Dive Brief:
- Auto parts manufacturer Doowan Climate Control America will build a $30 million factory in Metter, Georgia, to supply Hyundai Motor Group, Gov. Brian Kemp said in a Feb. 6 state release.
- The Metter facility will be the South Korea-based company’s first U.S. site and will make climate control systems for gas-powered and electric vehicles, according to the release.
- The investment will create over 200 jobs, including injection molding technicians, assembly operators, quality, materials, and production specialists and engineers. Operations are expected to begin in 2026.
Doowan Climate Control America adds to Hyundai's Georgia supplier network
Dive Insight:
Doowon is the second Hyundai supplier to establish a facility in Metter in service to the automaker’s upcoming $5.5 billion EV manufacturing site in Ellabell, Georgia. In September, car seat maker Das Corp. unveiled plans to establish a $35 million plant in the city. Das’ facility will produce automotive seat structures when operations begin in the second half of 2024.
Georgia has welcomed more than $2.5 billion in investment from a total of 15 manufacturers that will supply Hyundai’s plant in Ellabell. The growing manufacturing network is also creating over 6,000 jobs, Kemp said in November.
Hyundai is also adding to its investment in Georgia, where it’s building a massive EV manufacturing campus. In September, the automaker and LG Energy Solution invested an additional $2 billion in their joint battery cell factory, bringing the total to $6.3 billion. The plant will be adjacent to Hyundai’s EV campus.
The push for domestic EV manufacturing has brought a host of foreign auto suppliers to the U.S. in service of big-name automakers. Like Hyundai, Ford’s upcoming EV manufacturing campus in Tennessee has attracted several auto parts manufacturers — Canada-based Magna International plans to invest $790 million to build three facilities in Tennessee, two of which will be part of Ford’s BlueOval City supplier park.
Another example is Germany-based auto part supplier ZF Group, which is investing $500 million to expand its transmission facility in Gray Court, South Carolina, to serve customers like BMW, Tesla and Mercedes-Benz.
