A Korean automotive supplier may be looking at the Cleveland, Tenn., area for a new manufacturing plant.
A Cleveland economic development official said Thursday he’s not working with a specific Korean supplier at this time, but companies are making moves on their own more often since Volkswagen landed in Chattanooga.
“There is a different approach to what we’re accustomed to,” said Doug Berry, vice president of economic development for the Cleveland-Bradley Chamber of Commerce.
A company said in an advertisement in Sunday’s Chattanooga Times Free Press that it’s seeking a project manager for a plant startup in Cleveland.
It said the company is seeking applicants who are fluent in Korean and/or have automotive manufacturing experience. The ad did not cite a company name, but lists a Chattanooga post office box number for replies.
Bradley County Mayor Gary Davis said he couldn’t think which company it could be at this point.
“It sounds like good news,” he said.
Berry said third parties, such as commercial real estate companies in Chattanooga and Atlanta, are sourcing potential locations for businesses in the wake of VW coming to the region.
“We do have a couple of building owners who have had pass-through reviews of properties,” he said.
Korean suppliers are offering parts to more than just the Hyundai and Kia auto brands.
Earlier this year, SL America, a South Korean supplier with a plant in Clinton, Tenn., announced it will hire 300 workers and spend $35 million to expand production of automatic shifter assemblies for VW.
SL supplies a range of automakers, including General Motors Co. and Hyundai Motor Co. Clinton is about 115 miles from the new VW plant that is to start production early next year.
Mike Pare, the deputy Business editor at the Chattanooga Times Free Press, has worked at the paper for 27 years. In addition to editing, Mike also writes Business stories and covers Volkswagen, economic development and manufacturing in Chattanooga and the surrounding area. In the past he also has covered higher education. Mike, a native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., received a bachelor’s degree in communications from Florida Atlantic University. he worked at the Rome News-Tribune before ...
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