Area Development
Drax Biomass , Inc. will establish its U.S. headquarters in the Atlanta, Georgia region. The company will invest more than $1 million to lease 10,000 square feet in the Concourse building in Sandy Springs for seven years, with plans to create 50 jobs over the next five years.

A wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of U.K. based Drax Group, Drax Biomass is a development and operating company focused on manufacturing wood pellets from sustainable biomass for onward use in the generation of low carbon, renewable power.

“After full consideration of our business requirements as we near the commencement of our operations in the Gulf region and seek further development opportunities in the southeast United States, we have chosen to establish our new headquarters in Sandy Springs,” said Matthew Rivers, Chairman, Drax Biomass. “We look forward to cultivating strong working relationships with community citizens and civic organizations alike as we build our presence in the area.”

“We are committed to providing the best possible business environment for companies who are establishing their headquarters in Georgia,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Chris Carr. “When leading global companies such as DRAX Biomass choose Georgia to call home, it’s clear that Georgia’s competitive business climate not only continues to attract investment, but also supports companies in reaching the U.S. market.”

Drax Biomass, Inc. plans to work with state and local resources to identify top talent for their new headquarters office. The new jobs created will include positions in major business functions of corporate, commercial, finance, engineering and legal.

GDEcD Senior Project Manager Renée Rosenheck and GDEcD Managing Director for the UK, Mike Harling, assisted the company on behalf of the state, partnering with Senior Director of Foreign Investment John Woodward at the Metro Atlanta Chamber and Andrea Hall, Economic Development Director for the City of Sandy Springs.

“Drax Biomass is a global company in a rapidly growing, highly innovative market which recognizes that Sandy Springs’ assets are closely aligned with its business needs,” said Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul. “Those assets include our centralized location, convenient access to multimodal transportation and an educated, talented workforce, all of which continue to draw innovative companies like Drax to our community.”

“We are excited to welcome Drax Biomass to the metro Atlanta region,” said Brian McGowan, Executive Vice President/Chief operating Officer of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “Selecting Atlanta for its U.S. headquarters brings new jobs to our region and expands our reputation as an ideal location for foreign companies, and contributes to the strength of our growing clean tech sector. We look forward to continue to work with the Drax team as they establish their presence in the metro Atlanta area.”