July 16, 2026 - Atlanta Wire

Highline Warren Invests $170 Million in McDonough Logistics Center, Adding 160 Jobs to Henry County

Atlanta Wire Staff 2 on July 16, 2026

Highline Warren, an American distributor of automotive aftermarket and cleaning products, is investing $170 million in a new logistics and operations center in McDonough, Governor Brian Kemp’s office announced on July 14. The multi-year project will create 160 new jobs in Henry County and position the facility as a central node in the company’s national distribution network, capable of reaching 95% of the U.S. population within two days.

Why Highline Warren Chose Henry County Over Competing Markets

The decision to place a $170 million operation roughly 30 miles southeast of Atlanta reflects a calculation that goes beyond real estate pricing. Highline Warren CEO Darcy Curran pointed to three factors in a statement accompanying the announcement: Georgia’s strategic geographic position, access to a skilled labor pool, and proximity to the Port of Savannah — the fastest-growing container port on the East Coast and a critical entry point for imported automotive chemicals, lubricants, and cleaning products that feed the company’s supply chain.

The Port of Savannah connection is particularly relevant to Highline Warren’s business model. The company operates as a vertically integrated distributor, meaning it both manufactures and distributes automotive maintenance and cleaning products across the aftermarket supply chain. Raw materials and finished goods entering through Savannah can move to the McDonough facility via Interstate 75 without the bottleneck delays and per-mile costs that would come with routing through ports in New Jersey, Virginia, or South Carolina. Pat Wilson, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, emphasized that link in his own statement, noting that Georgia’s automotive industry continues to expand at every level of the supply chain, from next-generation vehicle manufacturing to the aftermarket products and services that keep vehicles operational.

The facility will occupy over 1.1 million square feet at 830 Highway 42 South — the former Zinus building — and is being designed to support future operational expansion as the company’s business needs evolve. Highline Warren currently employs approximately 1,700 workers across the United States and is backed by Pritzker Private Capital, the Chicago-based private equity firm that acquired the company as part of its portfolio of industrial distribution businesses. Operations at the McDonough center are expected to begin in late 2026, with hiring commencing later this year.

The Broader Henry County Industrial Corridor Taking Shape

The Highline Warren announcement does not land in isolation. Henry County has steadily built out its industrial and logistics footprint over the past five years, leveraging the same geographic advantages — proximity to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, direct interstate access, and relatively affordable land compared to closer-in metro Atlanta submarkets — that attracted Highline Warren’s investment.

McDonough sits at the intersection of Interstate 75 and State Route 155, a corridor that has drawn distribution, warehousing, and light manufacturing operations looking for the logistical reach of metro Atlanta without the congestion, labor competition, and real estate premiums of Fulton or DeKalb counties. The county’s population has grown substantially over the past decade, producing a workforce that commutes both into Atlanta and into the expanding industrial zones along the I-75 corridor south of the city.

McDonough Mayor Kamali Varner framed the Highline Warren project in those terms, calling it an investment that will enhance the city’s economy and bring jobs closer to home for Henry County residents. The 160 jobs the facility will create span logistics, operations, and facility management roles — positions that typically pay above retail-sector wages and offer more stable employment than the seasonal or gig-based work that dominates many suburban job markets.

The project also follows Governor Kemp’s announcement on the same day that Authority Brands is establishing a $13 million Franchisee Success Center in Cobb County, creating 390 jobs. The two announcements together represent nearly $185 million in new corporate investment across metro Atlanta’s suburban counties in a single 24-hour window — a pace of deal flow that underscores how aggressively Georgia’s economic development apparatus is working to capture companies evaluating distribution and headquarters locations in the Southeast.

What The Automotive Aftermarket Expansion Signals For Georgia’s Supply Chain Position

The automotive aftermarket industry — the ecosystem of parts, chemicals, lubricants, and maintenance products that serves vehicles after their initial sale — is a sector that tends to grow steadily regardless of new-car sales cycles. Vehicles on the road need maintenance whether the economy is expanding or contracting, which gives aftermarket distributors like Highline Warren a degree of revenue stability that pure manufacturing operations do not enjoy.

Georgia has positioned itself as a player across the full automotive value chain. The state is home to Kia’s manufacturing plant in West Point, Rivian’s planned facility in Social Circle, and a growing network of EV battery and component suppliers. Highline Warren’s investment adds a layer to that ecosystem by strengthening the state’s aftermarket distribution infrastructure — the less visible but commercially significant segment of the automotive industry that keeps existing vehicles running.

Wilson made this connection explicit in his statement, describing Highline Warren’s decision as evidence that Georgia’s automotive sector is growing at every stage of the supply chain. The framing matters because it positions the state not just as a destination for headline-grabbing factory announcements but as a location where the full lifecycle of automotive commerce — from manufacturing to distribution to aftermarket support — can operate within a single state’s borders.

For Henry County specifically, the Highline Warren facility represents the kind of anchor tenant that can attract complementary businesses to the surrounding corridor. A 1.1 million-square-foot distribution center with national reach creates demand for trucking companies, maintenance services, packaging suppliers, and workforce training programs that can cluster around the facility and generate secondary economic activity beyond the 160 direct jobs the company has committed to creating.

Whether that secondary growth materializes will depend on how Henry County manages zoning, infrastructure investment, and workforce development over the next several years — but the raw ingredients are now in place along a stretch of Highway 42 that, until recently, was defined more by its proximity to Atlanta than by its own economic identity.

The $170 million investment gives McDonough a concrete reason to be a destination rather than a pass-through, and it gives Henry County a data point to cite the next time a national distributor evaluates the Southeast.

How Eddy Mann and CattSue Are Giving Florida a Heartfelt Musical Voice

Atlanta Wire Staff on July 16, 2026

By: Dean Landers

Florida has long been celebrated for producing chart-topping pop stars, Latin superstars, country hitmakers, and rock legends. Yet beyond the bright lights of Miami, Orlando, and Tampa lies another musical landscape, one built not on spectacle but on sincerity. It’s a place where songwriters draw inspiration from quiet beaches, winding back roads, personal reflection, and everyday human experiences.

Two artists helping define that side of Florida’s music scene are Eddy Mann and CattSue. While their musical styles differ, both have found inspiration in the Sunshine State, crafting songs that value authenticity over trends and emotional connection over commercial formulas.

Eddy Mann has spent decades developing a catalog of independent Christian music. An award-winning singer-songwriter whose career spans more than twenty albums, Mann has become known for blending folk, Americana, pop, and worship into songs that encourage reflection, compassion, and hope. Though his roots remain firmly planted in Philadelphia, he now divides his time between Pennsylvania and Florida, where the slower pace and coastal surroundings have become an important part of his creative life.

That balance between two worlds is evident throughout his songwriting. Mann’s music possesses the warmth of a front-porch conversation, filled with melodies that invite listeners to slow down and consider life’s deeper questions. Rather than relying on grand declarations, he writes with remarkable humility, allowing ordinary moments to reveal extraordinary truths.

His recent releases continue that tradition. Songs from The Unveiling, including “When I Was Saved” and the moving “I Will Never Know the Desert Again,” reflect a mature songwriter still finding fresh ways to communicate faith, perseverance, and grace. Instead of preaching, Mann tells stories, stories that resonate whether listeners approach them from a spiritual perspective or simply appreciate honest songwriting.

Florida has also influenced Mann’s creative pursuits beyond music. His photography and visual artwork frequently capture the state’s coastal beauty, wildlife, and peaceful landscapes, reinforcing the same themes of hope and quiet reflection found throughout his songs.

Where Mann’s music often feels contemplative, CattSue offers something equally personal but emotionally distinct.

A Florida-based singer-songwriter, CattSue has developed a reputation for intimate storytelling that draws listeners into deeply personal experiences. Her songs embrace vulnerability without becoming fragile, revealing an artist unafraid to examine love, grief, healing, and memory.

Her recent single, “A Whisper on the Wind,” demonstrates that gift beautifully. Inspired by the loss of her mother at a young age, the song transforms childhood memories into a moving meditation on love that never truly disappears. Rather than dwelling solely on sorrow, CattSue presents remembrance as something comforting, a quiet presence carried through nature, family, and everyday moments.

The result is a recording that feels timeless. Built around gentle melodies and expressive vocals, the song allows silence and space to become as meaningful as the lyrics themselves. It’s the kind of performance that doesn’t demand attention but quietly earns it.

CattSue’s growing catalog reflects an artist who understands that authenticity often leaves the deepest impression. Her earlier successes introduced audiences to her ability to blend contemporary singer-songwriter sensibilities with emotional honesty, while newer releases continue expanding that artistic identity without sacrificing intimacy.

Although Eddy Mann and CattSue occupy different corners of the musical spectrum, they share several qualities that make them compelling representatives of Florida’s independent music community.

Neither artist chases whatever happens to dominate streaming playlists. Instead, both remain committed to writing songs rooted in lived experience. Mann explores faith, kindness, and perseverance with the wisdom of a seasoned storyteller. CattSue examines family, loss, hope, and healing with remarkable emotional transparency.

Both artists also demonstrate how Florida’s creative environment extends far beyond its major entertainment centers. The state’s quieter communities provide room for artists to grow organically, drawing inspiration from coastal landscapes, welcoming audiences, and an atmosphere that encourages reflection as much as performance.

Perhaps that’s what makes their music resonate so naturally.

Florida is often portrayed as a place of endless sunshine and vacation escapes, yet residents understand that it contains countless different worlds, peaceful beaches, historic towns, sprawling wetlands, vibrant cultural communities, and neighborhoods where everyday stories unfold. Mann and CattSue capture those quieter realities through music that feels grounded, compassionate, and deeply human.

Their songs remind listeners that great music doesn’t always arrive with arena-sized production or viral moments. Sometimes it begins with a thoughtful lyric, a sincere melody, and an artist willing to tell the truth.

As Florida continues producing remarkable independent musicians across every genre imaginable, Eddy Mann and CattSue stand as examples of artists whose greatest strength isn’t simply their musicianship; it’s their ability to create lasting emotional connections. Their music offers comfort without cliché, inspiration without pretense, and storytelling that lingers long after the final note fades.

In a musical world often defined by speed and spectacle, these two Florida-based artists remind us that sincerity remains one of the most powerful sounds of all.