An autonomous vehicle company has signed a development agreement to build a production factory in Jacksonville that could create up to 800 jobs on the First Coast.
Holon signed a term sheet with the city this week signifying they’ll begin construction on the factory that will be located at the Eastport Industrial Park. The facility will cover about 580,000 square feet and will be undertaken with InLight Real Estate Partners, which owns the property. Groundbreaking on the project is scheduled for April.
“With this partnership, we are not only creating the basis for technological innovation, but also for sustainable growth in Jacksonville,” said Clemens Rengier, Holon Chief Financial Officer. “I would like to mention once again the city of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA), who supported our vision from the beginning. Now Jacksonville is becoming the center for autonomous mobility in the USA.”
Holon is based in Germany and develops electric-powered autonomous vehicles. The Jacksonville site will specifically build the Holon model Urban, which is a self-driving shuttle. Company officials also announced they’ll locate their U.S. headquarters in Jacksonville.
The construction of the new production facility is estimated to cost $100 million and it should be completed in late 2027. The signing of the construction agreement took place at a board meeting of the JTA.
“This represents more than a milestone for the JTA and Holon, it’s a milestone for the Jacksonville region, for Florida, and for our nation,” said JTA CEO Nat Ford. “Through this partnership we are demonstrating how innovation in mobility creates jobs, stimulates economic growth, and positions our communities at the forefront of America’s transportation future.”
The economic impact of the Holon facility is projected to be far-reaching. A University of North Florida economic impact study speculated the autonomous vehicle factory is likely to have a $200 million impact on the Northeast Florida region.
Of those projected jobs, 150 will be employed directly by the company and the factory itself is expected to generate $87 million in economic output beginning in 2028. Manufacturing, real estate, health care and professional services are the sectors that are expected to benefit the most from the new facility.
JTA will buy several of the Holon vehicles and incorporate them into the service’s urban fleet of people movers.