 |
|
|
|
||
|
|
 |
August 12, 2005 Governor Riley Announces New Industry Locating in Black Belt  Governor Riley presents the state seal to Dr. J.K. Koo, President & CEO of Hanil E-Hwa, at the announcement that the company will bring 240 new jobs to the Black Belt. (Photo, Governor's Office, Robin Cooper) SELMA - Governor Bob Riley today announced an automotive supplier is locating in Selma and creating an expected 240 new jobs.
The company, Hanil E-Hwa Interior Systems, is a tier one supplier to Hyundai locating in Selma’s Craig Industrial Park. It becomes the sixth automotive supplier to locate in the Black Belt during the past two years.
"This industrial project marks another step forward for the economy of Alabama’s Black Belt," Governor Riley said in making the announcement before a crowd of company officials and local dignitaries. "However, this announcement is about more than car parts and dollars invested. It represents the faith an international company has in Alabama and in the Black Belt. There’s greater economic hope in the Black Belt today because more industries are locating here and the unemployment rates are down. What’s happening here in the Black Belt is indicative of what’s taking place all across the state."
Governor Riley noted that Alabama recorded the biggest one-year decline in unemployment of all 50 states during the past 12 months. In addition, in 2004 Alabama saw its first net gain of jobs in three years and that during the past year the state has recorded a net gain of more than 29,000 new jobs.
Hanil E-Hwa will make a capital investment of $38 million to purchase a 100,000 square foot building formerly used by American Candy Company and add an 80,000 square foot expansion to the facility.
The company manufactures car interior parts such as door trims, seats, head linings and other interior trims. It was founded in 1972 and has six factories in Korea and nine others in Turkey, Slovakia, Russia, India and China. The Selma plant is the company’s first in the United States.
"We are proud to locate our first U.S. facility in Selma and Dallas County, Alabama. We appreciate the hard work of the state and local development team as well as our employees, and we look forward to creating a new page in our company history," said Dr. J.K. Koo, President and CEO of Hanil E-Hwa.
| |
|
|
