Auto parts supplier creating 100 jobs with major plant expansion

Auto parts supplier Hanwha Advanced Materials America is investing once again in its Opelika, Ala., plant, with expectations of creating 100 jobs.

The Seoul, South Korea-based manufacturer plans to invest nearly $20 million into its factory in Northeast Opelika Industrial Park, Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller said during the city’s latest council meeting. The news was released Wednesday by the city’s economic development office.

The cash infusion into the Hanwha facility covers both construction and new equipment, with the 100 jobs being generated over three years. The parts supplier will employ more than 400 people when the dust settles, with its total investment in the Opelika plant rising to nearly $80 million. It began making parts there in 2005.

“It is truly an honor when existing industries continue to grow and invest in our community,” Fuller said in a statement. “We are glad to assist Hanwha in their continued success.”

Hanwha Advanced Materials America is a supplier to the auto assembly plants of both Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia in West Point, Ga., and Hyundai Motors Manufacturing of Alabama, just south of Montgomery. Its parts include headliners, underbody shields, bumper back beams, and impact resistant cores of the bumper.

Hanwha, which uses lightweight composite materials in its manufacturing, also has facilities in Shelby, N.C., Monroe, Mich., and Fenton, Mich. The Opelika expansion will add production capacity and allow the company to make more varieties of parts.

Those interested in a job with Hanwha’s Opelika plant should contact its human resources department. The facility is located at 4400 Northpark Drive. Its phone number is 334-741-7725.

This story was originally published April 19, 2017 at 12:08 PM with the headline "Auto parts supplier creating 100 jobs with major plant expansion."