powertrain jobs in West Point, and its showcase projects include Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, the Savannah-area Hyundai plant.

The turbine technician listing also looks for candidates with A desire to grow into a long-term career in turbine assembly.

What This Means for Savannah Job Seekers, and What Should You Do Next?

This is a long-horizon hiring story with a short-term entry point. Pooler roles such as the Gas Turbine Technician (1st Shift) posting are open to apply for, and the Machine Operator I posting and the Quality Inspector posting ask for a high school diploma or equivalent, with the Quality Inspector role adding at least one year of related experience or training, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Apply to current roles. Check the Mitsubishi Power careers page and its Pooler listings, such as the Gas Turbine Technician (1st Shift) role.
• Lead with hands-on skills. The turbine technician posting names hydraulic torque tools, precision measuring instruments and overhead cranes, and the machine operator posting names CNC controllers, so put that experience at the top of your resume.
• Check the eligibility lines. The Machine Operator I posting requires US citizenship, while the Gas Turbine Technician and Project Manager, Construction postings require permanent US work authorization without sponsorship.
• Benchmark an offer. Use the Savannah production wage average when a line role offer arrives.

Lacey Kaelani, Metaintro's CEO, puts it this way: The best time to join a growing plant is before the new building opens. Learning the machines early gives you a head start when the bigger floor needs people.

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People Also Asked

Q: How many jobs will the Mitsubishi Power expansion in Pooler create?

A: The company plans to create more than 220 new jobs in Chatham County, with new opportunities expected across manufacturing, engineering, quality, maintenance, logistics and support functions.

Q: When will the Savannah Machinery Works expansion open?

A: Mitsubishi hopes to have the expansion up and running by early 2029, and SEDA looks forward to a future groundbreaking ceremony.

Q: How do I apply for Mitsubishi Power jobs near Savannah?

A: Openings are listed through the Mitsubishi Power Americas careers page, and current Pooler listings include roles such as the quality inspector job.

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