Dublin is the latest Georgia city to win a commitment from a South Korean automotive supplier looking to participate in the state’s burgeoning electric car sector.  

Woory Industrial Co. Ltd. is set to invest $18 million and hire 130 people in what will be its first factory in the U.S. The 76,000-square-foot existing building is at 404 Kellam Road just off Interstate 16, about 100 miles west of the massive Hyundai Meta Plant near Savannah.  

“Woory’s commitment to place an existing manufacturing building back into service helps to promote more infill development while creating new career paths for our community,” said Dublin Mayor Joshua Kight a release issued by Gov. Brian Kemp’s office.  

Woory has facilities across Asia, Mexico and in Slovakia, home to Kia’s European plant. According to the release, the company has been “nominated as a supplier” to EV makers Tesla, Lucid, Canoo and Rivian, which is also building a $5 billion plant in Georgia. It’s unclear if that means the company is already selling to all four EV makers. 

Woory makes HVAC components like actuators and coolant heaters, along with control systems, for gas-powered cars. A decade ago, it started developing electric heaters for EVs, which don’t naturally produce heat. Now, the company’s smart heaters are designed to adjust the energy the use based on the car’s battery level. Experts say that to boost EV range and overcome consumers’ so-called “range anxiety,” car makers need demand efficiency at all points across their supply chains. Woory is also focused on developing new products for hydrogen-powered cars, a clean technology where Hyundai is also placing heavy bets. 

“Currently, we are facing a revolution in the automobile industry for the first time in 100 years. The transition to electric vehicles is the future, and the U.S. EV market is the key market among all automotive markets,” said Jungwoo Kim, CEO of Woory, in the release. “Over the past 10 years, Woory has successfully grown into a specialized EV component company through continuous innovation. Georgia will be a good opportunity for Woory to take another step forward as part of the vanguard of EV development.” 

Woory is based in Yongin, just south of Seoul in Gyeonggi province. It has a U.S. office registered in Warren, Mich.  

Jacob Lee, the Georgia Department of Economic Development project manager who got his start with the state in its Korean office and moved here in October, spearheaded the project.