Henry County lands Fukoku Korea project with $18.9 million investment and 60 jobs

Henry County leaders are pitching a new manufacturing announcement as another sign that the region can still win industrial projects in a competitive market for automotive and advanced-materials work. County officials said Fukoku Korea plans to invest $18.9 million to establish a new facility at Patriot Centre Industrial Park, a move expected to create 60 new jobs.

The company will operate out of the Lot 8 shell building at Patriot Centre. According to the county, the plant is expected to make rubber damper pulleys used in automotive engines and thermal gap fillers used in electric-vehicle battery systems. Those are not splashy consumer products, but they sit squarely inside the supply chain sectors communities like Henry County have spent years trying to attract: durable manufacturing, parts production, and components tied to both conventional vehicles and the EV market.

The announcement matters beyond the headline job count. It fills industrial space the county has prepared in advance, adds an international manufacturer with North American growth plans, and reinforces the Martinsville-Henry County area's identity as a place where automotive suppliers can plug into an existing workforce and transportation network. County officials and state partners both framed the project as proof that local site-readiness work is paying off.

Fukoku Korea, founded in 1987, supplies specialized components designed to reduce vibration, manage heat, and improve durability in vehicle systems. Henry County said the company has established FKC America to serve the U.S. market. The public announcement also noted state support, including a $500,000 Commonwealth's Opportunity Fund grant approved for the project and workforce-training help through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.

For residents, the next questions will be practical ones: how quickly hiring begins, what wage levels the operation offers, and how the county connects local workers to openings once the facility moves deeper into setup. Even before those answers arrive, the deal gives Henry County a fresh economic-development talking point at a moment when Southside Virginia continues trying to convert industrial land, workforce programs, and regional branding into long-term employment growth.

Source: Reporting based on Henry County's March 5, 2026 announcement, Henry County Welcomes Fukoku Korea Manufacturing Investment at Patriot Centre.