Fifth auto parts supplier to open factory near Hyundai’s Ga. plant

A fifth automobile parts supplier announced Tuesday that it will open a factory in coastal Georgia to support Hyundai Motor Group’s future $5.54 billion electric vehicle plant.

Sewon America committed to a $300 million factory in Rincon, which will employ 740 workers, according to a news release. It’s the first automobile supplier announced for Effingham County. Sewon America’s announcement means parts-makers are in the pipeline in each of the four counties surrounding Hyundai’s future factory, which Gov. Brian Kemp calls the largest economic development project in Georgia history.

“Today we not only celebrate delivering on our promise to create jobs in all four counties in the JDA,” Kemp said of the Savannah Harbor Interstate-16 Joint Development Authority, “but also the growth of a valued partner in our business community.”

Sewon America, a subsidiary of Korean-based Sewon Precision Industry Co., has operated a manufacturing facility in Lagrange since 2008. Once the Rincon facility opens, both factories will combine for roughly 1,600 jobs.

The new factory will be located in the Grande View Industrial Park and is the largest private investment in Rincon, a city of roughly 11,000. The plant will produce EV body parts for original equipment manufacturers, including Hyundai. It’s expected to begin operations in 2025.

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 $1.8 billion incentive package.

Sewon America joins four other large auto parts suppliers to flock to coastal Georgia in the wake of Hyundai’s planned factory. They’re spread throughout Bryan, Bulloch and Chatham counties.

Since 2020, more than 35 Ev-related projects have been announced in Georgia, totaling more than $21 billion in investment and 26,700 jobs. Hyundai’s suppliers represent more than $1.8 billion in investment, which the state said surpasses initial estimates by at least $800 million.