Mitsubishi announces $325 million U.S. plant

POOLER, Georgia -- Mitsubishi Power Systems says it will build a $325 million plant near Savannah, Georgia, to manufacture and service large steam and gas turbines used by power plants.

Company executives joined Gov. Sonny Perdue for a ceremonial groundbreaking Monday in Pooler, where the plant will cover 119 acres (48 hectares) and hire about 500 workers. Construction is scheduled to begin before the end of the year.

The plant will be the first built on a vast 1,500-acre (600-hectare) industrial site that has been vacant since DaimlerChrysler pulled out of a deal in 2003 to build a cargo van plant employing 3,000 people.

The state of Georgia bought the land for $23 million in 2002. After years of holding out for one company to take the entire site, state officials opted to parcel out smaller tracts to different manufacturers.