A sixth automobile parts supplier announced Monday that it will open a factory in coastal Georgia to support Hyundai Motor Group’s future $5.54 billion electric vehicle plant.
PHA, a South Korean company focused on automotive door components, including latches and hinges, committed to a $67 million factory in Chatham County, which will employ 402 workers, according to a news release. Gov. Brian Kemp said recently announced Hyundai suppliers made up majority of the job announcements over the past month.
“In a single month, Georgia’s economic development community has announced more than 1,900 new jobs for hardworking Georgians, with the bulk of those jobs related to the Hyundai Metaplant,” he said in the release.
Founded in 1985, PHA is a supplier for Hyundai, Kia and other automakers. PHA has multiple facilities in the United States, but this is the company’s first location in Georgia.
The company will likely qualify for free worker training under Georgia Quick Start and job creation tax credits. A Georgia Department of Economic Development representative told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that discretionary incentive negotiations have not been finalized.
PHA will join another parts supplier, Seoyon E-HWA, by opening a plant at the Savannah Chatham Manufacturing Center near Bloomingdale. Both expect to begin operations in October 2024.
Hyundai broke ground in October on what it calls its Metaplant America, which it plans to open in 2025 along I-16 about 30 miles west of Savannah. Hyundai promised to hire 8,100 workers at the EV plant, and state and local leaders have touted Hyundai’s on-site jobs and investment as well as commitments to bring thousands more jobs at suppliers around Georgia as justification for a record-breaking $1.8 billion incentive package.
PHA and Seoyon E-HWA are among six large automobile parts suppliers to flock to coastal Georgia in the wake of Hyundai’s planned factory. They’re spread throughout Bryan, Bulloch, Chatham and Effingham counties.
Since 2020, more than 35 EV-related projects have been announced in Georgia, totaling more than $21 billion in investment and 27,400 jobs, according to Kemp’s office. Hyundai’s suppliers represent more than $1.8 billion in investment, which the state said surpasses initial estimates by at least $800 million.
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