Tranformer factory coming to Burke County, governor announces

Another factory that produces commercial- and industrial-strength transformers is coming to Burke County and bringing 110 jobs with it.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced early Thursday that the county just south of Augusta will be the new site of a TMC Transformers USA production facility. It marks a five-year investment of $15.2 million, he said.

Transformers distribute electric energy across circuits with different voltages, either raising or lowering voltage. In several different sizes, the devices can be part of the smallest pieces of electronic equipment or the largest power grids.

TMC will produce low- and medium-voltage dry-type cast resin and VPI tranformers. VPI, or vacuum pressure impregnation, coats transformers in a heavy-duty resin designed to extend the useful life of the components.

“TMC’s decision to create over 100 well-paying jobs in Burke County comes at a critical time, and we look forward to their impact as that region of our state continues to recover and rebuild following the recent hurricanes,” Kemp said.

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Kemp had met with TMC executives this past summer on a trade-mission trip to Europe. At the time, TMC said its goal was "to create 250 new job opportunities, investing $30 million in machineries and buildings energized by solar panels, and exceeding $100 million in revenue within the next five years," according to its website.

Just three months ago, Burke County announced that Ritz Instrument Transformers is investing $28 million into a transformer plant that created about 130 jobs.

Ritz first opened in Burke County factory in 1991 but sold it in 2006 during a corporate restructuring. The factory changed corporate owners several times before General Electric decided in 2019 to shutter the plant.

TMC acquired Ritz's power transformers division of Ritz in 2021. TMC/Ritz later established a new presence in Burke County by moving into a portion of Southern Co.'s old Evercare building on Burke Veterans Parkway.

The newly announced TMC factory is expected to open in 2026.