The South Korea-based auto parts maker Samkee opened its first manufacturing facility in the U.S. on Tuesday in Tuskegee, a $138 million investment that will create 170 jobs for the Macon County area.
Chihwan Kim, CEO of Samkee Corporation, was joined at the opening by Alabama Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair, who called the new facility a “first-class addition to Alabama’s dynamic auto industry.”
“The opening of this state-of-the-art facility in Tuskegee demonstrates that the industry continues to gain horsepower in the state,” McNair said in a statement.
“I’m confident that Samkee will grow and thrive in its new U.S. industrial home, just as many others have done in Alabama.”
Samkee manufactures a number of automotive components, including transmissions, electric vehicles and batteries. The new facility will act as a major supplier for the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama plant in Montgomery.
“We are excited to have our first U.S. manufacturing footprint here in Tuskegee; this was only possible due to strong state and local leadership and support from the entire community,” Kim said in a statement.
“This important investment will help us continue our sustainable growth in the auto industry as well as strengthen (the) automotive supply chain in the U.S.”
According to the Alabama Department of Commerce, the 170 new jobs will have an average wage of just over $20 an hour.
The facility is in the Tuskegee Commerce Park and is projected to generate $140.2 million in annual economic output in Macon County, as well as $1.5 million a year in new tax revenue.
Vehicles recently became Alabama’s top export. Alabama is ranked within the top five states nationally for automotive production, and No. 1 for auto exports, with roughly 50,000 automotive sector employees in total.
Samkee’s new facility is also the latest example of investment in the state’s rural communities.
Brenda Tuck, rural development manager for the Alabama Department of Commerce, noted that automakers and auto part suppliers are becoming increasingly drawn to rural communities, with more than $2 billion in growth project investments having been made in Alabama’s rural communities since 2015.
“Alabama’s rural communities offer manufacturers like Samkee all the essentials they need to find long-term success with their ventures,” Tuck said in a statement.