Samsung announced plans to build a $380 million manufacturing facility in South Carolina Wednesday, where it will employ close to 1,000 new workers by 2020.
The South Korean-based electronics corporation said that the announcement was part of a larger plan to expand its U.S. holdings and operations. The new plant will produce the company’s line of home appliances and will employ a broad range of workers, including craftsman, operators, engineers, technical and non-technical positions.
“We aspire to be the global leader in premium home appliances,” Samsung CEO B.K. Yoon said. “This new investment will enable Samsung to increase the speed with which we can deliver premium home appliances that reflect the regional preferences of our fastest growing and most important consumer market.”
Samsung said that it had been contemplating an expansion of its U.S. operations for quite some time, out of the public eye. President Donald Trump caught wind of Samsung’s deliberations in February, thanking the company and asserting that the U.S. would “love to have you.”
Thank you, @Samsung! We would love to have you! https://t.co/r5nxC9oOA4
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2017
According to BGR News, Samsung was displeased with the unexpected attention from the president. “Samsung officials expressed ‘bewilderment’ and confusion over Trump’s [statement],” BGR said at the time. Officials in South Korea felt that Trump’s tweet was an attempt to pressure the company to commit to the yet-to-be-finalized plans to build its appliances in the U.S.
Samsung employs over 18,500 people across the U.S., including 3,000 jobs in Silicon Valley and over 6,000 manufacturing and engineering job in Texas. The company is hoping to bounce back from two major setbacks in 2016. Its Galaxy Note 7s had to be recalled after they started catching fire, and its top-load washing machines were recalled after consumers reported that appliance lids were detaching unexpectedly mid-wash.
The Samsung announcement comes just two days after German-automaker BMW announced a $600 million investment into its Spartanburg, S.C. plant. The new investment will add 1,000 jobs, according to the company, adding to what is already one of the state’s largest employers.
“The fact that one of the world’s largest and most respected technology companies is choosing to invest in South Carolina speaks volumes about the innovation and excellence our talented workforce is capable of,” South Carolina Republican Gov. Henry McMaster said. “I’m thrilled to strengthen our state’s partnership with Samsung and look forward to working with them to get this new facility up and running, and producing high quality made-in-South Carolina products.”
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