ZF Group, a German automotive industry supplier, will build a $90 million-dollar wind energy plant in Gainesville, Georgia and create 215 new jobs. The new plant will make wind turbine gearboxes for systems that convert wind energy into electricity.

The project is receiving state tax credits and the company is being provided a customized employee training from the state's Quick Start economic program. Construction is slated to start immediately with a completion date of next February.

The plant is sited for Gainesville Business Park, near an existing ZF facility that has been up and running about 20 years, state officials said.

"There is a heightened global focus on renewable energy production, and we believe there is an opportunity to leverage our automotive driveline and chassis technology leadership in this exciting and growing alternative energy sector," ZF executive Elizabeth Umberson said in a statement.