Ecoplastic to Invest $205M in Facility Near New Hyundai Plant 

Korea-based Ecoplastic Corp., a supplier of plastic parts like exterior bumpers and interior consoles, trims and molds, is set to build a $205 million plant in Bulloch County to supply the Hyundai Motors dedicated electric vehicle plant set to be built nearby.

Founded in 1984 and located in the North Gyeongsang Province, Ecoplastic is a tier-one supplier for both Hyundai and Kia Motors, meaning that it sends parts directly into the final assembly plants of both Korean auto makers, which have plants in Alabama and Georgia, respectively.

The new facility near Statesboro will include injection molding and painting operations, creating 456 new jobs when it opens in October 2024, two years after the groundbreaking on what Hyundai is calling its Meta Plant.

According to its website, Ecoplastic makes molds for headlights and taillights for the Hyundai Sonata and Avante (the overseas version of the Elantra), as well as bumpers for the Genesis luxury brand and radiator grilles, wheel covers, tailgate garnishes and roof racks for other models.

Ecoplastic has 770 employees and recorded $700 million in revenues during 2021, according to a news release from Gov. Brian Kemp's office. It's part of the Seoul-based SECO Automotive family of companies, which also includes Seojin Industrial, SeojinCam and Komos, which supplies steering wheels to Hyundai in Alabama.

Pat Wilson, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, said Ecoplastics's move to Statesboro, the third announced supplier for Hyundai's new plant, showed that the benefit of the Hyundai plant in Bryan County is rippling far beyond the 2,900-acre site where the auto maker is spending $5.5 billion.

This week, Bulloch County, along with Bryan, Effingham and Chatham counties, will receive a set of briefings on best practices for welcoming new Korean neighbors from Jeanne Charbonneau, a volunteer who has served for 17 years as the point of contact for newly arrived South Koreans at Hyundai's first U.S. plant in Montgomery, Ala.

Learn more about those events here.