ATLANTA (AP) - A South Korean mattress and furniture maker will invest $108 million and hire more than 800 people in McDonough, Georgia, as it sets up its first American factory.
Zinus USA President Ha Bong Sung and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp made the announcement Tuesday at the state Capitol in Atlanta.
Zinus says it has grown rapidly through online sales and sales to vendors and wants to start making products in the United States. The company's other factories are in Indonesia and China. The McDonough facility is expected to open in early 2021 and will also be a distribution center.
Henry County officials said they were eager to diversify investment, which has been focused on warehousing.
"I think for a county like Henry County that has a lot of distribution centers, we're very excited to have some manufacturing," said Kemp, a Republican.
Georgia officials say Zinus is the first company entirely recruited since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
"I think you're seeing a lot of companies right now that have experienced disruptions in supply chain," said Georgia Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson. "The opportunity is there for companies to come to the United States and make their products and make their products well."
Bert Brantley, the chief operating officer of the Georgia Economic Development Department, said final terms of incentives for Zinus have not been agreed on yet. He said the state is likely to give Henry County money to improve infrastructure for Zinus and is likely to subsidize job training. Henry County is likely to abate property taxes. The company will also qualify for a state income tax credit that allows the company to deduct $1,750 per job from its income taxes for five years, equal to up to half of its state income tax liability.