Employers
Hwasung Group Inc., a Korean maker of electrical and electronic components, plans to open a manufacturing plant in Florence, South Carolina, and create 32 jobs, the South Carolina Department of Commerce announced Thursday, Oct. 29. The company said it will invest $5 million in the project.
The 32 positions are planned, not filled. The plant is not yet running: according to the state, the first phase of operations is expected to come online in January 2027 and the second phase in the second half of 2027. The announcement did not say how many of the 32 jobs belong to each phase, what the roles will be or what they will pay.
What the plant will make
Hwasung was founded in 1994 and makes precision components for elevators, marine ships, industrial robotics and energy infrastructure, according to the Commerce Department. The company operates facilities in the United States, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam, and it already has a headquarters office in Lexington County.
The Florence plant will be located at 1611 Otis Way. The state said it will produce parts for three broad markets: elevators and escalators; energy and power distribution; and advanced industrial equipment, a category the release defines to include industrial automation, robotics, precision machinery and medical equipment.
The company is not building from the ground up. Florence County Council Chairman Jerry Yarborough said in the release that Hwasung’s “revitalization of the 58,000 square foot facility on Otis Way” sets the stage for continued growth, which indicates the operation will move into an existing building that is being improved.
The public money involved
The incentive disclosed in the announcement is modest. South Carolina’s Coordinating Council for Economic Development awarded a $50,000 Set-Aside grant to Florence County to help pay for building improvements. The grant goes to the county, not directly to the company, and the release did not describe any other state or local incentives.
In a statement, President and CEO Tony Kim described Hwasung as a family company and said the new plant will let it “bring that expertise closer to our customers across North America.” The release did not name any customers.
Gov. Henry McMaster congratulated the company on “bringing 32 quality jobs to Florence County,” and Commerce Secretary Harry M. Lightsey III said the facility reflects the state’s reputation as a place where businesses can grow. SC Ports President and CEO Micah Mallace pointed to the port system’s “reliable import and export service that manufacturers depend on for growth.” NESA Executive Committee Chairman Yancey McGill welcomed the company to northeastern South Carolina and said the operation will bring 32 jobs to the community.
What it means for Florence-area job seekers
For workers in northeastern South Carolina, the announcement is an early signal rather than an open hiring call with details. The state said people interested in joining the company should visit Hwasung’s Indeed page, but the release did not list job titles, required skills, shifts or wage levels. With the first phase targeted for January, any initial hiring would most likely happen in the weeks before that start, though neither the company nor the state gave a recruiting timeline.
The project is small next to other announcements the Commerce Department posted the same week. On Wednesday, Oct. 28, the department announced a $54.78 million Amick Farms hatchery in Edgefield County with 40 planned jobs and a $29.5 million Brose Sitech plant in Richland County with 330 planned jobs. Hwasung’s effect on Florence County employment will depend on whether both phases come online as scheduled and whether the company grows beyond its initial commitment of 32 positions.
What remains unknown
Several basic details were not disclosed: the wage range for the jobs, the split between the two phases, whether any positions will relocate from the Lexington County office, and the exact opening dates beyond the January and second-half 2027 targets. The job count is a company commitment announced by the state. Whether it is met will only be known after the plant is operating.
Sources
- South Carolina Department of Commerce, “Hwasung grows South Carolina footprint with new Florence County operations,” October 29, 2026. https://www.sccommerce.com/newsroom/hwasung-grows-south-carolina-footprint-new-florence-county-operations
Featured photo: Aerial view of western Florence, South Carolina, near the junction of Interstates 20 and 95, in an image dated June 4, 2013. Representative image; not Hwasung's plant at 1611 Otis Way. Photo: Florence Conventions and Visitors Bureau, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Cropped from the original.
