BRYAN COUNTY, Ga. (WSAV) — Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America celebrated its one-year groundbreaking anniversary Wednesday morning.

According to Hyundai, approximately 2,000 construction workers are working to complete the nearly 3,000-acre meta plant. Approximately 99.9% of all foundation work is complete, putting the site on track to be finished by early 2025.

“Considering that we started the search process in January of 2022 and to where we are today, no one in their wildest dreams would’ve imagined it would be like this,” Trip Tollison, Savannah Economic Authority president said.

This will be a smart factory meaning the site will run on eco-friendly resources. According to a Hyundai Metagroup news release, the electricity used to power the meta plant will come from 100% renewable energy.

One latest design includes multiple spaces for employees to communicate and build teamwork. Hyundai said creating a park with trails, sports fields and picnic areas will allow meta plant employees to enjoy their work environment. 

“It’ll be a versatile plant centered around the employee experience,” Tollison said. “When you see the renderings and what you all saw today, you’ll quickly realize that it’s going to be something that the auto industry, especially on the equipment and manufacturing side, has never seen before.”

They are also partnering with local colleges to create training opportunities for future employment opportunities.

It was announced that the average salary for workers at the meta plant will be at $58,000 a year plus benefits. That’s 25 percent higher than the average wage in Bryan County.

 “That’s what we do, that’s our job is to bring really good paying jobs to the community,” Tollison said. “I think that these folks that may be naysayers right now, once this is operational and they see more and more what Hyundai is doing for the community, they are going to change their mind.”

They told News 3 they will employ around 8,000 people and they’ve already hired over 200.