Since the facility's announcement, the EV brand and this organization have faced off in court on multiple occasions. The group has also run fundraising events to support its fight against the manufacturer, where detractors criticized the brand for not clearing the factory with nearby Walton and Morgan county residents. Supporters have also defended the automaker, such as Fred Perriman, mayor of Madison, who noted the factory would create jobs. "Some of those protestors, I promise you, some of their family members will try to get a job at that facility," he remarked. Despite the conflict, Rivian CEO R.J. Scaringe told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that "The future of our company in terms of scaling and growing really relies on the future of this project."