TEMPLE, Texas — A new $110 million investment from a South Korean company will reportedly bring over 100 new jobs to Central Texas.
The Temple Economic Development Corporation (Temple EDC) says the selection process started over a year ago.
"The company started with over 75 cities across the United States," Tom Long, Vice President for the Temple EDC, said.
Announced by Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday, July 9 during a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, the multi-million-dollar investment from SeAH Group, a company that specializes in steel products, will see a high-performance metal manufacturing facility be created in Temple.
"They do super alloys for the aviation, automotive, power generation and oil and gas industries," Long said. "We are the location of choice for such an operation. We're centrally located in the United States. We've got infrastructure here that's suitable for this type of manufacturing. We have a workforce here that's growing, young and available for this type of manufacturing to be trained for."
Long says jobs will range from manufacturing production work to management to purchasing to quality control.
"These will be well-paying jobs for the city," Long told 6 News.
Long, along with many others, is excited for what the facility means for the growth and future of Temple.
"Now we are on the radar of international and other global companies as a place to locate when one comes in," Long said.
Construction on the new facility is projected to begin in the third quarter of 2024, with commercial production expected to start at the beginning of 2026.
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“Texas is the premier destination for business growth, which is why companies from across the globe continue to choose our state to expand their operations,” said Governor Abbott. “SeAH Group’s $110 million investment in Temple is a testament to the unique and unmatched business opportunities the Lone Star State has to offer businesses. I look forward to welcoming SeAH group’s new manufacturing facility to Texas and continuing to work with them to bring even more investments and jobs to our state.”
The investment will come from SeAH Superalloy Technologies, which is a newly established manufacturing corporation under SeAH Changwon Integrated Special Steel (SeAH CSS), and will mark the first alloy manufacturing facility built in the U.S. by a South Korean company.
“Texas has always been a fantastic partner in every aspect of our journey to the U.S.,” said SeAH Changwon Integrated Special Steel Co-CEO Junghoon “Jay” Lee. “The opportunities that the state offers will allow us to thrive in the fast-growing North American market. SeAH also strongly desires to become a great addition to the community of Texas.”
"After visiting the company in Korea recently, I think they're going to be a good corporate citizen," Long told 6 News. "Their leadership is 100% sold on Temple as we are 100% sold on them."
According to the Temple EDC, the site will be located on 45 acres in Temple's Industrial Park off of Moores Mill Road.
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