Welcome back to our special series on Southeast Regional Center, LLC (“SRC”).  So far, we have explored various aspects of our firm’s internal approach to selecting and investing in EB-5 projects.  In this article, we will examine the importance of external support to the success of our investments – especially support from the government.  

In our experience, investments within industries that have the interest and support of the government, experience better financial outcomes and faster immigration processing times versus alternatives that do not have this support.   

That is why we pay careful attention to the policies and priorities that our federal and state governments signal to the public, especially when they do so through legislation. 

The electric vehicle industry is a great example.  EVs and the batteries that power them are part of a larger clean-energy agenda that has received strong backing from elements of both major political parties in the United States, as well support at the federal and state levels. 

Our nation’s executive and legislative branches made a clear statement of its priorities for the EV industry with the passage of the Inflation and Reduction Act of 2022 (“IRA”), which provides several incentives to consumers that purchase EVs, including a $7,500 tax credit for vehicles that are produced in America.

The state of Georgia wasted no time crafting its own agenda to take advantage of the broad-based support for the EV industry.  In the same year Congress passed the IRA, Governor Brian Kemp and his economic development team stunned the nation in announcing a new EV plant by Hyundai Motor Group in Bryan County near Savannah, Georgia.  The “Metaplant”, which is 3,000 acres in size and is Hyundai’s largest EV facility in the world, represented an initial investment of more than   US$5.5 billion.  The company’s investment has since grown to US$7.59 billion and is expected to produce around 8,500 jobs in the area. Hyundai is considered as more than just a business in the State of Georgia.  On February 27, 2024, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp publicly praised the statewide benefits and opportunities brought about through its long-term partnership with Hyundai.

“When we celebrated the groundbreaking of Hyundai’s new electric vehicle and battery manufacturing facility in Bryan County, we knew it would unleash transformational job creation and investment in that entire region of our state,” Gov. Kemp said shortly after the deal was announced.  

The impact of the Hyundai’s investment across the state of Georgia has surpassed all initial expectations in a manner none could have predicted.  In February of 2024, the Governor’s office announced that the combination of all of Hyundai’s EV projects in Georgia (including the Metaplant, which is set to start production in the end of this year) has resulted in US$12.6 billion in total investment, which will create more than 12,000 direct, long-term jobs.  

This level of economic growth is unprecedented in the state of Georgia, and we at SRC believe it is only the beginning.  That is why we are supporting factories and investments that are positioned to contribute to the EV ecosystem that is sprouting up across not only Georgia but across the southeast and sunbelt regions of the United States.  We have faith in the long-term viability of projects in this industry not only because of the growing demand for EVs but also because our federal and state governments are transparently pushing for its success at all levels. 

All investments involve risk and uncertainty.  The goal is to mitigate those risks to the greatest extent possible.  One clear way to do so is to wager in the same direction as the government and choose projects that are aligned with its interests.  In our experience, we have found this strategy benefits the financial results of our projects as well as the immigration outcomes for our EB-5 investors. 

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The information provided here is not investment, tax or legal advice. You should consult with a licensed professional for advice concerning your specific situation. 

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