A Korean automotive air-conditioning manufacturer announced Tuesday it will join the fast-growing list of parts suppliers moving to Coastal Georgia to support Hyundai Motor Group’s future electric vehicle factory.
Doowon Climate Control America, Inc., will build a new plant near Metter in Candler County, which is expected to employ 200 workers. The project is estimated to be a $30 million investment.
Gov. Brian Kemp said that Georgia’s expanding EV industry is benefiting rural corners of the state.
“In fiscal year 2023, alone, 82 percent of new jobs created and more than $20 billion of investments went to communities outside the metro Atlanta area,” Kemp said in a news release. “The City of Metter and Candler County are key beneficiaries of that success.”
Founded in 1974, Doowon Group will supply A/C products to both Hyundai and Kia, which operates a factory in West Point. Doowon Group’s new facility will be located in an industrial park near Metter along I-16. Plant production is expected to begin in 2026.
Doowon Group is the second Hyundai parts supplier to announce a project in Candler County in the past six months, joining car seat manufacturer DAS Corp.
Both companies join a fast-growing roster of parts suppliers that are opening locations across the Peach State to accommodate Hyundai’s plans. Hundreds of thousands of plug-in Hyundai, Genesis and Kia models are expected to begin rolling off the $7.6 billion Metaplant’s assembly line as soon as late 2024.
More than a dozen Hyundai suppliers have have announced projects within the Metaplant’s orbit in Bryan County, combining for billions of dollars of additional investment, according to the Georgia Department of Economic Development. Since 2018, the state has attracted $25.7 billion in EV investments with a combined 30,200 jobs.
Incentives from state and local officials have played a factor in recruiting projects across the EV and battery supply chain. As part of recruiting Hyundai’s Metaplant, state and local officials provided $1.8 billion in incentives, including tax breaks, grants and worker training, the largest such incentive package in state history.
Doowon Group will likely qualify for job creation tax credits and worker training through Georgia Quick Start. A Georgia Department of Economic Development spokesperson said negotiations over discretionary incentives remain active.
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