Area Development
Dong-A Hwa Sung Co., LTD, a South Korea-based home appliance and automotive supplier, will invest $13 million to locate its first United States operations, Dong-A USA, in Martin, Tennessee.

Its new 100,000 square foot manufacturing center is expected to create approximately 220 jobs in Weakley County. With this facility, Dong-A will be a supplier for LG as well as other companies in Tennessee and North America and will be better equipped to serve its North American customers.

Established in 1974, the company is a supplier of rubber and plastic components for the home appliance and automotive sectors. The company’s customers include major automotive companies including Hyundai/Kia, Nissan and GM as well as home appliance manufacturers including LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics.

“For our bright future in the U.S., we believe Martin is the best place to start our business. The reasons why we chose this amazing city is that we found that Martin has a business-friendly environment and the people engaging in this project showed us great cooperation, teamwork and warm-hearted hospitality,” Dong-A Hwa Sung, USA President Nag-Jae Sung said. “We are sure that this project can not only make our business grow, but also boost economic development in this area. We hope that this project will lead to further develop the business.”

Governor Bill Haslam said; “Tennessee continues to be a strong location for foreign direct investment, with more than 140,000 Tennesseans employed at foreign-owned companies. Because of significant investments like this, Tennessee will lead in the creation of high-quality jobs. I appreciate Dong-A for its investment in Weakley County and for its commitment to Tennessee.”

“We are most grateful that South Korea based Dong-A has made the decision to locate its first U.S. manufacturing plant in Weakley County,” Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe said. “South Korea continues to be a strong partner to Tennessee, with South Korean companies pledging to invest more than $1 billion in capital and create more than 4,000 jobs in our state since 2011. I thank Dong-A for making the largest foreign direct investment in Weakley County’s history and for creating more than 200 high-quality jobs in Martin.”

“This is an exciting day for Martin,” Martin Mayor Randy Brundige said. “The addition of Dong-A further diversifies our community both industrially and culturally. It is my distinct pleasure to welcome them to our community, wishing them success and many years of working together.”

“Today is a day to be proud in Weakley County. We are honored to be the new home of Dong-A and are excited to celebrate the company as an important partner in our communities,” Weakley County Mayor Jake Bynum said. “We are proud of our Weakley County team as well as our extended regional and state teams who have worked tirelessly to ensure the success of this project. Most especially, we are proud of the strengthened foundation we are continuing to build for the people of Weakley County today, as well as the advancement for future economic growth. Dong-A is a perfect fit for Weakley County.”