A Sept. 21 announcement by Gov. Nathan Deal will go a long way toward taking a bite out of the recession in west central Georgia. Deal announced the decision by South Korean-based Mando Corp. to open a $200 million high-tech automotive parts manufacturing operation in northwest Meriwether County. The facility is expected to create 200 new jobs initially and more than 420 in the near future.
The 900-acre Meriwether County Industrial Park is positioned in extreme northwest Meriwether County on the north side of Ga. Highway 54 adjacent Interstate 85, approximately 19 miles from Newnan and 27 miles from Peachtree City.
The company plans to invest $200 million and create an eventual total of 426 jobs through opening the new facility. Mando’s Georgia plant will supply electric power steering gears and anti-lock brakes/ESC to vehicle manufacturers including Chrysler, General Motors, Hyundai and Kia, among others. This site will be Mando’s third location in the United States, said Georgia Office of Communications representative Stephanie Mayfield.
“Automotive supplier companies such as the Mando Corp. will find in Georgia the right mix of resources and unique assets that provide them with the most efficient access to their customers here and in markets around the world,” Deal said. “We take pride not only in the outstanding performance of our logistics infrastructure, but also our top-ranked workforce that helps Mando and other advanced manufacturers meet and exceed customer expectations.”
The Mando Corp. is one of the largest Korean automotive parts suppliers, manufacturing brake, steering, suspension and driver assist systems, and was created in 1962 under the original founder of the Halla Business Group.
Mayfield said the company’s Georgia facility is planned to be a green, state of the art, high-tech manufacturing facility that will support the manufacturing and assembling of energy-efficient automotive parts to be used in North American automotive markets. This will be a new portfolio product for the company in America in its efforts to support cutting edge energy saving component manufacturing, Mayfield added.
“On behalf of the Board of Commissioners I am extremely pleased that Mando Corporation has chosen Meriwether County as its newest location for opening an automotive parts manufacturing facility,” said Meriwether County Commission Chairman Nancy Jones. “A company such as Mando will provide a tremendous economic boost to our county and surrounding area, and provide jobs that are vital for our citizens. It is a great new day in Meriwether County.”
Mando Corp. is a global automotive parts supplier based in Korea. Mando manufacturers brake, steering, suspension and driver assist systems.
Mando’s global sales revenue for this year is expected to exceed $4 billion with 8,000 employees worldwide. Mando has manufacturing and research and development locations in Korea, Japan, China, India, Turkey, Germany, Poland, Brazil and the U.S. Mando operations in the U.S. will have more than $850 million in sales revenue this year with close to 650 employees, currently located in Alabama and Michigan, according to information provided by Mando Corp.
