LAURENS COUNTY, Ga. — A Korean company plans to open a plant in Central Georgia, bringing 460 jobs and $176 million in investment along with it, according to an announcement from Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
The Korean Company, Hwashin, manufactures chassis and body parts for car companies like Hyundai and Kia, and Kemp announced the company will be building a manufacturing plant in Laurens County.
"The City of Dublin is pleased to welcome Hwashin to our community,” Dublin Mayor Joshua Kight said in the press release. "The company's manufacturing facility in Dublin will become an economic engine for our region, leading to more employment opportunities and quality growth for our town."
In the governor's announcement, they say the new plant is expected to open up at the Georgia 257 Rail Site in Dublin in 2025, the first "GRAD Certified Select" site in Georgia.
That is essentially a designation that shows a site has met "rigorous certification requirements," the press release said. GRAD stands for Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development Select site.
Chairman of the Laurens County Board of Commissioners Jeff Davis says that the plant is the seventh international company that has announced its plans to come to Laurens County.
"It is with great excitement that we welcome Hwashin as the seventh international company to call Dublin and Laurens County home," Davis said. "Today is a great example of the partnership and a demonstration of the ‘can-do attitude’ that exists between Laurens County, the City of Dublin, and the Dublin-Laurens County Development Authority. "
Hwashin, which started in 1975, employs 4,2000 employees worldwide, according to the governor's press release.