A Salute to American Manufacturing Might

By Megan Pollock, Vice President of Public Affairs at Samsung Electronics America

Governor McMaster greets students prior to their tour of the Samsung Electronics Home Appliance (SEHA) facility on Manufacturing Day

On the first Friday of October, Samsung welcomes the opportunity to recognize and celebrate manufacturing in America on National Manufacturing Day. Through our partnership with the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), we strive to highlight the ways in which we all benefit from a strong manufacturing industry.

NAM President Jay Timmons and Governor McMaster of South Carolina discuss SEHA’s manufacturing efforts on the factory floor during Manufacturing Day

In an increasingly connected and technology-driven world, the importance of manufacturing cannot be understated. While manufacturing job openings are at an all-time high, a recent study co-published by NAM found that more than 2 million U.S. jobs in the industry will go unfilled due to the lack of highly-skilled candidates in demand. Skilled manufacturing workers are key to the development of technologies Samsung needs for continued innovation.

That’s why Samsung places a high premium on the industry, because we see firsthand the impact it has on the economy and our communities. For four decades, we have invested billions of dollars in U.S. manufacturing and created thousands of jobs in the process, including at our state-of-the-art Samsung Electronics Home Appliance (SEHA) facility in Newberry, South Carolina.

Two years ago, Samsung announced, renovated and launched the SEHA facility with two product lines (all within the first nine months). Currently, we employ over 800 full-time workers, with 90% local to Newberry and surrounding communities, and by 2020, we expect the facility to generate nearly 1,000 jobs, including advanced manufacturing positions.

Governor McMaster of South Carolina joins Samsung Electronics Home Appliance (SEHA) facility employees during the tour.

But SEHA is only the latest investment in our long history of supporting a robust manufacturing presence in the U.S. Since 1996, Samsung Austin Semiconductor (SAS) has been at the forefront of manufacturing technology. At $17 billion, the Texas facility represents one of the largest direct foreign investments in U.S. history. And, like so many manufacturing investments, it has contributed enormously to the regional economy of central Texas.

Jay Timmons, President and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers speaks to the students about the importance of skilled manufacturing skills preceding their tour of the Samsung Electronics Home Appliance (SEHA) facility on Manufacturing Day.

National Manufacturing Day provides us an opportunity to showcase these advanced facilities for tomorrow’s manufacturing leaders and instill in them an appreciation and interest in the industry. Samsung hosts annual facility tours for local middle and high schools to expose students to the exciting career paths and innovations available to them within manufacturing.

On National Manufacturing Day and every day, by elevating the positive impacts manufacturing has across the country as well as its impressive developments, we can position ourselves to thrive alongside this growing industry. At Samsung, we are proud to support manufacturing as a cornerstone of America’s economic success and future and an invaluable part of the communities we call home.