Taeyang Metal, a Korean manufacturing company, has opened it’s doors in Franklin, KY. After years of work on helping to bring the project to fruition, the Franklin-Simpson Industrial Authority can now breathe a sigh of relief.
The facility is state of the art with custom built equipment and extensive automation. Along with the advanced manufacturing processes, Taeyang plans on adding a touch of Korean culture to their operations.
Company president, Howard Hahn, explains that this is the company’s first North American operation. There are currently five other Korean owned companies in Kentucky and this will be the first for the South Central Kentucky region. Taeyang plans to manufacture fasteners, while primarily focusing on the automobile industry. This type of manufacturing fits the bill for Kentucky, as it is currently the number three ranked state in the nation in terms of the number of automotive parts manufactured.
The competition that the Franklin-Simpson area was up against to recruit Taeyang was fierce. Hahn explains there were many candidate locations, including neighboring state Tennessee and neighboring country, Mexico. In the end, Taeyang Metal chose Franklin, KY due to its central location, major interstate access and local and state support.
The company expects to add approximately 76 new jobs to Franklin over the next few years. This is yet another step made by the community of Franklin, KY to help keep Franklin residents working in Simpson County instead of having to crossing county lines to seek other employment opportunities.
