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South Korean parts manufacturer Seohan Auto Georgia Corp. is investing $72 million in coastal Georgia, the first supplier of the so-called Hyundai Meta Plant to land in Liberty County.
The Meta Plant, a $5.54 billion investment, is set to be the auto maker’s first purpose-built electric-vehicle factory in the United States. Since breaking ground last October, it has attracted seven suppliers to the area who have pledged about $2 billion of additional investment and 4,500 jobs.
Seohan is a tier-one supplier, meaning that its actuators, pumps, halfshafts, crankshafts and other parts feed directly into the manufacturing processes of Hyundai and other brands. The Seohan Group, which posted sales of 2.8 trillion won ($2.1 billion) in 2022, also makes bearings for wind turbines. It is based in Seoul and manages 16 domestic companies in Korea.
One of the parts maker’s seven international affiliates is already located in Auburn, Ala., where Seohan USA set up shop to serve the first Hyundai plant in the United States in 2008. A second location was added in 2014. Both Alabama facilities were expanded in 2019 by $28.5 million. The latest expansion, focused on EVs, added $13.5 million and 12 jobs last year.
The Georgia plant will employ 180 and will focus on electric-vehicle parts including halfshafts, axles and brake systems, according to the company’s website, which refers to the state the “new hub of future car production.”
“Sustained growth of the EV market over the past few years suggests that accelerated changes to the automotive market is inevitable. We believe Georgia will be the center of the EV industry, and will be a new frontier for Seohan’s future with limitless opportunities and potential,” said Jung Kee Koo, CEO of Seohan Auto Georgia, said in a news release issued by Gov. Brian Kemp’s office.
The site chosen by Seohan is located within the Tradeport East Business Center. Liberty County is the first county to win supplier investment that is not located within the four counties — Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham and Effingham — that banded together in a joint development authority to win the Hyundai plant.
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