Lithium-ion battery recycler and raw materials provider SungEel Recycling Park Georgia, LLC, will locate its first U.S. recycling facility in Georgia. A subsidiary of the Korea-based global industry leader SungEel HiTech Co., Ltd., the company will invest more than $37 million in the new facility and create 104 jobs in Stephens County.
“SungEel HiTech’s entry into Georgia is the last piece of the puzzle to build a sustainable ecosystem of Georgia’s electric vehicle supply chain,” said Suk Jae Yim, Representative of SungEel Recycling Park Georgia. “SungEel Recycling Park Georgia will conduct its full responsibility to build a U.S. eco-friendly industrial ecosystem in line with the expectations of the State of Georgia and Stephens County.”
With more than 10 years of patented technology, SungEel specializes in complete recycling technology using a 100 percent full circulatory system. This system, which recycles end-of-life batteries and battery manufacturing scrap, has a metal recovery rate of more than 95 percent. Recovered metals include nickel, cobalt, and lithium.
“Georgia recently announced record-breaking numbers for fiscal year 2022, and companies like SungEel are evidence that the rapidly growing electric mobility ecosystem continues to generate new jobs for hardworking Georgians across the state,” said Governor Brian P. Kemp. “Korea has been a key partner in Georgia’s growing sustainable technology industry, and I’m excited that SungEel chose the Peach State for their first U.S. facility. Welcome to Georgia!”
SungEel Recycling Park Georgia’s new facility will be located at the Hayestone Brady Business Park, a Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development (GRAD) Certified site in Toccoa. The GRAD Program is a proactive effort by Georgia’s economic development community to develop a portfolio of available sites ready for fast-track development. Operations are expected to begin in early 2024. Over the next few years, the company will be hiring for technicians, operators, administrative, and sales roles.
“It has been a pleasure working with SungEel HiTech over the past eight months and learning more about the company and its processes. This is an exciting time for Toccoa-Stephens County and a solid boost for our local job market,” said Brian Akin, Chairman of the Stephens County Development Authority. “The investments that we have made in infrastructure, workforce development, and education were all significant factors in the selection process, and we couldn’t be any happier with their decision to expand here. We are looking forward to working alongside them for years to come.”
The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) worked with the Stephens County Development Authority and Georgia EMC on the project.
“SungEel is a company at the cutting edge of sustainable technology, and we believe SungEel’s proximity to other members of Georgia’s electric mobility ecosystem will lead to amazing success,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson during a meeting with SungEel in Korea this week. “Creating the jobs of the future and protecting the opportunities of today means preparing key industries, such as the auto industry, for the next technological revolution. We are grateful to our partners in Stephens County for their investment in speed to market solutions like site preparation, and we are excited to welcome SungEel to Georgia.”