A private prison broke ground Monday in middle Georgia.

The 1,000-bed facility in Milledgeville is expected to employ 235 people when it opens in 2012.

Governor Sonny Perdue was on hand for the ceremony.

GEO Group is building the prison.

The company manages 119 facilities all over the world, including several in Georgia.

The state is chipping in $19 million for the project.

Earlier this year, Milledgeville and Jenkins County were competing for the project because of the new jobs it would bring.

When the final decision was announced in February, Millen Mayor King Rocker said losing out on the bid was a major disappointment for his county where unemployment hovers around 20 percent.

Milledgeville lost the Bostick State Prison in May, when it closed because it was too old.

Tags: Georgia, business, Milledgeville, Millen, Jenkins County, Governor Perdue, Milledgeville economy, private prisons, GEO Group, Mayor King Rocker, Bostick State Prison