Manufacturing a Resolution We Can Keep
As far as New Year’s resolutions go, most of us tend to lose steam sometime before March. But for Samsung, 2018 is shaping up to be quite different, at least for those of us who had the great pleasure of opening the doors to our very first U.S.-based home appliance production facility in Newberry, South Carolina this past year.
With 500 employees hired and our first washing machines rolling off the lines today, we already have a crucial portion of our total workforce in place, and are thrilled to be adding new employees by the day. But well before New Year’s Eve, we resolved with our community and local government partners not only to begin manufacturing premier home appliances, but also to make South Carolina our American hub for industry-leading home appliance production.
Over the past few months, I’ve had the privilege of helping get this facility up and running — and my time spent doing so has only underscored to me how important partnership truly is to the success of a project of this grand scale. It’s with great pride that I’ve witnessed Samsung’s commitment to this community across the board, and humbling to see the way South Carolinians have embraced, encouraged and supported us along the way. Samsung hasn’t simply made promises — they have kept them each and every time.
For example, the recently announced Palmetto Consortium for Home Appliance Innovation — a new, five-year R&D commitment with the State of South Carolina, Clemson University and the University of South Carolina — will serve as added investment in the future success of our home appliance business, while also strengthening the education behind smart manufacturing of tomorrow.
As a lifelong engineer raised in the South, it is endlessly satisfying to help bring hundreds of skilled, high-wage advanced manufacturing jobs to this region. The Newberry facility will be an engine for enduring economic activity here, and will attract talented workers to these communities for many years to come.
Today’s celebration couldn’t have been a reality without South Carolina’s Governor Henry McMaster, and the entire team at ReadySC who hosted jobs fairs, and assisted in our hiring of over half our projected workforce. Together, our shared commitment to advancing innovation and growing a stronger community is set to make 2018 the best year yet for us all. With such a resolution, who wouldn’t be excited to turn the page into the New Year?
