French Car-Maker Locating Headquarters In Atlanta

ATLANTA, GA — The French car auto manufacturer that makes Peugot, Citroen and other vehicles is locating its North American headquarters in Atlanta.

Gov. Nathan Deal and Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on Tuesday said Groupe PSA, the second-largest car manufacturer in Europe, had chosen Atlanta, which is already home to significant presences by Kia, Porsche and Mercedes Benz.

According to the company, the headquarters will be up and running by February.

"We looked at every aspect of the Atlanta community and found it to be the most suitable location for us," said Larry Dominique, president of PSA North America, in a news release. "While the overall business environment, standard of living and university system played an important part in our decision, our unique needs in terms of technology, mobility innovation and car culture ultimately identified Atlanta as our perfect choice."

There were no immediate details released Friday on where the Groupe PSA operation will be located or how many jobs it could bring to the region. Groupe PSA employs more than 200,000 people worldwide, with an annual revenue of $60 billion and 3.6 million vehicles sold annually.

Georgia already is home to more than 320 automotive facilities, employing more than 27,800 people.

"Groupe PSA joins a growing family of innovative automotive manufacturers and suppliers operating here in Georgia," Deal said. "This announcement is a great win for our state and yet another testament to the strength of our business environment and infrastructure."

Groupe PSA makes Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Opel and Vauxhall Motors cars. In October, it launched Free2Move, a smartphone-based mobility service and has been an early innovator in the field of autonomous and digitally connected cars.

In April 2016, the company announced its plan to return to the U.S. market — first with mobility services, then with those services with Group PSA's vehicles, then retail car sales. In a news release, the company said Atlanta was chosen after a yearlong, nationwide search.

Photo courtesy Groupe PSA