Samsung has opened its first appliance manufacturing facility in the United States.
Originally founded March 1, 1938, Samsung is a South Korean company that produces a wide range of products, some of which include smartphones, televisions, automotive components, chemicals, computers, surveillance equipment and major home appliances. According to Wikipedia, the company’s total revenue is equal to roughly 17% of South Korea’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), attesting to its size and economic influence.
Up until now, however, Samsung has manufactured its appliances in facilities overseas, but that’s about to change. Earlier this month, the tech giant opened its first U.S.-based appliance manufacturing facility in South Carolina. It didn’t take long for Samsung to construct the facility. Just seven months ago, Samsung officials announced plans to build the appliance manufacturing factory in a closed Caterpillar factory.
The remodeling project was pretty comprehensive, involving an additional 151,000 square feet of space and adding 20-foot-thick concrete support structures for the heavy machinery. As explained by Samsung CEO Tim Baxter, remodeling an old factory usually takes 18 months, but Samsung was able to complete it in just seven months.
“This is what normally takes most companies 18 months to do, and we’re just getting started,” said Tim Baxter, Samsung CEO. “We’re starting as a washing machine facility and creating an innovation hub. That’s our dream.”
Samsung’s new appliance manufacturing facility is expected to create 1,000 new jobs for South Carolina’s job market by 2020. It currently has roughly 540 workers.
Until recently, it was unknown whether or not Samsung would follow through with its promise of opening a manufacturing facility in the United States. There’s been talk about tariffs being placed on the company. However, many U.S. lawmakers believe these tariffs would likely backfire by hurting the country.
When speaking about the potential tariffs, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman explained that Samsung isn’t a foreign company selling cheap goods under market prices. Rather, they are a reputable brand selling high-quality goods that consumers want to buy. And since they are building those products here in the United States, it’s beneficial to the country and its economy.
When most people think of Samsung, they immediately envision its consumer electronics division, Samsung Electronics. However, the company has also become a major producer of home appliances, including washing machines, clothes dryers and even smart appliances. With its new manufacturing facility open in the South Carolina, we’ll likely see an even more of these appliances available for sale at local stores.