One year ago this week, Samsung announced it was expanding its footprint in the U.S. with a new $380 million home appliance manufacturing facility in Newberry County, South Carolina. It’s been a remarkable year. Now, just 12 months later, new washers are coming off the line every day and the team has celebrated some remarkable accomplishments:

  • Added 150,000 square feet of new factory;
  • Removed 22,000 cubic yards of dirt, and;
  • Hired 650 new full-time employees.

Samsung’s plans to call Newberry County home have been realized.

In this photograph provided by Samsung Electronics America, Samsung Electronics America President & CEO Tim Baxter (standing left), Samsung Electronics President & CEO of Consumer Electronics Boo-Keun Yoon (standing second from left), U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross (standing third from left), South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster (standing third from right), Senator Lindsey Graham (standing second from right) and Korean Vice Minister of Trade, Industry & Energy Inho Lee (standing right), announce plans to open a Samsung manufacturing facility in Newberry, S.C., Wednesday June 28th, 2017 in Washington, D.C. The plant is slated to bring up to 1,000 jobs to the region by 2020.

It was a natural choice to build a new facility in the U.S., one of the fastest growing markets for home appliances. However, selecting a site was no small feat.

Now, after a year of progress, it’s clear that South Carolina was the right choice. The warm and welcoming community in Newberry County, the talented workforce and the exceptional infrastructure all provide Samsung with the resources needed to thrive. It’s these conditions that make Samsung confident that it will hire hundreds more employees – growing the workforce to nearly 1,000 by 2020.

Samsung to open a state-of-the-art home appliance manufacturing plant in Newberry County in South Carolina.

At the end of the day, Samsung couldn’t have done this alone. Support from key officials such as Governor McMaster, Senator Graham, Senator Scott and Congressman Norman, along with state and local groups like the Department of Commerce, Newberry County, Newberry Electric Cooperative and many more was vital to bring this project to fruition.

With partners like ReadySC, Samsung was able to identify exceptional talent – 90% of whom reside in Newberry County or counties immediately surrounding it. And through collaboration with Clemson and the University of South Carolina, Samsung is helping nurture the next generation of advanced manufacturing professionals in South Carolina.

Press Installation at Samsung’s South Carolina Home Appliance Manufacturing Facility

But the factory is only part of Samsung’s commitment to South Carolina. As a company founded in the wake of the Korean War, Samsung hasn’t forgotten the sacrifices made by U.S. veterans during the conflict. There are more than 80,000 veterans living in South Carolina, and as Samsung’s presence in the state grows, the company is focused on giving back to those who gave so much, including:

  • Supporting Harvest Hope to deliver shelf-stable food to local veterans;
  • Partnering with local American Legion chapters in Newberry County to host annual Veteran’s Day meals for local veterans and their families, and;
  • Investing a half-million-dollars worth of cash and equipment for the Fisher House Foundation to provide to outfit their facilities.

It’s been a monumental year for Samsung in South Carolina and with 12 months of hospitality, partnership and growth, there is no doubt that Samsung’s future in the state is a bright one.