A $1.3 million federal grant was announced Tuesday for improvements to the water and sewer infrastructure in Dublin and Laurens County, which will support job growth and help expand the manufacturing base.

U.S. Rep. John Barrow, D-Ga., announced the Economic Development Administration grant to the Dublin-Laurens County Development Authority along with Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce of Economic Development Matt Erskine, according to a news release.

“Investing in our infrastructure is one of the best ways we can ensure the 12th District is ripe for growth and able to attract outside business,” Barrow said in the release. “Manufacturing jobs keep our communities running, and this grant will help bring jobs to our region and open the door for other opportunities in the Dublin area.”

The EDA grant will fund the construction of new water and sewer infrastructure in Dublin that will support the construction of Erdrich Umformtechnik GmbH & Co., a German auto parts company building a 130,000-square-foot plant in the Interstate 16 Industrial Park. The company will send parts to suppliers in North America, Mexico and Central and South America for nearly every major European passenger vehicle manufacturer. Erdrich is expected to create 178 new jobs and leverage $39 million in additional private investment.

The EDA is an agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce and it makes investments in economically distressed communities to help create jobs, promote innovation and to support long-term economic growth.

To contact writer Linda S. Morris, call 744-4223.